I keep seeing folks at the studio rush the cooling of their solid color rods, and it's causing cracks every time.

4 comments

4 Comments

derek_hill1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, the real problem might be the room itself. If your bench is near a drafty door or an air vent, even a normal cool down can go wrong. I had a batch of cobalt rods go bad last winter because my studio heater was blowing right on my rack. Took me weeks to figure out that was the cause. People forget how much the air moving around the glass matters after it comes out of the flame.

the_viola17d ago

Oh man, I had this exact same issue last year with a batch of turquoise rods. I was working near a window that had a tiny draft, and almost every single rod would crack right at the base after like five minutes. I started timing my cool downs to the second, putting the rod in a little fiber blanket pocket I made, and it cut my loss rate by like 80 percent. It's crazy how much the environment can mess with everything, especially when you're trying to be careful. I also caught myself doing that "shake it in the air" thing once when I was in a hurry and it cracked instantly, never again.

hannahcraig1mo ago

Maybe they're onto something... could be a different kind of glass that needs it. Seen some wild methods work before.

harris.andrew1mo ago

Yeah, the "wild methods" thing is a real trap. I read a forum post from a lampworker who swore by quenching boro color rods in a damp towel. They posted pics of their "success" but all the close-ups showed micro-fractures along the length. They just didn't see them until a piece failed on the mandrel. Rushing cool down almost never pays off, even if it seems to work once.