DEBORAHREAD.COM: May 2015

Playing with COE90 Bullseye Powder Frit on Fiber Paper

I found out about this technique from Rosemarys Clay where she is doing amazing with results
the book can be found : http://my.bookbaby.com/book/glass-fusing-design-techniques-with-powders-on-fiber-paper

I started making up samplers for color combos - on small sheets
My first one was not too successful but was lots of fun to play with

the second was much better

Played with some other colors but they turned out more like my first and not as defined as the second- I'll have to work on that

Made up 51 pairs of silver ear wires
Cut - balled-ends filed- bent then tumbled to a shine

Toronto Flameworking Classes - Rashan Jones - Transition to Borosilicate Lessons

check this out - here are the details

http://www.torontoflameworking.ca/classes--demos.html

June 12 is Advanced Demo Day - $80.00

June 13-14 Class - 425.00

This is one of the most wonderful teachers of Boro - Work Boro on your minor with two oxy cons

I do it all the time - Boro gives you wonderful color selections and combinations - not to mention the fact you can keep it out of the flame for long periods of time

I make hearts, torsos up to 4" in size all on my Minor !

Rashan will show quite a number of wonderful techniques not just in the class but in the Demo as well

Dont miss out on taking a class with Rashan

Sorting and Cleaning

I can spend more time sorting and cleaning - I guess I was not feeling all that well this weekend so just putzed around sorting and arranging shelves and cleaning things up - its good so that it reminds me of what I have in stock and where things are so I can find them again.

I only torched for a short time on friday night and made some lentils

nothing special - just playing

I organized my boro glass rod by putting the labels in the tubes so I can see the results of use and what colors I had

cleaned under my work tables to sort out some tools

and cleaned off my counter -

other than that didnt do a darn thing - probably my mind was on the horses leaving - very sad but needed not to have the chores any more - first time in 25 years I've not had horses

CLASSES

If your interested in taking a class for :

Torch Enamelling

Basic Glass Fusing

Copper Etching - bracelet
Copper Etching - Pendant

Glass Painting

Basic Lampworking

Electroforming

Please drop me an email at dread@deborahread.com with "Class" in the subject line

Its time to arrange some classes and I know there are certain people interested but I dont want to select a weekend your not available - so if you let me know when your available I can work around some dates

After 10 years - unpacking rubber stamps

I have wanted to unpack my rubber stamps for a while - now that I am stamping copper I wanted to get them out so I could star to make up some different pieces - the fish was one of them

So I assembled a couple of shelves and moved movies around so I could use the one side - but evidently I have a ton of of stamps - I filled the three shelves - they are 8ft long - the top alone is flowers, leaves and trees

still have partial boxes yet to file - I think I'll add another couple of shelves on other side of my vent

this box is full of unmounted rubber stamps a some small stamps

But I at least got to go through them to refresh my memory

When Etching copper goes too far ?

I stamped a piece of 26g with intent for a necklace that I was going to enamel or put colored resin in the deepened areas .....

I used the staz-on to stamp and put a big border of black sharpie around the edges - left a small border of copper around the stamp

Now I had full intentions to pull this out probably within 1-1/2 hrs - I even checked it twice - and I was probably 1/2 hour out and I got the "squirrel" moment - my daughter text me if I wanted to go get a pedicure - she was sick on mothers day so she wanted to take me today - so I raced in the house - shaved my legs and picked her up - 1/2 way there I said - O well I guess my copper piece is gong to be full of holes or totally eaten away - but it would be good to see what it looks like

I had read about how they made some copper lamp shades where they let the copper get eaten completely away - thought gotta try one day

Well that day has come - it was amazing - I looked in the etching solution and I could see the design from the back through the tape
I took out and rinsed

look how intricate it was

It was like a lace - unfortunately some areas are not connected and the tape very sticky so to get off was going to be impossible without wrecking the design- giving me a few ideas for some pieces I want to do - but totally amazing how it ate around the etching right to back of the tape

Copper etched fish bracelet proto

I was going through some of my rubber stamps and came across a goldfish stamp - a really big one - unmounted - so I thought I would see what I would get and size - shape etc. so I did up quickly on 24g (really too thin for bracelet) but I can see what it would look like bent etc...
and it was easier to cut for now - I can flatten and use as a template when I use about 18g for final bracelet

its quite large 6-1/2 inches long - the stamp I use is staz-on and I went around the edge with a black sharpie marker

after the etch - I have to watch as its only 26g so I need to ensure the etch does not go too far

turned out well

started cleaning up with some varsol to take off the marker and the staz-on - then started sanding

I didnt go too far as I like the darkness on the piece

bent it

way to flimsy for a bracelet - but I'll flatten back out and use as a template sample

3" paper punch for 36g copper sheet

I splurged and got a 3" punch - which makes it easier to punch out 3" circles that fit perfectly in my 3" die set

they seem to be piling up

I need to work on some finished pieces soon

More Hydraulic forming - microfolding and other patterns

I did a basic microfold on a slightly heat patina surface after I did the first microfold

then pinched every other line to give a diamond sort of design

used just a pair of flat nose pliers

cut and placed in die form

formed

what it looks like after

then did a simple "S" fold

patterns from my cuttlebug and formed

did a pattern on the copper through the rolling mill

the "5" just means I did 5 pulls (too much )

it cut through - again I will be cutting out anyway

the patina looks great with the pattern

some fun

took a 2" wide bracelet from etching

came out rather well

after pressing

not too bad

More Hydraulic Forming - Making a simple T fold -

Went back up and played till it was time for lunch with the kids

I am playing with 36g dead soft copper - comes on a roll and is easy to work with - scissors !

It does become work hardened and is light

Making a T fold

I dont always anneal since its so soft to begin with

I cut a piece that would be fit in my 3" ring for pressing - extra on the sides as I will be folding in a bit of material to make it smaller

I annealed the piece - U use a bernzomatic (from home depot) with the quick ignite switch (makes grabbing and firing fast - then cooled ( didnt do any scale removal etc..)

then matched the ends - I did not squish it in half - leave it round

then I placed in the vice and left about 1/4" above the lip

tighted vice

take your chasing hamer and tap lightly the end which will cause it to start to collapse

I tap all the way to the ends first

then wach some more

till its flat

nice an smooth

it does not take long

I open the vice and take out

You can see it looks like a T-rail

slide open the two largest pieces that are folded together

open like a book - I dont pull too much

I place my restraining ring over top to draw the circle to cut

just used a marker - I positioned what portion I wanted to be within the design

because its so thin I used a plain pair of scissors

my circle ready to be pressed

I put the heart die (from Potters USA) on a base

then I put my 3" restraining ring ( I had it cut from a piece of steel pipe - was not sure the height so I wanted to test - I am going to have it adjusted to be the full 1.25" and put a solid base welded to the bottom - but this works