Dichroic coated glass is
available in a variety of styles: Fused strips and rods for
flameworking and cut strip and sheets for stained glass fusing.
The most popular for flameworking are fused strips.
Important use
information;
The metallic coated side of dichroic
glass easily burns off in the torch flame. In order to avoid this
problem, face the coated side of the glass away from the flame,
then either roll the bead onto the metallic coated side, or flip
the dichroic glass over and attach the coated side to the bead
while you heat the uncoated side. If using dark dichroic glass
such as black or cobalt after attaching to the bead you can gently
heat in the flame to marver and shape. It is best to case the
glass quickly, however the coating doesn’t burn off the darker
colors of glass as it does on clear and light transparent colors.
To easily find the coated side place the dichroic glass on a dark
surface such as your pad, or paddle. An additional tip is to place
a pen tip to the dichroic glass the pen will appear more visible
on the coated side.
Fused dichroic coated glass strips
provide several important benefits for flameworking over rods or
plain cut strips.
- 1) Fusing greatly increases the
coating strength to better survive the harsh effects of the
flame.
- 2) Fusing "shifts" the color and
surface texture to what the flame will do. This allows you to
see the true look of the dichroic glass before you use it.
- 3) The fused strips have an even
dichroic coating covering across the entire width. Rods do not.
- 4) Fusing rounds off the four
long sharp edges that would otherwise cause scum by forming
micro bubbles.
- 5) Fusing makes the glass safer
and easier to handle.
- 6) The textures, when fused flat,
create an interesting and desirable pattern in the coating, that
is not reproducible with any other method. This gives you more
design options at the torch.
Here is a common dichro problem a
student of mine was having and my response.
Q) I have been having a problem with my
dichroic glass getting scummy edges even when I heat the
non-coated side and apply the coated side to the bead like you
showed us in class. Also frustrating since I LOVE dichroic glass.
Any thoughts here would be so much appreciated. I tried turning
the torch way down but still got
scummy edges. I tried picking
the scum off but can't get it all.
A) Are you
cutting your own dichro? Or buying the fused strips? If you are
cutting your own from sheets it is a lot easier for this to
happen. The edge of the dichro rolls up just a bit allowing the
heat to affect the coating (this happens on the fused strips as
well, but the fusing process helps the dichroic coating stay on
the glass rather than boiling up). Use a slightly reducing flame
to start, make sure you are getting the whole width of the strip
attached to the bead, you may be getting some curling of the
dichro if the bead and dichro are not hot enough. Once you get the
dichro on the bead try heating one small surface area at a time
and gently pressing it into the bead. Work your way along the
entire piece of dichro this way so that it is all marvered into
the bead. Then the coating will be protected.
Another thing
you could do is fuse your own dichroic strips, that is if you are
using your own cut strips. If you are using fused strips from
Arrow Springs then just try the marvering in method I have already
described with
a very slightly reducing flame and this should
help.
Anyway back to how to fuse your own
strips.
Making Your Own Fused Dichroic
Glass Strips
1) Start by cutting the sheet of dichro into
strips.
2) Put the strips coating side down on a shelf coated
with kiln wash, (shelf paper doesn't work the dichroic coating
shrinks and distorts).
3) Bring the kiln up to 1300
degrees.
4) Crack the kiln and keep checking it till the edges
start to get rounded, somewhere around 1390 degrees. Time the
process on this, the timing is different on every kiln but once
you have the timing down for your kiln it
will always be about
the same.
5) Open the top of the kiln and let it crash back
down to 1100 to stop the fusing process and cool down from
there.
6) The timing is critical on this, you don't want to
over fuse or the kiln wash will stick to the coating. So pay close
attention while doing this. The results and savings are worth
it.
Also try to remember that general rule about the
torch/flame, if the glass is turning blackish/brownish you are
using a flame that is too reducing, too much propane for that
glass. If the glass is boiling, bubbling, looking
foamy or as
you said wispy you are using an oxidizing flame, too much oxygen
for that glass.
You can also certainly purchase
fused dichroic glass strips. I have found that it is well worth
the price for the better results.
Dichroic coated fused
strips, for flameworking,
are available in the following widths:
1/4", 3/8",
1/2", 3/4", 1" and
special order widths. 1/4" is the most
popular. Because fused strips are cut from round sheets, the
lengths will vary. Most lengths are 17". Some are
shorter.
Dichroic coated rods are coated on one side, down their length
with the crest having the most intense color. Rods are
approximately 18" long with a dichro coating of 15" to 17".
Because of the subtle look of dichroic coated rods, only the
darkest color coatings are used.
Dichroic coated cut
strips, intended for use in
stained glass fusing, have the dichroic coating cover the entire
width and are not fused. Available in 1" or special order
widths.
Dichroic sheets are usually 20" in diameter. Some are 19" in
diameter.
The following dichroic colors,
listed with their codes, are available. Because of the huge number
of possible combinations of coating colors, glass colors and
textures, not all combinations are always available.
Standard Colors
Yellow / Violet - Y/V, Yellow / Purple - Y/P,
Yellow / Blue - Y/B, Pink / Teal - P/T, Magenta / Green - M/G,
Blue / Gold - B/G, Cyan / Copper - C/C, Cyan / Red - C/R
Cyan /
Dark Red - C/DR, Cyan / Dark Dark Red - C/DDR, Rainbow 1 -
RB1
Specialty Colors
Purple PURPLE, Salmon SALMON, Violet –
VIOLET, Emerald – EMERALD
Candy Apple - CA-RED, Mixture –
MIXTURE, Black Cherry - BK-CHERRY
Premium
Colors
Green /
Magenta G/M, Green / Magenta Blue - G/MB, Green / Pink -
G/P
Silver – SILVER, Red / Silver Blue - R/SB, Rainbow 2 -
RB2
