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Spectrum 96 blues

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 3:15 pm
by Jerry
Well, actually, it's yellows. Recently ordered some series 96 opaque yellow only to find out it's a different color than it was even six months ago. The new sheets definately tend toward the green side of yellow rather than the pure yellow I had been using. It isn't a bad color but it isn't what I am used to working with.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this and if Spectrum had made any comments I'd missed. This isn't the first time they've changed their formulas and not let us know.

Just slightly annoyed,
Jerry

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 4:00 pm
by Cynthia
Hazarding a guess here, but wouldn't glass be similar to say, fabrics in that dye lots will vary slightly from batch to batch? So even if you ordered a particular yellow, and in the past have gotten a closer to pure yellow, that this batch is just a touch on the green side?

I believe that the "Curious" glass that BE sells is Curious, not because it isn't compatible, but that the color may be off from the standard by too large a degree rather than them having changed the recipe. Maybe This is the equivalent of a "Curious" glass. Or perhaps the range within which a color may vary is larger in Spectrum glasses. Does Spectrum offer for sale their version of OFF COLOR "Curious" glasses? Perhaps you got an OFF COLOR glass that somehow slipped QC, or ...

Another thought is that perhaps the wrong sheet was pulled by who ever picked your order? :shock: Does Spectrum have a wide range of yellows to choose from?

Like I said, just hazarding a few guesses. One of the things I like about this medium is the unpredictability (within reason). But it sounds as if this color difference is not within reason.

Spectrum blues

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 4:25 pm
by Jerry
Cynthia,
Spectrum has only one opaque yellow in their series 96, so it isn't a case of someone pulling the wrong color. If it's 96, opaque, yellow, that's the only choice.

As far as your other suggestions, any or all are possible. It's always a good idea to buy a large amount of glass so that should the run change you have enough to finish what you are doing. That isn't the case here. These are stock sheets I sell and use in my own work. The color changed enough that my wife spotted it from across the room. I had a new sheet lying on my work table and she saw the difference without even having a piece of the older glass to compare it to. That's a lot of difference.

I sent Spectrum an email expressing my concern. In the past they get back to me pretty quickly so we shall see. I buy a lot of their fusable glass and hope they have some sort of answer because I don't want to have to relearn everything I think I understand.

Thanks for your response,
Jerry

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 8:31 pm
by Jackie Beckman
Didn't they stop making opal reds oranges and yellows a while back? Perhaps this is their replacement color?

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 8:54 pm
by Paul Tarlow
Cynthia Oliver wrote:I believe that the "Curious" glass that BE sells is Curious, not because it isn't compatible, but that the color may be off from the standard by too large a degree rather than them having changed the recipe. Maybe This is the equivalent of a "Curious" glass.
I believe the "Curious" are the non-standard and the "Furious" are the fusable curious.

My (non-curious) BE glass colors have always been very consistent. Maybe I've just been lucky.

- Paul

Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 9:06 pm
by Tony Smith
Spectrum discontinued the manufacture of three colors: Red Opal, Orange Opal and Butterscotch (Terra Cotta). Uroboros picked up the manufacture of the Red Opal and the Orange Opal and added a Marigold Yellow. Currently, Spectrum only makes one yellow fusible opal glass... it borders on fluorescent yellow.

Spectrum calls their curious glass "Transitional" or "T" glass. I don't believe they sell their "T" glass as fusible (they probably sell it as red opal for their stained glass line).

Tony

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 12:21 am
by Cynthia
Paul Tarlow wrote:
Cynthia Oliver wrote:I believe that the "Curious" glass that BE sells is Curious, not because it isn't compatible, but that the color may be off from the standard by too large a degree rather than them having changed the recipe. Maybe This is the equivalent of a "Curious" glass.
I believe the "Curious" are the non-standard and the "Furious" are the fusable curious.

My (non-curious) BE glass colors have always been very consistent. Maybe I've just been lucky.

- Paul
Cute. I like the "Furious" designation. And now that you say this, my memory has been jogged a bit...sounds right.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 9:48 am
by Rick Jarvis
Its Possible that it is a very old sheet.
Spectrum did a run about 2 years ago that matches your description of the yellow glass. The most recent runs have not been that green but the yellow yellow you know

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 10:14 am
by Phil Brown
I just got some Spectrum yellow that was so green I took it back and exchanged it. I didn't notice in the questionable light it was in till I got it home. There were clearly 2 batches in the bin of Spectrum Yellow at the store here - some were the normal yellow and some pretty darn green (really ugly too IMO). Not even close to matching, and much more than the normal variation of color lots IMO. I have no idea how old these were though. This was indeed Spectrum and not the new Uro colors.
BTW I love the new Marigold Uroboros, but I think the old Spectrum Orange looks better with it than the new Uro Orange.

Phil

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 2:16 pm
by David Williams
Maybe I'm just cranky but boy some things get tedious. I don't want to fire the first shot in another stupid thread about glass prefernce. but... Is it me or does it seem like anytime anyone mentions Spectrum the same people always inject Bullseye into the discussion? How much better it is, how much variety there is, how Spectrum had to stop making colors blah blah blah blah blah! I can just see the doe eyed 'who, me?' looks on your faces. Come on lets just cut it out. The guy was asking about Spectrum yellow.

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 2:47 pm
by Barbara Muth
David, perhaps you are jumping the gun here. Several people tried to answer his question from their own realm of experience and knowledge which showed that color batches don't always come off right, or that the manufacturer/formula for some of the glass had recently changed. I took it as a possible affirmation that the greeny yellow Jerry got might be a fluke and that his next yellow would be back to the color he was accustomed to using.

I find it fascinating that you would assume that every person who names a manufacturer in a glass discussion or discusses some of what we have learned about glasses is advocating for one glass against another.

My take on things is that people are trying to help each other out by sharing what information they have. I would hate to think thet people would stop doing so out of fear that their every comment would be misinterpreted.

Barbara

Spectrum Blues

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 5:01 pm
by Jerry
Well, folks, I started this and I never intended it to get so out of hand. I'm not in the mood to change glass; actually I use both Bullseye and Spectrum depending on what I'm doing. And I've found strengths and weakness in both.

As far as my intial question goes, I was wondering if I was the only person in the fusing world who had noticed a change in the yellow opaque. I'm not, and that says it all. I called my supplier who went and looked at their rather large quantity of yellow and he said that ALL of it was the greenish color and didn't know what it was about. So I sent a note to Spectrum asking them. They haven't answered yet but I'm sure they will.

That's where all this is and I don't want to see anyone getting blasted in this. It was an innocent question, not a request to promote or demote any glass maker.

I depend on the experience here to help me solve problems in the hopes we can all learn. So let's figure this thing out without blasting each other.

Now, if someone wants to take a shot at me for trying to be a peace maker, I've got broad shoulders; take your best shot, but put on a happy face when you do it! :wink: :D

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 6:06 pm
by Cynthia
David Williams wrote:Maybe I'm just cranky but boy some things get tedious. I don't want to fire the first shot in another stupid thread about glass prefernce. but... Is it me or does it seem like anytime anyone mentions Spectrum the same people always inject Bullseye into the discussion? How much better it is, how much variety there is, how Spectrum had to stop making colors blah blah blah blah blah! I can just see the doe eyed 'who, me?' looks on your faces. Come on lets just cut it out. The guy was asking about Spectrum yellow.

:roll: :?

I think it's just you. :wink: Jerry got some interesting thoughts on why his yellow was different than usual, not preference statements, value judgements or mud slinging. Talking about Spectrum's discontinued colors also wasn't about bashing. I think you just misinterpreted the intent of the responses.

Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 12:50 am
by Lynne Chappell
Odd, I've ALWAYS thought the yellow was a pretty nasty green. Spectrum is usually pretty good about color consistency. Anything that isn't standard is marked "Transition" or relegated to the Rack Packs. I guess yellow is one of those colors that's touchy. Perhaps after it's fired it won't look as different as you think.