More about melts

[Havi]

Hi guys,
Untill now, I have worked mostly [95%] with transperent glass for my melts. I do mostly mesh melts.
I was wondering if anyone is doing melts with opaque glass.

How does it affect the melt? Do the colors mix properly? Are there any mid-tones created? [for instance if I mix pink and blue, shall I get violet? lavendar?]
Are there any specific things I have to watch, before doing the melt?

Do you do mixed melts i.e. qpaque AND transparent at the same piece? How does this affect the melt?? Do I have to watch other things???

Any additional imput?
With glass being so expensive, I'd like to learn as much as possible, before doing the actual melt.

I'd be more than grateful.


Havi

[Sharol]

Hi Havi.

I always use a mixture of opaque and transparent glass in my melts. The opaques, especially light colors, seem to help in controlling flow and provides better color separation/distinction. The opaques also help eliminate some of the color shifts that happens with certain warm transparents at high temperatures.

You can create "mid-tones", but controlling the outcome takes experimentation. I take fairly detailed notes of my melt compositions so that I can recreate combinations that work well. I always weigh each component and record how the glass is placed/layered on the screen and what the final outcome is

When I first started doing pours and melts, being surprised by the outcome was fun...well, sort of. I sure made a lot of glass "mud"! Since I started keeping better records of each experiment, I have far less "mud" and more interesting outcomes.

Havi - You're getting some great effects with your melts. Keep going!

Sharol

[Havi]

Thanks Sharol,
I read very carefully evey word you write, and will try to learn from your experience as well as from others'


Just peeped at your website, wonderful wonderful staff you got there.
Many thanks for your encouragement!



Havi

[Laurie Spray]

I use mostly opaques. What I do is to use around 50 - 60% white opaque and let that blend with the colors. Too much dark of course turns the whole melt dark.
these are 1 1/2" thick pot melts into a stainless steel former.
I have found that when I mix in any transparent into an opaque melt they seem to alwaysend up somewhere that is not pleasing to my eye.
I have been very lucky that I found alot of white scrap at $2.00 a pound!

[Havi]

Thanks, Laurie
This is very interesting....
It is not clear to me from your post - you do pot melt AND THEN stainless steel mesh melt??? if so - why do'nt you do mesh melt directly??

I am thinking of maybe using BE 0234, which is white , not completely opaque, and perhaps by this achieve more effects.
Also, making triangles is a possibility , however for now I'd prefer using the melt inside a bigger piece, [stripes, maybe. ] I have zillion of 'drawings' of possibilities, yet I want first to gather more melts.

Another idea is to make a bigger melt , say about 12" dia. and work INDISE it with .... God knows what.

Just want to collect some good staff melts to begin with. and the imput about the quantities of transparent and / or opaque sounds Very important.

Thanks everybody!

Havi

[Laurie Spray]

It is not clear to me from your post - you do pot melt AND THEN stainless steel mesh melt??? if so - why do'nt you do mesh melt directly??

no....I do a pot melt from one of my hand thrown pot melt pots into a stainless steel form whether it be a square, rectangle, triangle or round. The stainless steel contains the melted glass......using 1/8 fiber paper inside the stainless.

[haleybach]

Have you seen this site? It has several pot melts with before and after photos so you can get some idea of what they put in the pot.

http://www.glassblower.info/pot-melt-po ... glass.html

I've only done a few melts thus far. I've mixed transparents and opaques with good results, just no black. None. I was told a little was fine, I disagree. Also watch out for reactive colors or you end up with mud. So far I've liked the ones that I used bigger pieces in, instead of the smaller scraps.

My favorite melt was a fail. My fault, I opened the kiln to peek at the wrong point. Snap, pop, crack! Another is rather firmly stuck in the ceramic saucer I used to melt into.

[Havi]

Thanks, Haley
Yes I saw the link you posted, the first time you posted it.
And thank you for posting both times!

It is almost ten years since I started doing glass / kiln work.
I honestly believe I would have been way behind without the support and info I got from here.

I am so very very grateful
God bless you all!

I shall continue with my melts, using the wonderful tips you gave me

Thanks again

Havi

[Havi]

I would like to add some things I do
I keep track of what I do like so many of us here. However, I do not weigh the glass. Yet I photograph every step I make. I photo the mesh, I photo the glass before I fire it. This is a wonderful reference , once the piece is out of the kiln.
It explains to me very well exactly which colors I used, and how were they arranged on the mesh.

Also, I'd no not dam my pieces, for few reasons. I want the glass to be thin, so that I shall be able to fuse it easily to another background / composition . Also if the glass is not dammed, I get irregular edges - which I like a lot.
I kind of make stoppers for the glass, in case it runs too much, so that it will not get off the fiber to the shelf. But as said I keep the damming loose.


Many thanks again


Havi

[orittlandau]

Have you seen this site? It has several pot melts with before and after photos so you can get some idea of what they put in the pot.

http://www.glassblower.info/pot-melt-po ... glass.html

I've only done a few melts thus far. I've mixed transparents and opaques with good results, just no black. None. I was told a little was fine, I disagree. Also watch out for reactive colors or you end up with mud. So far I've liked the ones that I used bigger pieces in, instead of the smaller scraps.

My favorite melt was a fail. My fault, I opened the kiln to peek at the wrong point. Snap, pop, crack! Another is rather firmly stuck in the ceramic saucer I used to melt into.

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Thank you for sharing Haley!!
You wrote that you reach 1700 f to achieve results..
Did you try achieving results reaching only 1650?
i ask it because there is a danger that reaching 1700f and staying for long in this temp can change the glass qualities ...
here is a link with interesting recommendations about mesh melt including the recommended temp for this .

http://www.stainedglassstuff.com/warmst ... 101008.php