Sputty Rods

[ScarletLeonard]

I've been having no end of problems with them recently no matter what colour I pick up. But I can get mine in the flame soon as I have used what I need from the rod and take it out it splits (just like a thermal shocked bead) which of course means disaster if I need more of that rod. Yet for the most part the beads are fine. (So long as I stick to normal beads, goddesses have been giving me no end of trouble.)

I have no suggestions other than really bad rods tend to get flung across the desk in fustration.

[Krysia@No98]

It's interesting that none of you seem to give up and throw them in the bin...

Personally I seem to get mostly CiM sputting the only non CiM one seems to be effetre pistachio.

[awrylemming]

I was wondering if the weather change had affected my glass!  I've had the same thing with most rods being spitty and cat like.  But just as much with the effetre as the CIM, my desk was smothered in periwinkle and 068 black 

[Krysia@No98]

I torch inside next to the radiator.  One of the best things about not having a garden and a shed.  So I don't think it's a weather thing.

But yes I was pulling bits of lapis out of my foot yesterday  (One of the not so great things about having a shed  )

[jammie]

the colder my workshops been the worse the glass spits and I can tell the difference by how cold the rods are. I'm inside but its the back room and of course our weathers really cold much of the time just now with a lot of frost. even with the heater on, its still been cold enough to chill everything. It also affects my bead release. 

[ScarletLeonard]

I didn't think of the weather because it's lots warmer now than it was and I didn't have a problem during the coldest times.
Effetre is my problem glass, the CiM is mostly behaving.

[Hotglass28]

Now, I may be stating the obvious here but are you chaps slowly introducing the rod into the flame? I mean s l o w l y. 

Have seen many a flameworker with many years under their belt throw the rod in the flame and say "aww, its a shocky batch, or this colour is prone to popping"  me thinking, no, you're not working the glass right 

I gave up on that CIM blue colour, cos that WAS fritty nightmare and will prob go in the bin soon 

Calico is a little monster for me, but I love it so much I forgive her popping and throwing tantrums. hehe.

Really can't wait to getting back to all this full time 

[awrylemming]

S L O W L Y?  Wassat then? 
I have to admit, I am of the jam it in the flame and duck brigade, however, if it shouts at me once, then I treat it more gently, waving it at the end of the flame and carefully advancing.  However, glass that I usually have no problems with is misbehaving at the moment, who knows why ... perhaps its picking up on my mood 

[ARBeads]

I normally work really slow, cus I enjoy watching the glass flow. You can see the seed in the transparents I've got!

[Blue Box Studio]

Weirdly, having had 2 rods of Celadon frit in a stick, but liking the colour I grabbed a 3rd and 4th and not a spit out of them.  Even in the same batch there must be diffrerences.  Not looked in the kiln, with the way my week is going if they didn't frit and spit they've probably turned guano green!  I do tend to wave the glass in the flame for ages before I start though, bit of a scaredy cat

[Shirl]

I am having trouble with opal yellow, as it melts I can see into the rod and its full of air bubbles, and as I make the bead they surface and pop!

Its really annoying!

[SilverGems89]

Anyone found Notos REALLY bubbly? It's like the scum you usually get on the end of a cut rod gone crazy, i have to pluck the end off every time i put it in the flame or it's just a mass of bubbles...maybe i need to give it a going over with glass cleaner rather than just the sleeve of my jumper/armpit 

[Krysia@No98]

stand on a chair and drop them on the floor, it is soooooo satisfying

Ha ha ha!!

I have a really bad batch of Vet clear that bubbles like crazy.  The plan is that I am going to slump it at uni and see if this looses the bubbles.  If it doesn't I'm binning the lot!

[Krysia@No98]

So I 'fused' a rod of vet clear and it now melts like a dream... no boiling the moment it hits the flame, no sputting when it's re introduced.  It's lovely.  I'm not saying it's Laucha clear good, but it is now usable for beads that I would consider selling.

So just to clarify.

I have only done this with one rod of clear.

Vetro rod was put in a flat bed kiln (one at uni) and put in what is referred to a low firing for float fusing (not slumping) cycle.  I put it directly onto fiber glass, but would say that if I was going to do it again I would put it in on fiber paper so that it comes out smoother.

Good luck to anyone else that is interested in trying this.  I would love to hear what others find.  For me this has worked.

[Pat from Canvey]

Good tip Krysia.