NORTHSTAR™ GLASS FRITS AND POWDERS
The term "frit" refers to finely ground glass in granular form. Kiln-working glassblowers regularly use frit to add color to their work. Frit can also be used in techniques such as Pate De Verre and fusing.
Northstar offers many of its Borosilicate colors in powder and frit form.
Large frit: Coarse; approximately .055 inch or 1.397 mm.
Small frit: Finer, about .024 inch or .6096 mm.
These glass frits and powders are designed for use with other glass with a similar coefficient of thermal expansion (33 COE).
How to use.
There is no "right" or "wrong" way to use chips or powder.
Frit can be applied to the outside or to the inside of hollow forms. It can be fused in completely or partially for a surface texture. A little frit in the body of a solid glass mass, will color the whole mass.
Clear frit can be applied over a colored object for effect. Different colors can be mixed and so on....
The basic idea is to make the frit stick to an object. The hotter/softer the surface of the object is, the easier the frit will adhere to it.
If the object is already formed and it should not start to collapse, it is better to preheat the frit in the oven, so that the object itself can remain slightly cooler and thus it will be less likely to collapse.
How to apply.
Roll
Pour the frit or powder into a bowl or onto a plate or graphite plate, then roll the object through it. The object should be rotated for even coating.
Repeat as many times as necessary to achieve the desired effect.
Straw
Frit can be sprinkled over the hot object. If you use this method, place a clean plate or bowl underneath to catch the frits that don't stick.
Sprinkling directly through the flame is not recommended because the flame will blow away some of the frit.
In a tube
Frit or powder can be melted on the inside of a hollow object by sprinkling it into a rotating tube.
On a rod
You can heat the end of a rod and cover it with frit (rolling method), then apply the glass to the usual one. This is a very quick and easy method of adding color.
FRIT AND POWDER MELTING
When the frit or powder is applied, use a relatively cool flame to melt it in. This is because the small particles of glass form tiny bumps on the glass surface that can easily overheat, causing a rough texture.
If you do use a hot flame, pass the item quickly through the flame to heat the frit more gradually.
