New Double Helix Oddlots & Test Batches 9-8-08

The New Double Helix Oddlots & Test Batches were released on 09/08/08. Pics and properties of each can be found here to view.

A link to the Older Double Helix Oddlots & Test Batches reference guide can be found on the side bar to the right under "Links" or you can click here to view.

Gaffer's New G-109 Chalcedony

Gaffer Glass USA announced a new glass available in cane: G-109 Chalcedony
Scroll down the page of their newsletter and take a look at the bead pics posted. Pretty awesome colors being produced with this new glass!

When we placed our order for this glass a week ago they were out of cane and waiting on a shipment from their main plant in New Zealand, which may have arrived by now.

If ya just gotta try out this new glass and don't want to wait for them to restock, try some G-109 Chalcedony shards in Knatty Dreadz' Etsy store.


Knatty is one of our members that enjoys pulling down rods and blowing shards. He tends to fall into a zen-like state when doing so, which is a good thing for the rest of us here. We are subject to his 100 mile an hour gibberish and eyeball popping gazes when he succumbs to sugar overload after consuming disgustingly large amounts of frozen Snickers, Almond Joy, Butterfinger and 3 Musketeers candy bars each day :)

Buy some shards; by keeping him busy making shards we'll be able to get a couple of hours peace and quiet around here until he hits the candy again...

Do You Strike Your Silver Glass Twisties First?

We received a question from Lucy about making twisties with silver glass in them:

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Hello
i have just found this blog after searching for info re double helix colours which i am just starting to experiment with. when using these for twisties, do i need to strike them first then encase, then twist and pull?
lucy

Sat Apr 11, 06:15:00 AM

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Greetings Lucy!

No bead on this blog made by us use twisties that have been encased or the silver glass prestruck before constructing the twistie. Up to this point, that is. We will be showing a few that have encased twisties but they do not contain any silver reducing or striking glass in them.

I personally have not tried prestriking silver glass before constructing a twistie and I asked the other lampworkers here as well and received the same answer. I tend to work very hot and work the bead for an extended period of time shaping and melting multiple twisties into the bead; prestriking is not an issue when working this way. However, overstriking can be :)

Be also aware by encasing silver glass that reduces, you prevent it from reducing, that is bringing the silver content to the surface when hit with a reduction flame. For the best reduction effects, work your bead in a neutral to oxy flame until you have completed the bead and almost ready to put it in your kiln. Then set your flame to reduce and bathe your bead at the tip of the flame fingers.

After this you can change your flame environment to a slight reduction/neutral flame to bring out more iridescence. This process can be done multiple times with some reduction glasses but not all. Double Helix' Triton, Aurae and Gaia along with Precision 104's Michelangelo/Sasha's Silver to name a few produce spectacular rainbow iridescence when finished off this way.

I would say test it out for yourself. I realize silver glass is expensive but this is the best way to learn. Plus what works for one person does not always work for the next. The type of torch you use, the flame environment, how it is worked and other factors come into play when using silver glass. Make a small test twistie and see what the results show.

I'd love to see pics of what you come up with and I'm sure you are not the only beadmaker new to silver glass asking the same questions. At my next torching session I will also test this out and see what happens. I hope someone reading this that has tried prestriking and encasing before pulling twisties would post a comment with their results as well.

You might also post your question on Lampwork Etc. in this thread SE4! FOURTH Silver Color How To and Exchange
Hayley (Yum!), Helen and Steph are seasoned silver glass h--, I mean, seasoned, knowledgeable lampworkers specializing in silver glass, both striking and reducing varieties. Hope to hear from you again soon, Lucy!

On Making A Larger Twistie

Mallory had a follow up question regarding making a larger than normal twistie.

"Thanks for the answer, Anne, to Melissa's question. I have one, too, regarding twisties. How do you make big, fat twisties and melt into big, fat twisties on the bead. I have pulled slower. I waited, and in most cases too long, to pull the glass and begin to twist. I'm stumped. Can you help?"
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Hi Mallory!
This is the way I make larger twisties: In order to make a larger twistie, your initial footprint for the twistie should be larger also. I don't know if you're using a mandrel, metal chop sticks or glass rod to pull your twistie but try using a larger size or you can make a maria to set your larger footprint.

Heat the end of a glass rod and flatten it slightly as pictured below and set it aside while you design your twistie colors. When your ball of molten glass is ready, warm and attach the glass rod with the flattened tip and press into the hot glass slightly larger than the size of the twistie you'd like and begin twisting. This should yield a larger twistie.

A word of caution: Making a larger twistie also requires a lot more molten glass in order to make a twistie of even minimal length. It also requires more heat in order to keep it hot enough to pull and twist. If you, meaning anyone reading this, is not familiar with making twisties or pulling large stringer/cane, please take all due caution. A very large blob of red hot glass can be difficult to manage. You don't want to lose control and wind up with this hot blob in your lap or all over your torch. Don't ask me how I know :) Safety first!

To apply a thicker twistie, you must preheat it as you would a regular glass rod to prevent cracking and flying bits of glass. While applying it to a bead, you'll need to direct your flame to the twistie slightly above the point of contact with the bead to keep it soft and pliable.

The picture shows a quick sample pull with the flattened glass rod end to give you an idea how thick you can make a twistie using this method. The smaller twistie above it is about 2 -3 mm thick. I hope I explained it so it makes sense!

Making Tightly Wound Twisties

We received a question from Melissa about the twisties used in many of our beads and wanted to post the answer for those with similar questions. Please feel free to post a comment or more questions!

"Was wondering about your twisites if you don't mind sharing. How do you make them with all the colors and so "tight" I have a 6 point optic mold, is that how you do it? This site it wonderful, so glad I found it. Your beads are absolutely amazing!! Thanks so much!"
Melissa

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Hello Melissa,
Thank you for your wonderful comments and we're very happy to hear you're enjoying our blog! There are seven beadmakers in Seraphim currently and only two use an optic mold. Whatever way you choose to make twisties will work in making the tightly wound twisties pictured on many of our beads. The key to tighter twisties is to twist faster while pulling the glass just a bit slower. As you start your twist, try not to follow the urge to start pulling quickly as though pulling a regular stringer or twistie. You'll begin to see the windings tighten up, drawing closer together as you continue twisting.

The more you practice making twisties, the hand winding the twistie will gain a rhythm, in sync with the flow of glass while pulling and spinning the mandrel or punty. It takes a little practice but is effortless once you get the hang of it. I start each torching session by making twisties; I find it quite relaxing and gives me fresh ideas for new beads.

Don't feel bad about wonky, uneven twisties! By all means use them anyway in a organic, free form bead that doesn't require a linear pattern. Some beadmakers will purposely alter their twisties while adding them to a bead as a design element. Your wonky twistie simply removes one step in the design process :) You'll be surprised how beautiful your bead with the wonky twisties turn out!

I've included two links for those wanting to try making tighter, more complex twisties without an optic mold. The first tutorial is a basic complex twistie tutorial and you simply have to remember to twist faster while pulling the glass just a bit slower. Hope this helps!

Anne

Complex Twisted Cane Tutorial by Steve & Susie Wright

Seahorse Twisty Tutorial by Kimberly Affleck

Camari

Base: Vetrofond Odd Apricot Jam
Twistie: ASK Moroccan Swirl and Mystic Gray, Effetre Dark Silver Plum, Vetrofond Pajama Blue Odd, Reichenbach R-108 Iris Orange (Raku)
Twistie: ASK Mystic Gray, Vetrofond Pajama Blue Odd, Reichenbach R-108 Iris Orange (Raku),Effetre Dark Silver Plum

Please note the first color listed for a twistie is the base glass used to apply the other colors.
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Boheme

Base: Effetre Fossil Medium and Dark Ivory
Twistie: Double Helix Triton and Nyx
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Reseda

Base: Kugler (Beadmaking 104) B-541 Dark Sand Brown
Twistie: CIM Stone Ground Unique, ASK Mystic Gray, Vetrofond Purple Red, Orange Sherbet Odd
Twistie: Double Helix Gaia and Precision 104 Rembrandt/Miro Silver Emerald, reduced
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Ammonoidea

Base: ASK Moroccan Swirl
Twistie: Enamel White and Reichenbach R-108 Iris Orange (Raku)
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Elan

The dark ivory twistie base caused an interesting effect. As the ivory was heated and began to web, the colorful stripes took on an appearance like unto coloring on paper with crayons. The effect can be controlled by the length of time and heat in the flame.

Base: Effetre Fossil Medium
Twistie: Effetre Dark Ivory, Vetrofond Purple red, Vetrofond Odd Orange Sherbet, ASK Moroccan Swirl,

Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.
*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Blush

Base: Effetre Dark Ivory
Stringer: CIM Stone Ground Unique
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Radiance

Base: Effetre Dark Steel Gray transparent
Twistie: Double Helix Gaia and Precision 104 Rembrandt/Miro Silver Emerald, reduced
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.

Carmen

Base: Kugler (Beadmaking 104) B-541 Dark Sand Brown
Twistie: Reichenbach R-108 Iris Orange (Raku) and Effetre Dark Silver Plum
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.

*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.
Visit our sister shop The Gryphon’s Aerie on Etsy too!

Piquet

The lavender and mauve pink shades are a reaction from both colors combined and heated fairly well.

Base: Reichenbach R-61 Enamel White,
Twistie: Enamel White and Reichenbach R-108 Iris Orange (Raku)
Dots of R-108 Iris Orange (Raku)
Clicking on the bead should give you a larger view.
*All beads are sold unless otherwise stated or listed on eBay and Etsy.