Quality Control in commerically produced frits for pâte de verre

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Greg Vriethoff
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:03 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC

Quality Control in commerically produced frits for pâte de verre

Post by Greg Vriethoff »

I have recently begun making objects in pâte de verre. I have a lot of experience already with kiln casting, but this is my first venture into true pâte de verre.

My apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere. My search efforts did not yield any results.

My question is what are users experiences/recommendations for frit from the usual suspects? This is from the angle of overall quality mainly in respects to the products as you receive them. I am also interested in people's preferences in regards to finished product (color, etc.), but first I just want to know how well these companies process their material.

The frit I'm currently using is System 96 glass that was processed by an entity other than the S96 partners. It has a couple of advantages for me including lower price, and the supplier is local so no shipping. I have not used BE in any capacity.

The main problem I have encountered is steel/iron impurities that are causing rust to develop (I also would like to not have these inclusions in the finished piece). There are also signs of size inconsistency that I attribute to poor sifting/screening.

Is this common in products across the board? I understand that you get what you pay for, so I'm willing to accept these issues if that's the case. If not, I would rather not pay extra for the same quality.

An important note: I worked for Uroboros for five years on their production floor, and have intimate knowledge of how S96 products are made including frit. There's a wide gulf between being a producer, and an end-user. I know a relatively easy solution is to get myself a powerful magnet, but I'm not fond of paying someone to do their work for them.

Thanks for any help/clarification.
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