Hi
I was wondering if there is any reason no one seems to make marbles from Effetre, I have started playing with marbles and wondered if i should be using a different glass. I am operating on one oxycon and nortel minor torch if that makes any difference.
People do make marbles with 104 glass and you can do them with one oxy and a minor torch (although a 10L oxy is best). 104 glass is softer than boro, so more difficult to control and maintain the heat, but can be done. I am pretty sure that the book 'Torchworked Marbles' by Drew Fritts uses 104 glass rather than boro.
I have been making softglass marbles for a long time. It is totally different from making boro marbles. Most difficult part is to get a bubble free clear in 104.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5759/20342156018_97be9df432_b.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/268/19471486705_4e4baca798_b.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6943136957_f87c39b6ac_b.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/14445833831_b562b8f155_b.jpg)
Wow, those are amazing marbles, I see I have a lot to learn, will definitely keep trying :D
Beautiful Miriam. I've had a go at soft glass marbles, but nowhere as beautiful as those. I scared myself a bit when one fell off my punty and rolled towards me, I shot back let it fall on floor, which it rolled over scorching the vinyl, fortunately I had a cheap pair of metal salad/pasta grabbers and picked it up and popped it in the kiln.
those marbles are stunning Miriam. I especially like the dotty ones and can't imagine how you make them.
Stunning marbles and i love the colours !
Beautiful marbles. Such vibrant colours :D I wish colours like this were more readily available in boro...
I tried soft glass for a while before moving onto boro. I never was able to get the heat control needed and always ended up with cracks, and/or tool marks on the surface :(
I can also relate to what GaysieMay was saying - there are few things more terrifying than a red hot piece of glass rolling towards you! Still happens every now and then and it gets even more scary when it comes within millimeters of the propane pipe :o
Quote from: Arcanaeum on March 02, 2016, 11:29:12 AM
Beautiful marbles. Such vibrant colours :D I wish colours like this were more readily available in boro...
I tried soft glass for a while before moving onto boro. I never was able to get the heat control needed and always ended up with cracks, and/or tool marks on the surface :(
I can also relate to what GaysieMay was saying - there are few things more terrifying than a red hot piece of glass rolling towards you! Still happens every now and then and it gets even more scary when it comes within millimeters of the propane pipe :o
I agree re the colours. I have just remembered (getting old!) that I started off doing marbles in soft glass (doh!), I got tool marks and just couldn't control the glass and get nice round marbles (love yours Miriam). I also can relate to failing punties, I now have set up a 'trap' infront of my torch so that they can't go very far and only work the marble in that area, just in case ;)
Fabulous marbles! A lot of skill there especially in soft glass getting them round and so clear and bubble free! ;D
Thank you for you lovely comments. I must confess my marbles see the floor from a short distance a lot of times. My apron has a lot of marble marks!! ;-)
Marble making is fun.
If you need more practice, make after every day some "bench cleaner marbles". Get all leftovers from the bench and assort them roughly into color groups like blues, hot colors and greens. Heat the end of a stainless steel punty and stick the leftovers to the end. Heat the whole blob untill the air goes out and give it a nice twist with a second punty or a glass rod. Shape it with your marble mould and transfer to a clear glass punty to continue the shaping process on the other hemisphere.
A bubble free clear is a problem in 104. If you get a good batch try to keep the bubbles out while gathering it into a blob. Remove the scummy ends from freshly cleaned rods with your tweezers in the flame, before fusing them together. Avoid any folding operations and push the solid rods slowly into the maria or the gather between both ends. Let the gather cool untill it is solid and peel the outside if needed. Use this Gather as you would use a boro gather and keep it nice and warm while all operations.