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| Spectrum offers a broad line of specially formulated “Tested Compatible” glass for the Hot-Glass arts. These products have been Expansion-Matched to a nominal C.O.E. of 96, then factory-tested for fusing compatibility. Each glass has been carefully formulated for Multi-Fire devit resistance, and every sheet is clearly marked with a Spectrum “Tested Compatible” label. | Though they may look the same as our stained glass products, Spectrum “Tested Compatible” glasses are fundamentally different in their basic chemistries, designed to deliver an excellent working range and superior stability for glass fusing, slumping and other Hot-Glass pursuits. |
| In partnership with other suppliers, Spectrum “Tested Compatible” products serve as the core of a complete Hot-Glass program called System 96™. Our friends at Uroboros Glass Studios are producing specialty glasses designed to work harmoniously with the Spectrum products. These items carry the red & black System 96 logo and have been “Tested Compatible” to Spectrum Master samples. | They include High-Fire iridescents, special thin glasses, Fractures & Streamers, a complete selection of Frits, Stringer, and Noodles and much more. Dichroic Glasses are available, too. And, leading Hot-Glass companies like Gil Reynold’s Fusion Headquarters have developed special shelf primers, glazes, slumping molds and other items unique to System 96. |
| Let the red & black System 96 logo be your guide to products that have been “Tested Compatible” within the System 96 program. Most will carry the manufacturer’s identifying | label first, supported by the secondary System 96 label. We do not recommend mixing products from outside the program. |
| We think testing is a good idea, and will continue to recommend it. Testing is your best teacher. You’ll discover subtle nuances in different glasses, monitor color shifts, and be better able to predict various characteristics that may result from the fusing process. | Plus, because our equipment and procedures differ from yours, you just might uncover a set of circumstances in which our “Tested Compatible” glasses don’t “work” in your system of variables. Better to discover that in testing than in a disappointing project. |
| It is our goal to produce a family of glasses whose color will stay dependably consistent even after multiple firings. We think you’ll be very happy with Spectrum products in this regard, however, some color chemistries are inherently less stable than others. If and when we pinpoint color shifts in our post-production test firings, we will seek to correct or improve our formulations. Let your own testing be your guide, but be aware of the following areas of concern: |
Champagne Opal: at this writing, you can expect our opal champagne to shift toward the orange side upon firing. Red, Orange & Yellow Cathedrals: these colors may tend to opacify somewhat when fired, and will become darker. Butterscotch: fires Terra Cotta (by design) Most cases of color shift can be minimized by reducing the time spent at the highest temperatures. |
| “Stained Glass” Products in Hot-Glass Work Spectrum makes a tremendous selection of stained glass products that fall outside of our “Tested Compatible” program. As always, we will endeavor to manufacture those products around the “96” C.O.E. But, outside of System 96, non-compatible glass will not be segregated from compatible glass, so testing is a must. And, in our non-System 96 products, devitrification must be dealt with by using our clear “Fusing Standard” (#100SFS) as a “cap,” or by use of an overglaze, |
or by careful management of the contributing variables in the fusing process. Many glass users have had great success using our Stained Glass products for Hot-Glass work. But be aware that both stress and devitrification, even if not immediately apparent in your finished projects, can cause cracking or surface crystallization over passage of time. So please, when fusing with non-labeled Spectrum products, test habitually and take careful measures to control devitrification. |
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