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Post by 1dave on Jun 15, 2018 6:02:17 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 7:21:55 GMT -5
Ah, this was mentioned earlier. Gilson synthetic opals. It says it can be used like frit(little broken up pieces of colored glass sifted to different sizes) and melted in via kiln. Right up my alley. Great to know Dave. |
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Post by fernwood on Jun 15, 2018 7:26:00 GMT -5
Ouch on the hand slice.
Thanks for the opal photos. Those are about the size I was looking for.
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Post by MsAli on Jun 15, 2018 7:28:35 GMT -5
Speaking of Accident Allison, the glass did me yesterday. Could not have picked a better spot.  Ouch! That spot sucks! Everytime you move thumb it wants to open back up. How did they get the holes in them? |
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saxplayer
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Post by saxplayer on Jun 15, 2018 7:32:27 GMT -5
Speaking of Accident Allison, the glass did me yesterday. Could not have picked a better spot. Ouch! That is a bad spot |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 7:41:50 GMT -5
MsAli, I hate to know about the labor conditions in India. Math and cost: 42 inch long string of opals at ~12 opals per inch = 500+ holes for $20 ppd. I can not imagine drilling 500 holes in hard opal plus tying the strand knots plus the cost of the opal for $20. Let's be thankful for the great country we live in. They about had to use a very thin diamond bit. And due to the fluctuating shapes I see no way they could automate. Maybe, not likely.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 8:40:33 GMT -5
Speaking of Accident Allison, the glass did me yesterday. Could not have picked a better spot. Ouch! That is a bad spot Yep sax, way in the wrong spot. It is holding up well, slightly deeper and it would really be an issue. More nerve endings in that spot than imagined. Closing nicely though. It was a piece of glass jammed in the hole of a sifter and I raked my hand across it. -gloves next time- |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 15, 2018 8:55:52 GMT -5
The Gilson Opals from Profound Glass in Austin Texas have been melted into glass for many years. Gilsons are lab created and have absolutely no water content. You are right, 1dave that they are used in hot glass, specifically because they won't explode.
ETA - Read the whole thread before replying! Duh!
jamesp - nasty cut - put some butterfly bandages on that to keep it together.
Most likely they are using an ultrasonic drill to put those holes in the beads. It would take them a second or so per for that size stone I would think.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 15, 2018 9:53:32 GMT -5
OK, best to post opal photos before they get tied in a knot. These opals scratched glass effortlessly. No doubt they are hard. Tiny holes, where'd they get that drill ? Much less the labor !    I just thought of something. Welo are hydrophane opal. They suck up water and turn clear when you're trying to cut them. It's very strange to see your color disappear as you're cutting. Test them by licking your finger and see if the opal sticks to it. I wonder if these would explode as readily as Aussie opal? Hmmmmmmm. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 10:37:28 GMT -5
OK, best to post opal photos before they get tied in a knot. These opals scratched glass effortlessly. No doubt they are hard. Tiny holes, where'd they get that drill ? Much less the labor ! I just thought of something. Welo are hydrophane opal. They suck up water and turn clear when you're trying to cut them. It's very strange to see your color disappear as you're cutting. Test them by licking your finger and see if the opal sticks to it. I wonder if these would explode as readily as Aussie opal? Hmmmmmmm. Not but one way to find out Robin. I'll do that test. Are they low grade ? |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 15, 2018 16:40:55 GMT -5
I just thought of something. Welo are hydrophane opal. They suck up water and turn clear when you're trying to cut them. It's very strange to see your color disappear as you're cutting. Test them by licking your finger and see if the opal sticks to it. I wonder if these would explode as readily as Aussie opal? Hmmmmmmm. Not but one way to find out Robin. I'll do that test. Are they low grade ? Pretty much. See all that white schmootz in the top and bottom right and the bottom left one? Not too bad of color though. Actually surprised they have as much as they do. These are better quality:
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Post by MsAli on Jun 15, 2018 17:01:53 GMT -5
Not but one way to find out Robin. I'll do that test. Are they low grade ? Pretty much. See all that white schmootz in the top and bottom right and the bottom left one? Not too bad of color though. Actually surprised they have as much as they do. These are better quality:
I was surprised too at how much color some of them have |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 17:51:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the info hummingbirdstones. The ones in the photo are off the chart. Amazing stone that opal. I see why you market it. Old timer and lapidary mentor used to travel w/wife to Australia and get opal. He made good money cutting and smithing them. He said they were stored in wet clay. At a point they were going once a year as an opal buying trip but more as a pleasure trip. Sounded like it did not take much shopping to find fine opal. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 15, 2018 17:56:16 GMT -5
Pretty much. See all that white schmootz in the top and bottom right and the bottom left one? Not too bad of color though. Actually surprised they have as much as they do. These are better quality: I was surprised too at how much color some of them have They are eye catchers Allison. They are so smooth like tumbled or water polished. They look like sharp chips but not. May have been screened out of a creek. |
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Post by fernwood on Jun 15, 2018 18:52:55 GMT -5
I don't think it takes much to take the edge off Opals. They are so soft. I am curious on the test results.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 16, 2018 4:57:45 GMT -5
I don't think it takes much to take the edge off Opals. They are so soft. I am curious on the test results. Will sandwich a few between two clear plates and cook them live Beth. It won't take much effort to run the test. These did scratch glass effortlessly. I would guess Mohs 6 to 6.5. They have no weight, opal must not be very high density. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 16, 2018 5:03:57 GMT -5
I have about 6 pounds of this stuff running in the tumbler. I believe it is lampwork/bead glass. Can't figure out how to melt it and be stable after. Should be a Guinness record most colorful tumble. Very soft glass, abrades quickly. Melts about 250F lower than blown glass, unusual. Could be Japanese Satake bead glass. Weirdo colors  Tumble polished some samples successfully  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 17, 2018 9:15:52 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 17, 2018 10:08:34 GMT -5
Separating 10 gallons of glass blower scraps into colors. Still have the blue left which is the most common color. About 5 out of 10 gallons will be usable. The rest is clear or drab. Each color brew will be supplemented with more corresponding color from frit, shards and stringers. Then melted into a melt brick and sawn to pendant slabs.  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 17, 2018 11:43:28 GMT -5
After separating the work begins. Color intensification comes from scrap shards nipped into small pieces. In this case teal shards for brown/teal/white melt brick mix and red shards for red melt brick.  Now attacking the green batch first, left tub is nipped shards for color density increase  Further nipping of overly large pieces to arrive at pendant size features after melt. Then wash glass dust out. Really need a power nipper to reduce glass chunks into smaller pieces. Blisters on hand.  Closer view of green glass  View of green glass drying in sun and the bulk scraps depleted of most of the color except blue and purple for the most part. When dry they will be ready to pour into brick mold and cook.  Repeat process for orange, red, yellow, blue, purple, etc. |
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