Want Glass

You can get a sample set from most places (Frantz, Sundance, Arrow Springs) which has 1 meter rod of each color (except for alabaster and opaline) for about $100. Each rod should have a little tag on it with the color and the stack number. Clip those off, get some sheet protectors for slides and a three ring binder. Put the chips into the protector sheets and you have a handy reference color chart.

Thanks for the information. I'll give them a try.

I think Glassdaddy.com has some Lauscha assortments. Lauscha works like a dream - especially the transparents. It's expensive, but I **love** it. Shipping is ungodly expensive though - but maybe we could do a Lauscha bulk buy to reduce it? Hmmmmmm. I'll think on this.

That is a good idea. I would love to do a bulk purchase. Think about it and let us all know.

I'd be interested as well. I've been wanting to try the lauscha.

Is there a discount with a Bulk Buy??

Try C&R Loo. They carry Lauscha, Satake and Murano (which as best I can tell - except for a couple of colors is identical to Effetre./Moretti), plus Bullseye and most boro companies. The only place I know that carries Kinari is Ed Hoy, but you have to be a glass retailer to order from them. BTW, not all colors of Lauscha are compatible with Moretti. Wish I remembered which right off, but be advised your mileage may vary. In my experience: Satake is strange stuff, it has a really long working time once it gets up to temp. But some really great colors. Expensive. Bullseye is nearly as stiff as boro and it devits easily. But they have about 10 colors that are just great. The dayglo yellow, the opaque purple and the green aventurine for starters.

I love Satake but it's an expensive habit to have. And I got nuts not being able to mix the lead colors (yummy hot oranges and yellows) with anything else. But they have a dreamy opal pink and the best transparent purple around. Problem is (espcially after working Bullseye and boro) is that it melts way too fast (in comparison) and works like taffy. Oh, and you need a totally different annealing schedule.

Louis, which colors of Bullseye have you had devit problems with? I'm just reacquainting myself with it (my stash literally had cobwebs throughout) but so far I'm not having any problems at all. I remember there used to be a bad white but that seems to be gone. The rest, so far, are behaving really well. And I love the new pale transparents.

-- KarenK Desert Dreamer Designs

Thanks for the info Karen!

Kathy K

Thanks Louis and Karen_AZ. Good information. What are the annealing schedule for Satake?

I am going to order a sampler set of Lausche this week to try. I really like the colors you described Karen, so maybe have to check out the other glasses.

I have work with stained glass pieces since I also do fused work. It's a pain to get started, but I love all my compatible colors. It's also Bullseye.

Not sure - have to look.

The Satake COE is 113 for the soda lime colors, 120 for the lead colors. The annealing temp is 890.

Even if you never order from them (but I do, bunches) get yourself an Arrow Springs catalog. It's full of good info on annealing, COE's, some of the color properties, etc. A very informative catalog. So is CR Loo's.

-- KarenK Desert Dreamer Designs

As for boro frits, what colors do you need? There are a few that I'd like to get in quantity, and I'm planning on buying poundage of it in the fat (sidewalk chalk size) rods and chunking up my own. Much, much more affordable.

Wow! That sounds like a major downer... and makes it impossible to plan projects ahead in a reliable way, if they were your primary supplier. Who does it better?

Deirdre

I've never had any exceptional shortages from them. I usually order

Someone said something about their silver leaf being too thin. Silver Leaf is supposed to be thin, like gold leaf, I think it is even thinner than gold. It is designed for gilding, not glassworking. Most places that sell sheet silver for glass work are selling silver Foil. I think C&R Loo offers both.

If anyone out there has done a bulk order lately and could spare a rod of each color, or just a few rods, I'd be happy to pay for them or trade for them. I would like to try the softer glasses I've been hearing rave reviews about.>

why don't you just order one of the SAMPLE PACKS from one of the major online suppliers???

Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

is supposed to be thin, like gold leaf, I think it is even thinner than gold. It is designed for gilding, not glassworking. Most places that sell sheet silver for glass work are selling silver Foil. I think C&R Loo offers both.<

That was me. Believe me, Louis, I've worked with all kinds of silver (leaf and foil for beads, leaf for gilding as well--built frames in a past job), and this stuff was utterly unusable. When you opened the book, it would start flaking off in places, but the rest of the leaf was firmly adhered to the backing paper (which wasn't even traditional rouge paper), almost as if someone had jumped on the book or something. I tried all my usual tricks (nudging with a matchstick of rouge paper or teasing it with a sable brush usually works) and it wasn't budging. Not just one page, but ALL 25 of them.

I've also had the same problem as Tink with poor stocking. I swear the times I've ordered more has ended up on backstock or out of stock than I've actually received. It's a shame, because their discounts are wonderful and if they really had what's in their catalog on a steady basis, I'd be a loyal customer. Maybe it's better to shop around, though.

And just to make this a bipartisan grumble, I hate Frantz' new online ordering. One of these days I'm going to do a road trip to Arrow Springs. I miss harassing "my" guys at Wale.

-- KarenK Desert Dreamer Designs

I have to agree about Frantz's online ordering - their new site is a navigational nightmare. I am happy that I only live two hours away. I may suggest that as a bulk buy because then I would just drive there to pick everything up. No shipping at all, except for what it would cost to mail stuff out to people. Well, duh. Now I need to call them to check their stock on Lauscha and we'll be good to go.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about their site. I hope folks are letting them know how badly it sucks.