Glass Information

• Safety
• Coefficient of Expansion (CoE)
• Definition of Rods and Canes
• Frit Grind Size
• Paragon Kiln Settings
• Custom Frit Blends made with Gaffer Frit
• Custom Frit Blends made with Reichenbach Frit

 

Safety

Always ensure that care is taken when pouring and using frit as it is made from crushed glass and fine particles may be present in the air.  It is advisable that a dust mask is worn when pouring and using frit to prevent breathing in any fine particles.  As with all glass products, it is important to keep out of the reach of children and pets.

 

Coefficient of Expansion (CoE)

The change in density of glass is known as the coefficient of thermal expansion (CoE); how glass expands when heated and contracts when cooled.  When two glasses of different CoE are joined they do not move and expand at the same rate when heated and pull apart from each other when cooled; this incompatability causes the glass to seperate from each other resulting in stress cracking to the finished product.

However, it is possible to use glass with different CoE safetly without incompatability issues, for example, when using a base of CoE 104, it is safe to use about 5% of frit or stringers with a CoE of 92-96, and vica-versa.

 

Definition of Rods and Canes

In the UK we generally define the glass that we use as lampwork rods.  However, it is cane that is used for lampworking as they are of a thinner diameter and rods are used for glass blowers as they are of much larger diameter.

Gaffer cane is hand pulled and as a result varies in diameter; when ordering Gaffer cane you may receive canes in a mixture of diameters; the diameter may even vary on one particular cane, e.g. the cane may be thin at one end and thicker at the other end. 

 

Frit Grind Size

Below are the sizes of the frit that we stock; the size of frit varies between manufacturers.

 

 Gaffer Frit

Powder	Grain	K1	K2	K3
<0.25mm	0.25-0.50mm	0.50-2.00mm	2.00-4.00mm	4.00-8.00mm

 

Kugler Frit

Powder	K00	K0	K1	K2	K3	K4	K5
<0.25mm	0.25-0.50mm	0.50-1.00mm	1.00-2.40mm	2.40-3.80mm	3.80-5.00mm	5.00-8.00mm	8.00-11.5mm

 

Reichenbach Frit

Powder	K00	K0	K1	K2	K3	K4	K5
0.20mm	>0.50mm	0.50-1.00mm	1.00-2.40mm	2.40-3.80mm	3.80-5.00mm	5.00-8.00mm	8.00-11.5mm

 

Paragon Kiln Settings (please note: these settings are for a guide only; they are the settings that I use when making beads with CoE 92 to CoE 104)

Custom Frit Blends Made with Gaffer Frit (CoE 96)

These blends can be used safely on glass with a CoE of 90 to 104 when using about 5%, or in any quantity when using on glass with the same CoE of 96, such as the Gaffer Glass Canes CoE 96 and Kugler Glass Canes CoE 96.

• Turquoise Talola
• Very Hip
• Floozie
• Parisium
• Shades of Grey
• I Love That
• Cherry Fizz
• Speckled Hennie
• Jingle
• Live, Laugh, Love
• Rabbit Food 
• Clever Cloggs

 

Custom Frit Blends Made with Reichenbach Frit (CoE 94 (+/-2)

These blends can be used safely on glass with a CoE of 90 to 104 when using about 5%, or in any quantity when using on glass with the same Coe of 94 (+/-2), such as Reichenbach Canes CoE 94 (+/-2).

• Monty
• Love Pink
• Lazy Snail
• Lets Dabble
• Lovey Dovey
• Sir Laugh Alot