This wasn't as obvious as it looks... yes I make beads from glass but I was thinking about all the things to do "with" glass, and the penny only dropped when I was replying to a comment on Day 1 of the challenge. D'oh!
Essentially glass can be measured by something called it's COE number (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion), but before you get worried this is going to get super technical, all you need to know is that in essence you stick to the same number when mixing different glasses.
The glass I use for making beads is COE 104 glass, which is often referred to as soft glass, I use it in rod form, a bit like a pencil thickness - but you can also get crushed glass (frits), very thin rods (stringers), ribbons, powdered glass, shards and probably lots of others I don't know about!
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| Top to bottom: Frits of different grades, stringer, rod and ribbon |
Glass can also be categorised in different ways, transparent, opaque, opaline (not quite transparent, not quite opaque) and there's a whole range of speciality glasses, it's literally endless; the modern beadmaker has a very large palette of glass they can choose from to create their beads.
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| Opaque and Transparent Glass Rods |
I use several different brands, the Italian murano glass is probably more commonly known, but I use glass from all over the world.
Even if they have the same COE, not all glass plays nicely with other glass... conversely you can mix small amounts of a slightly different COE glass as a decoration, general rule of thumb is 5% or less... but as you can see... that is why E is so important in my glass beadmaking journey!
Does anyone else see a face shape in the different types of glass photo?!
Hi! Interesting post about the raw material for your beadmaking and I learnt about COE! And yes, I did see a face shape! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amelia, COE is definitely an important thing to remember, also as I do some fusing (different COE) making sure I don't mix my glasses up!
DeleteMars xx
Now that you have pointed it out, then it's logical to think that different glasses had different consistencies and thermal expansion is a pretty important one - if you glass expands and contracts at different rates and different amounts then you'd end up with the equivalent of a bimetalic strip, but glass being a lot more brittle than metal, something's gonna give.
ReplyDeleteSo much glass to choose from! It's great that crafts are opening up with so many different options of supplies on offer to everyone around the world, gone are the days when you just had to rely on the local art shop for the meagre supplies that were on offer.
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles | Wittegen Press | FB3X
Yep you've got it right on the something's got to give front!
DeleteAlso glad for internet and international ordering these days, as when I used to make candles it was only the local shop option and when they stopped stocking wax in bulk I literally had to stop making.
Mars xx
Lots and lots of glass in very pretty colours. I imagine is ships with lots of padding? I'm afraid I do not see the face shape.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Yep LOADS of padding, I'm recyling for days after a glass delivery ;)
DeleteTop photo, I see 2 eyes, maybe a tash, mouth and goatee?
Mars xx
Hi Mars, hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI've made beads from polymer clay but never with glass, but I know they are beautiful. I think I've seen some of your work before...the 'Trollbeads' is familiar...maybe from last year's A to Z?
LuAnn (approx #369 on the list) @ Back Porchervations.
(and one of co-host AJ Lauer's #wHooligans)
Yes we visited in the A to Z, not sure if it was last year or the year before... lovely to see you again!
DeleteMars xx
The more I find out about bead making the more fascinating it is :) I do love the range of colors that seem to be available. Glass was a huge part of our studies back in Archaeology, since we find a lot of glass ware and glass beads, but we only learned the basics about the process...
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
I'd love to know more about it, I'm mostly teaching myself so the background/history stuff is pretty non-existent for me.
DeleteToday's glass maker is positively spoiled for choice!
Mars xx
Definitely a face! :D Looks like :/
ReplyDeleteThat is neat about the COE. I hadn't thought about differnt glasses reacting differently to heat, but it makes sense that they would.
I imagine that glass is kind of like yarn. You have a colour. But then there's another colour that you just *have* to have, because it's slightly different than the one that you already have :D
I've got a few similar colours, but it's also worthwhile because different makes of glass react differently even though they may be practically the same colour, I find it's so "Art meets Chemistry" that you have to experiment a LOT to find out what properties they have.
ReplyDeletee.g. I have two similar dark opaque silver purples, one is a joy to work with and retains a true colour after annealing, the other is a pain to work with but lovely colour, but it changes to the exact same colour as a lighter purple that I have after it's been in the kiln (and it's not a cheap glass either).
But that's half the fun!
Mars xx
How interesting, thrre is so much to glass making. I have even more respect for the making of these little treasures.
ReplyDeleteYes I saw the face, but I am not sure if I spontaneously saw it, or you mentioning it nudged me into seeing it, fascinating!
xoxo
I suspect I shall be learning right up to the very last time I ever light my torch...
DeleteI did a test piece for fusing a while back and to me made two faces that can be seen depending on which way the dish is viewed, not on purpose, much like when I was photographying the glass, I saw them later!
Mars xx