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Making
Stringer from Frit
Click on images below for larger views.
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How
to apply Frit
on Beads
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Making
Stringer from Frit is EASY!
You will
need a Clear Glass Rod, some Frit, and a heat-resistant surface
such as a Graphite Marver. |
Frit Beads
Examples |
Melt a
"blob" of Glass on the end of the Clear Glass Rod.
About the
size of a pea, and it needs to be very HOT and mushy soft. |
You
need a Glass Rod for the Base colour of the Bead, and Frit
for accent.
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Quickly
roll the melted blob in Frit
Aim to pick
up as much as possible - roll the glass to get Frit on all sides.
If Frit doesn't stick, your Glass Rod is not hot enough! |
Make
a pile of Frit on your Graphite Marver or other heat resistant
surface.
About a tablespoon is a good amount to work with. |
Bring
the Glass back into the flame and melt in the Frit.
Re-heat
the blob slowly to avoid scorching the Frit as it melts, or
having it "pop" away due to thermal shock. |
Make
a Bead on your Mandrel and get your basic shape the way you
want it.
Your
bead needs to be HOT when you roll it in the Frit or it won't
stick. If that happens, simply reheat your bead and try again.
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Go back
for more!
Keep going
back for more Frit, melt in, get more Frit, melt in - until
you have even coverage. Usually about 3 or 4 "dips"
will do! |
Now
melt in the Frit - or leave it textured as you like, but it
needs to be bonded firmly if you want to leave it semi-raised
on the surface.
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Melt the
last of the Frit in all the way until smooth
Your blob
of glass on the end should now be thoroughly and evenly coated
with the Frit so that your resulting Stringer will be solid
colour with no streaks of clear showing anywhere. |
To
Finish:
Shape
your bead as desired
and then pop it into the Kiln or Vermiculite/Fibre Blanket.
Done!
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While
it's hot - pull it!
Remove
the glass from the flame and wait about 3 seconds.
Using a tweezer, pinch a tiny bit of the end of your blob
of glass and pull gently.
Pull slowly for thick Stringer, or quickly for thin Stringer.
As the blob cools, you can pull faster. Melt or break off
the length you want your Stringers to be, and continue re-heating
the blob until it's all pulled.
And
THAT, is all there is to it! Easy-peasy!
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Please
let us know if you have further questions or any suggestions
how we can improve these tutorials.
Photos of your
beads made following these instructions are welcome!
Show us what you can do!
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