Fire Lotus 104coe rods from TAG
Fire Lotus 104coe was relaunched by TAG in December 2017 after a long period of being out of production. Traditionally this was the lampworkers favourite so we were interested to see what our testers could do with it.
Testing TAG Fire Lotus glass.
Fire Lotus is a striking glass in coe 104. It hasn't been available for a few years, but it's back in production & it's a version of their Dalai Lotus with the addition of a kiln striking red.
As with most striking glass, it likes to be worked hot.
The top row beads were made getting the glass white hot, and allowing to cool for as long as possible before striking gently in the top of the flame. As you can see it produces a range of colours. The nugget had multiple heating and cooling cycles. With the round beads I found that the colours went in the kiln were muted versions of what came out. The annealing process seemed to intensify them.
Then I wanted to see what might happen if I got the glass hot, but not screaming hot. So for the bottom row the glass was heated to a bright orange glow. The lentil was made on CiM Tuxedo with a Fire Lotus stringer and was cooled with pressing, and I allowed to cool further and then gently heated the surface in sections. The round beads were made over a core of Effetre white, cooled and struck gently in the further reaches of the flame. Again you can see the colours develop and the finished result was a more vibrant version than it was going into the kiln.
So I have carried out a bit more testing on the new batch of Tag Fire Lotus, this time on CiM's Painted Hills. This was cooled for 30 seconds and gently re-heated 3 times. More magentas and hints of purple this time! Annealed at 520°c
TAG Fire Lotus Testing - January 2018
Juliette Mullett Avette Glass
Encased only.
TAG Fire Lotus> Effetre Superclear 006
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of Fire Lotus. Get the gather on the Fire Lotus super
hot before applying to the mandrel.
2. Once applied to the mandrel heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead
(white hot) and it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bead will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6
and 7, 3 more times.
9. Encase in Effetre Superclear 006 ensuring only to melt in the encasement, not the whole bead
* The bead that looks navy with streaky blue ends was only struck once, then encased.
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Black Core:
Effetre Black 064>TAG Fire Lotus> Effetre Superclear 006.
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of Black 064. Then melt a small gather of the Fire
Lotus ensuring it is super hot before applying to the spacer bead.
2. Once applied heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead (white hot) and
it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bead will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6
and 7, 3 more times.
9. Encase in Effetre Superclear 006 ensuring only to melt in the encasement, not the whole bead.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Effetre Turquoise Copper Green 591231 Core:
Effetre Turquoise Copper Green 591231 >TAG Fire Lotus> Effetre Superclear 006.
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of Turquoise Copper Green 591231. Then melt a
small gather of the Fire Lotus ensuring it is super hot before applying to the spacer bead.
2. Once applied heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead (white hot) and
it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bad will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6 and
7, 3 more times.
9. Encase in Effetre Superclear 006 ensuring only to melt in the encasement, not the whole be
—————————————————————————————————————————-
Effetre White Core (encased):
Effetre White >TAG Fire Lotus> Effetre Superclear 006.
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of Effetre White. Then melt a small gather of the Fire
Lotus ensuring it is super hot before applying to the spacer bead.
2. Once applied heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead (white hot) and
it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bad will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6 and
7, 3 more times.
9. Encase in Effetre Superclear 006 ensuring only to melt in the encasement, not the whole bead.
————————————————————————————————————————
Effetre Superclear 006 Core:
Effetre Superclear 006 Core >TAG Fire Lotus> Effetre Superclear 006.
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of Effetre Superclear 006. Then melt a small gather
of the Fire Lotus ensuring it is super hot before applying to the spacer bead.
2. Once applied heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead (white hot) and
it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bead will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6
and 7, 3 more times.
9. Encase in Effetre Superclear 006 ensuring only to melt in the encasement, not the whole bead.99
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Effetre White Core (NOT encased):
Effetre White >TAG Fire Lotus
1. Start off with a small spacer bead (8mm) of White. Then melt a small gather of the Fire Lotus
ensuring it is super hot before applying to the spacer bead.
2. Once applied heat the bead super hot until you can see right through the bead (white hot) and
it becomes difficult to control on the mandrel.
3. Remove from the flame and spin behind the flame to shape and cool slightly.
4. Once shaped and cooled only slightly roll the bead up and own continuously on a Brass
marver until the bead looks clear.
5. Then wait some more and the bead will have a lime green tinge to it that darkens slightly.
Keep cooling (overall around 30 secs) until you think it may crack if you cool anymore!
6. Put the bead back in the flame 2/3’ds up the neutral flame and heat and turn until you see a
soft orange glow (this should only take a few secs).
7. Remove from flame, cool slightly and repeat the marvel process, as it cools colours will start
to bloom from green to blue, keep cooling (30 secs or so)
8. Repeat step 6, then repeat step 7, this time the bad will darken in colour. Repeat steps 6 and
7, 3 more times.