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I tried to fuse some orange globs to represent mountain ash berries in a stained glass panel. What started out as brilliantly reflective, almost looked like they were on fire, after fusing are now primarily opaque, although a couple are still clear. The first set I fused at 1250, the second I kept watching and when they stuck together, about 1150, I shut the kiln down. Both time I let the kiln cool on its own. They did not devitrify, the surface is still quite smooth. Any suggestions on how to keep them transparent?

Don't fire them.... this is an example of "striking".... a common occurence in red and orange glasses. Can you make your own globs with some fuse-compatible glass?

Twisted Birch wrote:I tried to fuse some orange globs to represent mountain ash berries in a stained glass panel. What started out as brilliantly reflective, almost looked like they were on fire, after fusing are now primarily opaque, although a couple are still clear. The first set I fused at 1250, the second I kept watching and when they stuck together, about 1150, I shut the kiln down. Both time I let the kiln cool on its own. They did not devitrify, the surface is still quite smooth. Any suggestions on how to keep them transparent?

Twisted,
although you have given specifics on temperatures, we need to know what kind of glass you're using in order to help you. Are you using non-fusible glass, or fusible? How long are you soaking?

Spectrum fusible transprent orange strikes to a Maraschino Cherry color, as described here recently and what Dani is referring to. In my experience, I can not prevent that striking no matter how low I keep the fuse temp. But it doesn't go opaque at normal fuse temps, it just goes darker/redder. Spectrum makes this known about their reds and yellows. If taken high enough that same orange will start going opaque as well, but this would be closer to 1500 or possibly mid 1400's with a long soak.

Your transparent glass shouldn't be going opaque at the temps you're using unless it is non-fusible glass, in which case it hasn't been formulated to be reheated at all. Like leftovers, some reheat better than others.

The above is assuming that this isn't a surface phenomena like devit and/or unclean glass, contamination etc, which doesn't sound like it is from your post.

Phil

Thanks for the help. The globs are just commercially available, whatever glass. I was trying to find a way to avoid cutting and foiling a hundred or so to make the berry clusters needed for the panel. If Spectrum orange strikes to red, does Bullseye also? I could make my own globs and that would still probably look better than a bunch of flat circles.

Red English muffle turned a brilliant shade of transparent orange for me a couple times (and I wanted red ) It was a tack fuse program.

I don't know if it was just that one sheet or if it always does it but it's worth a try.

Jo

If you're using commercial globs, then you have no idea if they are compatible with the base glass you are fusing them to. And your temperatures seem very low to be tack fusing.

You would be better off making your own globs with a known glass. Cut small squares and take them up to fusing temps and they will ball up. However I have noticed that System 96 will only form round globs with pretty small pieces. Make them too large and you have chiclets instead of berries. You can make larger round globs with Bullseye and also the orange is more stable. Of course you have to consider what your base glass is.