Tips and Techniques: Using Dichroic on a Hot Head Torch

In my beadmaking career, I have always used an oxygen/propane torch.  For this reason, I use dichroic colors on clear sheet glass with the crystals down on the bead core because it keeps the crystals from burning and produces an automatic encasement.

I was in a friend’s studio a while back and I noticed the dichroic beads she had on her work table.  These beads were made with the dichroic crystals placed on the surface of the beads and had no encasement; I asked her what kind of torch she used to make the beads with the coated surface up.  Much to my surprise, it was a Hot Head torch.  I said to myself, “Wow, these look really cool!”  I decided to do my own experimenting on a Hot Head.  I made beads with the dichroic crystal coated side up and I’m here to say to all you who still use or have a Hot Head, give this a try.  Dichroic beads made in this way have a wonderful metallic look that is totally different from encased dichroic beads.  When I’ve tried this in the past using my oxygen/propane torch, it resulted in a burned dichroic coating.  The oxygen/propane torches run a lot hotter than a Hot Head and the Hot Head has a unique flame atmosphere that does not burn the dichroic crystals.

When you make dichroic beads on a Hot Head, you can use the dichroic on black glass strips as a base to achieve metallic jewel tone colors that unlike any other application I’ve seen.  Using dichroic on black as the base of a bead allows you to pile more dichroic colors on clear glass and achieve very interesting color reactions.  Yet another interesting look is created when you make a dichroic on black base bead and then use a pattern dichroic on clear with the crystals up or down.

I now like the look of the dichroic beads with crystals up so much that I’ve started making some of my own beads this way.  I like the way they look when they are made into jewelry.

Click on photos for larger image.

Bead made on Hot Head with dichroic on black glass, crystals up.	Bead made with blue on  black dichroic with a band of corkscrew dichroic.	Bead made with topaz and covered in copper and pattern dichroic.

Bead made with pink on clear dichroic over steel gray transparent.	Bead made with gold dichroic on black on Hot Head with crystals up.	Bead made with blue dichroic on black on Hot Head with crystals up.

Bead made of blue on black dichroic with a wrap of silver blue dichroic on clear.	A tabular bead made from Rainbow “A” dichroic on black.	Bead made of blue on black dichroic with a wrap of pattern dichroic on clear.