FAQs Tips and Tricks

What is dichro?

Dichroic is latin for 2 colors.  Dichro reflects one color, and transmits another color.  Generally the first color is reflected, and the second color is transmitted, and the second color is what you see when you lamp work it.  For example Green Magenta reflects green and transmits magenta.  When lamp worked green magenta looks magenta.

 

Why do we have a number behind each color of dichro? 

Coating glass with dichro is not an exact science. A very thin layer of metal is sprayed (vaporized and transferred as plasma) onto a sheet of glass and the varying thickness of that metal layer gives dichro its color.  It's hard to exactly repeat the process, but they can get it close so the factory attributes a value number for specific shade from a specific batch.  We have a running spreadsheet of our favored value ranges and try to only purchase and process dichro shades that are favorable to the lamp worker.

 

What make our dichro different?

We use what make in our own work so we are dialed in to the specific needs of the contemporary lampworker.  We make small bathes. We use smaller diameters of clear, and thinner clear, so that the vibrancy is not watered down.  Our tubing can be pulled down to blow tube diameters and still have bling.

 

What material do we use? 

We use Simax clear, import solid color tubing for color dichro cores and CBS dichro.  We use Northstar, Glass Alchemy, Molten Aura, and Greasy color rods for linework vac stacks.   *** The one and only import color rod we use for our vac stacks is milky purple.  We have not found any options for a reliable, dense, and COE compatible purple.  We just want to be upfront and transparent that we do use milky purple in our vac stacks, as well as solid color import tubing for the dichro cores.

 

Shipping

We do flat rate shipping. We ship everything insured with signature required for delivery.  The flat rate shipping we offer accounts for the extra costs.  If shipping is over $30, we eat the costs, and if its under $30, we refund you the difference.

 

Returns?

We do not accept returns, however if there is something wrong with your order, contact us and we will make it right.  We do not offer any compensation if you burn out dichro or boil colors.

 

How to work dichro?

Dichro can be vibrant, saturated, and sparkle like crazy, but it can also turn to burnt white ash.  If you get dichro white hot, it will burn out.  We recommend working dichro very cool, to a gentle orange glow and using graphite to force the dichro to the shape you are going for.  Avoid overheating and overworking.

 

How to work vac stacks?

Although color rods in a vac stack are encased in clear, they can boil inside of a vac stack.  While they are pretty bullet proof, we don't recommend getting vac stacks white hot.  Some colors, especially white, can boil and create gas bubbles inside of a vac stack.  Vac stacks have a much longer working time than dichro, but still its important to not get vac stacks white hot.

 

Where do the names of your colors come from?

Our names are inspired by our culture and the music we listen to.  We often come up with names during our 'safety breaks' or sesh's.