Basic Striking Guide

1. Use adequate ventilation for silver rich colors.

2. Use a neutral flame (shortest yellow candle) while making your piece.

3. To strike, remove your piece from the flame until the glass is no longer glowing hot.

4. Adjust your flame to slightly reducing (longer yellow candles) by turning propane up or oxygen down.

5. Reheat your piece until the glass is glowing again.

6. Remove your piece from the flame, like waiting for a Polaroid, watch and you will see the colors develop.

7. To further develop the colors repeat steps 4-6.

8. To clean off any effects reheat at the tip of an oxygen rich flame.

Nortel Minor Burner set to a slight reduction flame

Tips for specific colors:

Gaia-  Compared to Aion and Kronos, Gaia has a much shorter striking time.  In just a few passes in the reduction flame she'll strike fully.

Elektra-  She's nearly impossible to overstrike.  Almost the opposite from Gaia, you can have her in a reduction flame for longer periods of time and she'll just get redder.  She's also remarkably easy to clean off and restrike again and agian.  We did some kiln annealing tests and found that a higher kiln temp (1050f) caused copper reduction to burn off, but that at lower temps (950f) the red copper fume stayed.  The longer the color is struck the more resistant it is to disappearing in the kiln.  So you may want to try a combination of longer striking, and slightly lower annealing temp or soak time.  Once encased the less time and less heat applied the more red will stay.  Elektra frit is sensitive to overheating and will "fizz" if heated too strongly, leaving an antiqued, roughened look to your beads.

TERRA STRIKING GUIDE

"Terra's color changing behavior is a result of silver crystal growth. For
best results, apply a thin encasing layer of Effetre or Vetrofond clear over
the Terra. Heat the bead until the Terra becomes clear. Allow the bead to
cool until the Terra has darkened to a deep brown, then gently reheat the
bead in the back of the flame to strike. If worked too cool, the silver
crystals will grow at random, and the resulting color will be a neutral tan.
If worked very hot, the silver crystals will all dissolve, and the glass
will appear clear. As the bead cools, a dark brown/black color develops,
indicating partial crystal growth. When reheated, the crystals grow larger,
and reflect various wavelengths of light. Multiple reheat/cooling cycles
will further develop the color. The clear encasement acts as an insulator,
slowing the crystal growth, and giving you more control over the outcome.
The clear also brightens the colors. Terra can be struck to purple, blue,
green, pink, yellow and amber. Low annealing temperatures (940-950F) will
prevent overstriking in the kiln."

Double Helix Glass Rods

Order #
Gaia	This rich green glass strikes easily in a slightly reducing flame, while remaining clean in a neutral or oxidizing flame.  Upon striking, Gaia can produce surface coloration ranging from blues and purples to greens and creams.  Heavy reduction can yield red streaks, while very heavy reduction can develop a metallic iridescence.
Kronos2	An enhanced formula of Kronos that is stronger, cleaner, and easier to strike.  When worked in a slightly reducing flame this color develops swirls of blue, green, cream and a rainbow iridescence.   Brief reheating in an oxygen rich flame can enhance struck color. This glass is a deep cobalt blue.
Terra Nova	A supersaturated silver opal. It is darker than original Terra and strikes to deep ambers, greens, blues, and purples.  Work hot, cool and reheat. If Terranova becomes too dark from heating and cooling cycles try cleaning in an intense oxidizing flame and immediately reheating in the back of that flame.
Luna	A white opal, will develop lighter purples, blues, greens, pinks and creams. Work hot, cool and reheat.
Nyx	Nyx is not just a new color but a new kind of color.  Nyx will reduce  to a mirror-like or multi-colored luster, as you'd expect from a Double Helix color, but Nyx does something else!  Though the rods start out black as Night, Nyx will kiln strike through a steady fade of  Midnight Blue, Lapis, Peacock, Turquoise, and Sky Blue.  You can determine the coloration through annealing time, temperature and placement in your kiln.   Tips: We recommend kiln striking a rod of Nyx to estimate the kiln striking time at your annealing temperature.  Our kiln striking tests were perfomed between 950 and 970 degrees F.  One hour annealing time produced Midnight blue, while Sky Blue  tones developed over three to four hours.  Higher annealing temperatures push the Sky Blue to a greenish color.  Encasing may alter kiln struck color.    Encasing heavily reduced Nyx can produce a mother-of-pearl effect.  Speckled and swirled organic effects can be acheived by working the glass very hot before application.  Excessive reduction followed by kiln striking can produce earthy caramel tones.

There are approximately 20 rods per pound. You do not need to order a full pound per color. Mix together the colors. If you make a total purchase of 5, 10, or 20 pounds and meet the per color minimum, you get that discounted price.