Glass Techniques: Silver & Gold Striking Colors

This video is designed to help you develop your ability to work with silver and gold striking colors (such as northstar's Amber Purple and Exotics color families) to learn what type of flame produces what type of effect.
A basic understanding of flame settings is assumed however the general rule for flame settings is:

Oxidizing Flame: More Oxygen than Fuel gas, hissing sound from torch is heard and light blue streaks form at the torch head with medium to heavy oxidizing flames, this is the flame type generally used to work silver containing colors or colors that are sensitive to reduction.

Neutral flame: I find this flame easiest by going to a slightly oxidizing flame then dialing back on oxygen until light blue streaks disappear from the flame and the tip of the flame is not flickering (like a candle does in a breeze) A neutral flame means that there is not an excess of either gas (oxy or fuel) in the flame, they are both being completely consumed. A Neutral flame is the hottest flame type as the gas to oxy ratio is optimal.

Reducing Flame: Fuel rich flame, generally characterized by a softer and larger flame (the sides are more rounded and the tip of the flame flickers like a candle would in the breeze depending on air movement around the torch), this flame is generally used to bring metals (such as silver or gold) to the surface in colors containing them or for flame annealing.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• jackpotmonkey
• glass
• borosilicate
• lampworking
• flameworking
• tutorial
• pendant
• basehead
• silver
• gold
• striking
• color
• rod
• double
• amber
• purple
• northstar
• torch
• nortel
• minor
• major
• howto
• technique
• stringer
• jewelry
• making
• ketchikan
• alaska
• alaskan
• artist
• opensourceglass
• Ketchikan Artist

[glassbuttonbabe]

Amazing! Way ahead of me right now, but fun to watch an expert! Hey, you mentioned fibro, have you tried the "cutting out wheat" from your diet? Has worked wonders for many friends that are suffering......also the "Eat Right for your Blood Type" diet. Hate to see a good man have a down day! Keep up the awesome work!

[jackpotmonkey]

@glassbuttonbabe Have tried about everything i could find for fibro with no real improvement, but thanks for the suggestion

[rockfarmer8364]

Dude,

Best striking colour demo I have seen.

cheers,

Dazza

[jackpotmonkey]

@rockfarmer8364 Thanks, now that I have learned a lot more about the striking process, and the effects on striking colors that flame chemistry, working temperature, insulation (laying clear over a striking color to lessen the amount of strike in a given area) i think i may try to do an updated version of this vid. I haven't been doing much lampworking lately with the winter playin havoc on my fibro, so i need to get back into the swing of things with a new vid :)

[wakyhotglass]

good vid!

but how did you do the twisted pendant that you show at the end?

[jackpotmonkey]

@wakyhotglass the double amber purple one? i just drew lines of clear over the DAP rod then did some switchbacks and condensed into a pendant shape and lensed it. I can do a vid if that would be easier.

[rbmaserang]

@bradkrit here's some definitions, reducing flame- a mixed flame in which there is more fuel than oxygen and results in longer yarm yellow candels. oxidizing flame- a mixed flame where there is more oxygen than necessary and results in bright violet candels. CANDELS - the structure of the flame as it exits the torch appears to be one or more cone shaped jets usually not visible in low resolution video, but eye catching in real life. i've noticed if my glass gets white hot my colors go apeshit

[bradkrit]

Where can I learn these terms - reducing/oxidizing flame, latticino... etc? I find this glass working stuff really interesting but there are no local classes I can take.

[wakyhotglass]

you can if you want but i think i got it

ill try it tomorrow

thanks dude

[jackpotmonkey]

Thank you, means a lot coming from you! I am going to try to get some of my other vid ideas I messaged ya about shot this weekend depending on how bad my fibro gets (weather looks like its going to stabilize so crossing my fingers)

Thinking of doing the 'Glass Terminology' vid next, though I need suggestions on terms to cover outside of the ones I layed out.