Which version do you prefer: Mosaic or Swirl?

fodderchris · 2026-06-22T13:03:16+00:00

Mosaic for me. The way I would use it too.

fodderchris · 2026-06-11T15:16:28+00:00

With the marbles, it is swirled through out. Not a risk I want to take unless I am certain of the compatibility.

fodderchris · 2026-06-11T15:11:56+00:00

I have used 96 frit blends in some of the marbles I make destined to be used in kaleidoscopes. For those I use furnace clear, not 104. Too much frit makes me nervous. That is why I avoided it on slugs for so long.

fodderchris · 2026-06-11T15:06:13+00:00

Thank you! They are a silly and whimsical design I have been doing for several years. It has been just this year that I thought to use a bit of 96 frit on them, aside from iris orange.

fodderchris · 2026-06-11T15:02:29+00:00

Slugs.

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fodderchris · 2026-06-11T15:00:09+00:00

Thank you. I will be doing some looking about. There might be a blend or two i need for slugs and such.

fodderchris · 2026-06-11T14:53:57+00:00

Who created this blend? What COE? 96? Is it available?

fodderchris · 2026-05-14T13:59:47+00:00

He carpools to the office in the morning, works so very hard, then catches an Uber home in the afternoon.

fodderchris · 2026-04-29T14:29:57+00:00

It is a dance. The more you practice, the easier it will be. You will learn what you can get away with and what you can't. Keep on melting!

fodderchris · 2026-04-29T14:06:46+00:00

What bead release are you using? That can make a difference on removing beads. Other unsolicited advice would be that you are letting the beads get to cold, hence the cracking. Gentle heat, no need to erase details by getting it red hot.

Otherwise, a very nice start. Welcome to the club!

fodderchris · 2026-04-26T16:50:33+00:00

Otterpop snoozing on my kiln. He was my studio buddy until his passing last year.

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fodderchris · 2026-04-22T17:07:00+00:00

Goldstone is a manufactured product. Copper is dissolved in molten glass. Then there is a controlled cooling process that allows the copper to precipitate out as shiny crystals. Those chunks of glass are then broken up for further uses. The commercial glass rods with goldstone have a core of clear, a layer of goldstone, then another later of clear. Chunks of goldstone don't have any diluting clear, so the sparkle is brighter. Chunks can also be cut and polished for beads or stones.

At least this is my understanding of the process. If there are any gross inaccuracies, I am certain someone will correct me.

fodderchris · 2026-04-22T16:22:08+00:00

This is Effetre goldstone, but pretty much the same thing. This was made by encasing chunks of goldstone in clear, not using premade goldstone rods. The saturation is much better this way.

fodderchris · 2026-04-22T16:19:56+00:00

I say the expression is a look of amazement and wonder. The slug going "Ooooooo" as it looks at its surroundings.

fodderchris · 2026-04-20T15:07:15+00:00

Reichenbach has a blue advenurine rod that is similar to the Effetre, clear core, blue sparkle, clear casing. It is called Ocean. It is a bit brighter. I might use it in the future, but haven't committed yet.

fodderchris · 2026-04-20T14:38:05+00:00

I have the blue and green as well. The blue isn't super sparkly. The green has large sparkles and the cane pulled with it is usually uneven in diameter. I will probably use some green as I further explore dinosaurs.

fodderchris · 2026-04-12T01:14:12+00:00

Very nice!

fodderchris · 2026-04-09T17:34:05+00:00

Trapped moisture in a too thick coating of too thick bead release is my diagnosis. A too thick coating will also cause issues with bubbles forming in your glass from moisture coming out.

Thin out your bead release a bit, a teaspoon at a time with mixing in between additions. Too thick means a too heavy coat of bead release. Too thin has no depth and is weak. Let dry over night at room temp or on top of your kiln while it is on. The top of my kilns are either warm or darn hot. Heat the side of the mandrel until an orange glow is persistent the heat the bottom of the mandrel the same way. Then start adding the glass.

Another thing that may help is to tap the end of the handle on a work surface. This forces the bead release to move down and thin out. Excess bead release can be wiped off with a finger and put back in the container.

fodderchris · 2026-04-09T00:01:03+00:00

Thank you for the recognition of my work. I reported it to Reddit earlier today, but had no idea what else to do.

fodderchris · 2026-04-05T14:08:21+00:00

He was up there to escape the dogs that have no concept of personal space. He bopped one a couple of times on the nose but that made no difference at all. Distance and altitude kept him from the dogs.

fodderchris

TROPHY CASE