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Working with Boro

Flameworkers please help a little. At the bead show I was able to pick up a huge sample pack of boro. There must be at least 50 different colors and this is very exciting for me. However I have some questions.

First I have been told that I can wear welding glass over didymiums. Is this true? I think I remember then being a 3 or 5 - whatever that means. I'm guessing that's the darkness of the glasses. Please know that I will not work with boro until I have the proper eye protection so don't worry.

Now that I have this glass can you share any tips on working with it? I know tons of folks make small beads in color and encase heavily with clear. What other ways can you work with it?

I have one rod of clear. Can I purchase any clear boro or does it have to be by manufacturer because of COE compatibility? My local glass store actually has clear boro so if I don't have to worry about compatibility I can pick up some there.

Reply to
starlia
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If you are making small beads from boro the welders shades 3-5 will be good for safety. Boro uses the hotter/brighter flame witch has more UV & IR. You can also look at the

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site to get proper eyewear. For tips on working boro, I just stick it in the flame & start shaping, my work is visible at
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and
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I will explain how most of the work was done. You can encase in clear or use the clear as a base and color over it, no real rules. The COE of most boro used for art is 33, is this a Northstar or Glass Alchemy sample? Compatibility isn't much of a problem for clear, some colors are trickier than others or don't like being next to other colors. You can use most clear boro on the market, I prefer Kimble rods and Egienshaft tubes but Simax, Pyrex and Schott make compatible clear. I avoid glass made in China. I'm planning some classes at my studio in boro flameworking this October, contact me through my websites for more info or questions or post here & I'll get to it. Good luck & enjoy the boro. Emmett

Reply to
Emmett

Uh-oh, another boro junkie in the making!

IMHO, didymium doesn't cut it for boro. After a few trial beads to be sure I wanted to continue with boro, I upgraded to ACE glasses from Wale, with a #4 welders shade (clip-ons) for the boro. I think the combination works very well. When I'm doing steps that don't flare as brightly (and I need to see where the colors are going) I can flip up the #4's to better see what I'm doing. And the better base glasses are good for everything else.

I do some encased beads (Doug Remschneider's video is great for learning color combinations for twisty-type beads, and basic casing), but I like messing with the surface reactions too. A lot of boro colors need a high oxydation flame or they react strongly, so keep that in mind. Experiment and have fun!

I use Kimble and Schott boro the most. As far as I know, all the major manufacturers are compatible. The thing to watch for is colors being compatible with each other, but I have yet to find a real list of what to avoid.

Reply to
Karen_AZ

Thanks for your links. Love your leaf stemmed goblet on your opening page.

I got a surprise on your goblets page. You have a goblet that is double fluted

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in clear. I inherited a set of goblets (and blown plates) very much like that but in a pale yellow-green glass. (I'm told it's not uranium or vaseline glass). Is the stem of yours hollow? On mine, under the cup there is a round hollow, and under that an upside down tear drop hollow. It's exciting to me to see something so similar. And your lavender flower marble is lovely, though the Fuck You marble certainly has its appeal!

Hope you'll hang around here.

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

Shade 5 welding clip-ons work just fine. I suggest starting with 1/8" mandrels because they're startlingly easy to burn through, and I don't know what kind of bead release you have but Foster Fire heavy-duty works well for me.

There are lots and lots of things you can do with boro, including some of the things you do with soft glass already. Some colors look great all on their lonesome, others really need to be layered to look good. What brand did you get? I can get more specific when I know what kind of palette you're working with.

There are different COEs of boro, but for our purpose only one is commonly sold, and it's 32-33 COE. That means about any clear you find for sale will work. I like Simax, and I've been using Eigenschaft stringer. I just ordered some Kimble. I have never used Pyrex but I hear it's not as clear and nice as it used to be.

Have fun!

-Kalera

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starlia wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

You do gorgeous work, Emmett!

-Kalera

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Emmett wrote:

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

Thank you for the compliments, Kalera E

Reply to
Emmett

Thanks for the compliments, Tina. The linked goblet was done by putting stringers in a tube and constricting the air out so it's no longer hollow, I do have many hollow stems pictured but that's not 1 of them. I know what you mean about similar glass from different places, I see stuff that looks like someone else's all the time and the person has no clue of whom I'm talking about. My marbles are something are something I spend a little time on here & there, they seem to sell but not as well as my pendants and rings, I tend to put time towards what sells well for me. I plan to stick around as long as I have access to usenut. Emmett

compatibility

Reply to
Emmett

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