using irid

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:58 pm

i think a buff with diamond brite will very likely take off the irid. it's relatively aggressive (the diamond brite, i mean -- comes from rio grande in a block, you touch your rotating buff to it). maybe a wire wheel would work, too. i dont have dremel, i have foredom. bit more powerful, but same kinda tool. i know the buff will take off lusters. it does a pretty good job of tearing off the oxidated surface on nichrome, so it should remove the very thin irid, too.

Robyn Alexander · Post by **Robyn Alexander** » Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:13 pm

Thanks to Brock, Steve & Kitty for their suggestions. Now, I just have to find the time in the studio!

Robyn

daffodildeb · Post by **daffodildeb** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 10:19 pm

This is probably a pretty stooopid question--if so, just snicker quietly.

On late-night television I often see an ad for "sand-blasting" using compressed air and stencils on drinking glasses, etc. Would this method work on dichro, since it has a fairly soft coating? I'd like to try blasting dichro without investing in a cabinet and all the rest of the gear.

If it's not such a stupid question, where can I get the proper equipment (without going the $19.95 route on TV)? :doubt:

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:32 am

daffodildeb wrote:This is probably a pretty stooopid question--if so, just snicker quietly. On late-night television I often see an ad for "sand-blasting" using compressed air and stencils on drinking glasses, etc. Would this method work on dichro, since it has a fairly soft coating? I'd like to try blasting dichro without investing in a cabinet and all the rest of the gear.

If it's not such a stupid question, where can I get the proper equipment (without going the $19.95 route on TV)? :doubt:

it's the same thing, except slow and expensive. you'll use a lot of cans of air. it's also not that safe because there isn't any dust control.

the proper minimum equipment: compressor, shop vac, pressure pot or siphon blaster, blasting box. the cost will depend upon how handy you are and what you already have. i just built my own blasting box and saved a bunch, already had the shop vac, and waited for sales on compressors and a small pressure pot at harbor freight.

dee · Post by **dee** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:31 pm

Steve Immerman wrote:Here is a link with some pendants using Brock's technique. The effect may be more subtle than with dichro, but is very elegant. They are hard to photograph, and look richer and with more depth in person.

Steve

http://www.clearwaterglass.com/pendants_irid.htm

steve, is that the brock special technique of layering 2 irids face to face with etched patterns in them? kewl pendants

i find irid and dichro very difficult to photograph and successfully capture the true depth of the piece....
D

Steve Immerman · Post by **Steve Immerman** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:51 pm

Yes, that is Brock's double irid technique on those pendants. Since Brock makes his living selling magnets, I didn't want to encroach on his territory, so I made them into pendants

Steve

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:57 pm

Encroach away Steve, I don't make my living selling magnets. I only sell them in 2 places, because I don't want to make magnets much. Brock

Jackie Beckman · Post by **Jackie Beckman** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:36 am

Steve Immerman wrote:Yes, that is Brock's double irid technique on those pendants. Since Brock makes his living selling magnets, I didn't want to encroach on his territory, so I made them into pendants

Steve

Oh how funny! That's exactly why Brock so rarely performs surgery - he didn't want to step on your toes, Steve.

J

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 9:26 am

PDXBarbara (Bader) wrote:
charlie wrote:these are 10"x20" panels standing proud of the wall about 3". sara makes maybe 1"x1" runestones, and bowl. i haven't seen anything on her site for large items.
Couldn't tell the size, I guess... but I was thinking about the technique... I think hers are trays or bowls or plates.
BB

Morning . . .

A quick resurfacing, somehow or 'tuther we've gotten busy with this glass thing

Charlie, beautiful work, great installation. Say hello to Nina and tell her there haven't been any rattle snakes in the studio this year!

Have broken outta the mold, both literally and figuratively and actually have bowls and sushi on the website for the last few years. After visiting Portland a few weeks back and viewing the Legacy show David and I actually wanna do more B I G works!

Barbara, most of my work is either sandblasted dichro or lusters that I've airbrushed through my stencils (heh, which I'm about ready to sell and do custom stencils too). Am working on a new series of pendants and beads using the Brockster's double luster technique, although not quite ready to premier them

then I may perform some surgery too. Research & Development and experiments are such a blast, albeit an expensive one for me.

Regardless of this all about me post working with irids is challenging and fun and a great companion to dichroics using many of the same techniques.

Crawling back under my rock,

Sara

Steve Immerman · Post by **Steve Immerman** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 10:00 am

Sara wrote:
...then I may perform some surgery too.

Sara

If you have any technical questions, just ask. I have some books to recommend, and some classes (they take 9 years, however. Meals and sleep not included)...

Steve

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 10:04 am

Steve Immerman wrote:
Sara wrote:
...then I may perform some surgery too.

Sara
If you have any technical questions, just ask. I have some books to recommend, and some classes (they take 9 years, however. Meals and sleep not included)...

Steve

Steve, I needed that, thanks,

Sara

sadiesjewels · Post by **sadiesjewels** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 4:26 pm

I know I'm quite behind in this discussion but thought I would add what little knowledge I have to the mix ...

Robyn, I use diamond tipped burs - they come in a wide variety of shapes from points to balls and straight cylinders, and I grind off the irid finish that way. It's a simple and effective process, although I rather think sandblasting could provide more scope for designs ...

Sadie

Randy Surfass · Post by **Randy Surfass** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:34 pm

If nothing else, you can use irid on the backs of your jewelry pieces to give them a nice finishing touch.
Surf - in Michigan

MarlaS · Post by **MarlaS** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:40 pm

i got some inspiration from steve's website (thanks, steve) & have played around w/ various bits & amoutns of pressure, and have used only a dremel (it's all i can afford!). any of the diamond point or tungsten bits should be fine....you'll see that the carbide & diamond bits give you slightly different looks, & if you just want to scrape off the irid, you really don't need a heavy hand at all.

the customer service folks at dremel are pretty helpful at recommending bits for various applications, too....

and i'd imagine that the bits available at HIS should work for this too....
marla

Al Bray · Post by **Al Bray** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:55 pm

I have been considering the investment in sandblasting equipment for a while now to do simple etching on dichro and iridecents and for adding textured surfaces to pieces, as well as for use to "fix" pieces where only a sandblaster will get the job done (removal of devit, blasting small holes, etc).

After scouring the archives and lurking through the different posts over the past serveral months (as charlie stated earlier) I have determined that I need:

compressor, shop vac/dust collector, pressure pot or siphon blaster, blasting box

Looking over offerings by several differnent vendors it is clear that you can spend a lot quickly depending on your use/need and volume of work.

I went out to Harbor Freights sight and found the following equipment which seems to be a pretty econoical solution and am wondering what other experience with putting together sand blasting systems for glass think... keeping in mind the intended use outlined above.

Compressor:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=47065

Pressure Pot:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=34202

Blasting Box:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... umber=1672

Dust Collector:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... umber=2448

Upgrade the hose assembly to a Super Duty GoodyearÂ® Blasting Hose (89.00 from Rayzist) and add a Complete Footswitch Assembly (276.00 also from Rayzist) and it looks like it might make a fairly decent system for an economical price.

Granted the cabinet is not the best and would have to be converted over from Siphon to pressure blasting, but the could always be upgrade as needs grow.

For my simple needs now...are the components outlined above adequate and matched (especially wondering about the compressor sizing correctly to the pressure pot).

- Al

I also be looking at using the compressor on occasion for air supply to my Azteck Airbrush.

And for those that have been over and over on this issue with others, I appreciate you patience and feel free to ignore this post..

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:25 pm

i have that compressor. yes, it's large enough, but no, do not get it. it comes from italy, and the parts aren't standard. i've been waiting for 3 weeks for a part, and it will take at least 8 weeks to get here.

i have that pressure pot. a pain to put together, but it works well.

get the next size up for blasting boxes. you'll thank me later. i built my own out of a sheet of mdf, a couple hinges, a couple of fasteners, a pair of blasting gloves from HF, and a piece of glass. it's as large as the HF large box, but cost me about $30.

you need a submicron dust collector. the one you chose is only 30 microns. HF has a 2hp woodworking http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=45378 that you can get .5 micron bags for for just a little bit more.

WarmGlass.com

using irid

Sand Blasting equipment