Hayley Tsang and Stephanie Bonniwell made a great Luna2 tutorial for the Flow Magazine, Fall 2008. Unfortunately only half of the tutorial was printed. Please follow the link below to see the complete tutorial!http://www.doublehelixglassworks.com\TheFlow_DH_Luna2_lr.pdf
Reduction Guide
for Aion 2, Elektra 2, Gaia, Kronos 2, Nyx, Psyche
1. Always use adequate ventilation.
2. Shape you piece in a neutral flame. (shortest yellow candle)
3. To begin the reduction process; remove your piece from the flame and allow to cool until no longer glowing hot.
4. Set a slightly reducing flame by turning your propane up.
(longer yellow candles)
5. Pass your piece through the reduction flame for a few seconds.
(time to reduce varies by color)
6. Remove your piece from the flame and check the reduction progress.
7. To further reduce the piece repeat steps 5-6.
*Clean off undesired results in an oxygen rich flame.
*Hot head users can produce a reduction flame by
temporarily covering the air inlet holes with an
aluminum foil collar or hot pad.
Nortel Minor Burner set to a slight reduction flame
Striking Guide
for Khaos, Luna 2, Terra and Terranova 2
1. Always use adequate ventilation.
2. Work in a hot neutral flame.*
(shortest yellow candles and no streaks)
3. To begin striking; allow the piece to cool until no longer glowing hot.
4. Gently reheat.**
5. Anneal at 940F.
*Working too cool can result in milky colors.
**Multiple heating/cooking cycles can further develop the color, though a single cycle of the right durations yields the brightest colors.
Tips for specific colors:
Aion- Works best over dark colors.
Gaia- Gaia has a short 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.
Nyx- Can also be struck in the kiln. Depending on placement, time and temperature, Nyx will fade through a series of blues.
Triton- To get the mulit-colored satin effect try reducing at the tip of a larger reduction flame, let cool, and briefly reheat at the tip of the reduction flame again. Triton will also make a beautiful mother of pearl effect when reduced first and then encased under clear.
Pandora-No flame striking is required.To get the best results with your kiln we recommend you make a simple bead to use as a test. Anneal the test bead at your regular temperature.
Pull out the bead at one hour intervals and check it's progress.
As it strikes it will go Amber - Ruby - Purple - Green - Blue - Opaque Red.
Make note of the results and use that information to achieve your desired kiln striking.
If it does not strike enough for you in your time frame, you have two options.
1.) leave it in for an additional day's annealing cycle, or
2.) Increase the striking temperature to accelerate the strike.