manufacturers/varieties of COE 104 sheet glass & rod

[DJaye]

Hi!
I'm not a lampworker (yet!). So my questions are pretty naive, I expect. I have been doing stained glass work for over 15 years and fusing for about 2 years. Lately I've been getting into fusing using millefiori. So I've been searching the net trying to find out basic information about different manufacturers/varieties of COE 104 sheet glass & rod but it is a very tedious task. So far I have found some names - Effetre, Moretti, Vetrofond, Lauscha - that I have heard of before. But there must be other brands/sub-brands too...
Is Glasstronics one? Are there North American manufacturers of COE 104 glass? What is the difference in the various brands? What COE is marble cane?
Any other information would be a great help too.
Thanx.
xoxoDJayexoxo [/color]

[NollyGelsinger]

DJaye,

I think that you've done pretty well in your search ... the manufacturers you mentioned (Effetre/Moretti, Vetrofond, and Lauscha) are the ones that I'm familiar with. If someone in the US is making COE104, I can't think of who.

As a stained glass person, you'll be familiar with Bullseye, a US manufacturer. Their lampworking rods are COE90. I've heard of many beadmakers who started as stained glass artists, maybe because they have a ready supply of glass! I'd sure check out Bullseye to see if their lampworking glass is compatible with your stock of stained glass.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about murini, except that with a great deal of practice, it's possible to make your own! I hope that someone else will chime in here with some good info.

In the meanwhile, check out our list of member suppliers--to go "home" then "links" to find the list.

Nolly

[mlangston]

DJaye - Frantz carries a very good variety of Moretti/Effetre (it's the same stuff) sheet glass as well as a variety of 104 murrini. Check out the link to suppliers and you may find others also.

Marjorie

[Emily]

By the way, Vetrofond used to be called Murano (until the Italian powers that be objected, because the glass isn't actually made on the island of Murano). If you see references to Murano rods, it's the same as Vetrofond. The Vetrofond company was started by a member of the Moretti family (after the Morettis sold out to Effetre), so Vetrofond glass is very similar to Moretti/Effetre.

You mentioned sheet glass -- are you looking for glass you can fuse? I'm not a fuser, but I've read that people do not like Moretti/Effetre sheet for fusing. I think it devitrifies too easily. If you're interested in making components to incorporate in your fusing, you might be better off sticking to Bullseye. You might also consider using Spectrum (COE 96). I think Spectrum is putting out some rods now, but you can lampwork with strips of sheet glass, too.

[Karen]

I ordered some clear Moretti sheet about a year ago. (I keep telling myself that someday I want to fuse.) It came complete with lovely black junk in the glass. I was really shocked - while I have had it in clear Moretti rods and in the stringers, for some reason I expected the clear to be clean. My Moretti 'scum' was never the stuff people complained about, mine has always been black and gray suspended particles in the glass. Someday I may decide to cut around it, but then there is the problem of devtrification.

Somehow, using Bullseye seems a whole lot more sensible.

[mario]

...Emily, you did manage to put a lot of wrong things in a very short note!!! Good job!!!!

[robintx]

OUCH!! Maybe this belongs in email form?

[Emily]

If what I've said is completely wrong, someone please post the correct information and ask a moderator (is it Greg who does these things?) to delete my message.

[DJaye]

Thanx so much for the responses everyone!
I am very familiar with COE issues. I use both COE 90 & 96 everyday. I purchased some Effetre sheet glass, in black, white, clear and a few colours, just so that I could work with the Millefiori.
I am quite happy with the results but I would like to include some slices of single colours - hence my questions for you beadmakers.
So now that I have your attention... can anyone tell me if they are sure about ANY SPECIFIC COLOURS of rods from ANY MANUFACTURER with CONSISTENT COE 104? The last thing I need is to become unjustifiably confident about combining some rods and sheet glass only to have something blow up in the kiln. By the same token it will be a real pain to have to check every rod![img]/forum/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
Thanx once again for your help![/color]

xoxo[/color]DJaye[/color]xoxo[/color]

[DJaye]

ROD: I had the same concern about devit but here is something that you could try if you ever decide to give fusing that glass a try...use SPRAY 'A'. It is a liquid that is made with finely ground glass in it. I just paint it on whenever I am concerned that devit might occur. It works like a dream! Of course you could spray it on too.
As for the quality of the sheet glass. The stuff that I just received doesn't look too bad. It fired well and doesn't appear sooty. Perhaps if the glass that you have was from a few years ago...?? I have heard that they have improved the clear in the last year or two. (Just hearsay from a newbie to the beadmaker's world)[/color]

xoxo[/color]DJaye[/color]xoxo[/color]