"cooking"

[Scoop]

"Cooking" is a term used for restoring a marble by reheating... I'm not positive of the exact process... I believe both torches and ovens are involved and it varies with the work needed...

(anyone who can help me out here, please PM me and I'll add the info to this post)

The most common purpose that I've heard of for cooking is to remove an unsightly as-made bubble from a sulfide.

As far as I know, most any sort of damage can be repaired with cooking.... The key word being "can"..... or, not...... This process is VERY risky!! Due to the narrow margin of heat needed, the difficulty of maintaining it and the stability of old glass, most any sort of result... From a droopy surface, to a complete explosion... is possible. Why would anyone want to do it?? In some cases, it's the only option available for a chance to make a very poor marble acceptable, or maybe even great!!

The following are restorers who "Cook" / Reheat...

(Please note that this is an open listing space... Members of this board do not necessarily know, or endorse the restorers listed... Please seek recommmendations or visit the "Feedback file" for individual reputations.)

[raynsandy]

I cook them sometimes. I dont make any promises. Ive seen marbles that were glued together and when I tried to cook them, it left a black layer of soot right up through the center. Then Ive seen an old sulphide that I cooked 3 times and it kept cracking right in the same spot everytime. WHy? Dont know, never figured that one out.

I may or may not take on a marble to re cook. IF I do, Im very slow about getting around to it.

[I'llhavethat1]

Does "cooking" get rid of chips or subsurface moons without removing glass? Or is "cooking" just for helping fix internal fractures? I never understood exactly what happens to a marble when it's "cooked" other than it's a way of restoration...which makes a bit of sense if I picture somebody polishing an ice sculpture with a blow torch. Am I way off?

[raynsandy]

Does "cooking" get rid of chips or subsurface moons without removing glass? Or is "cooking" just for helping fix internal fractures? I never understood exactly what happens to a marble when it's "cooked" other than it's a way of restoration...which makes a bit of sense if I picture somebody polishing an ice sculpture with a blow torch. Am I way off?

Chips and moons often times turn into a fuzzy white spots on the very surface which can be tweezered off. The advantage to remelting a marble would be to retain the most of its volume to size. wherein say a 1/4 inch chip would require a total of a 1/2 inch be taken from the over all diameter if you were to grind it down uniformally in a machine.

With a re melt you would only loose just a little pinch per spot and sometimes not even that.

A re melt will work with cracks but you have to consider: 1) why the marble cracked to begin with 2) if someone filled the voids with plastic resins or glue etc.... 3) how much dirt is in the crack (dirt in a crack will show up as a cloudy layer) 4)value of the marble after gambling 25 bucks on it as to whether or not itll turn out to your satisfaction.

[I'llhavethat1]

Thanks for the reply. Since oils (snake oil, mineral oil etc.) can leach into cracks for a short term "restoration" would this affect keep a marble from being cooked? I've wondered about this for awhile since seeing it suggested, and knowing oils can penetrate and having a hard time getting it back out. I suppose they could burn off if the glass gets that hot, but do these restored marbles get cooked that hot?

[Purpledog]

Would you mind sharing how you cook mibs? I have read that some people put them in roasters, others in beds of coal in the ground. I'm sure the kiln thing is the best approach but for us poor folks that want to fix one, what would be the best way?

Thanks,

Pat

[Steph]

Hi Pat.

I don't know how "cooking" is done either. Where did you read about fixing marbles by putting them in a bed of coals?

Steph

P.s., I don't think the marble fixers here charge very much for doing their magic.

[raynsandy]

You have to preheat them slowly bringing the temperature up from room temp to at least 1100 F. Leave it sit at that temp long enough to ensure the heat has saturated the entire marble.

At that point you can punty up to it and put it in the fire, either bench torch or glory hole. The marble is upwards of 2100 F at this point. Reshape it, then anneal it back down to room temp.

[Purpledog]

WOW, that's more that I can do...

[michaelmastro]

I have a stunning Akro cork - transparent cobalt blue base, with a white, and an oxblood cork laying on the surface, and it's exactly 1". My wife bought it from Bill Foppiano about 5 years ago. Unfortunately I let me son's girlfriend photograph it and she dropped it. It now has a moon that is right on one end of the cork. Can this be reannealed?

Thank you.

Michael

the new old guy

[glangley]

Wow, I know this post is old and chances are that your question has either been answered somewhere else along the line or you have given up on it and decided to leave it be. Either way, annealing is the process of bringing the temperature back down to room temp slowly. So, you would have to go through the process above to bring it up to 2100' F first, most likely with a kiln overnight to around 1100'-1200' then torching the sucker and reshaping, possibly tweezing off the cloud you will have with the moon. Personally, with the risk involved of your nice mib breaking into pieces, I'd leave it and enjoy it. But if you have the tools and the knowledge, and don't mind taking the risk, go for it. You never know, you might just pick up a new swing on an old hobby. God Bless

[michaelmastro]

Hi glangley

I was hoping that someone might know how to do it, and provide the service. I am not a glass worker. Do you know of anyone?

Thanks for the reply.

Michael

[glangley]

Not off hand, and my skills are pre-rookie level. lol If you post in the general forum and ask if there are people out there that can help you out, then I am sure someone will respond to you promptly. This thread goes unnoticed a tad. Personally, I still have some equipment to get before I can do this properly; And make it much easier than my current setup. I have tried this on a couple old mibs. But since my torch consists of a can of map gas, it takes too long to heat the mib properly after I have brought it up to temp(1100'F) in the kiln. All the extra time under the torch turns the glass a different color, usually darkens all of them. And sometimes it can make the surface of the mib orange peel feeling, which requires a slight buff to get out. Once I get the regulators and gas for my big torch, I'll be perfecting the method as I have alot of mibs to work on that I don't mind loosing if they don't work out. If things go well and I can get good results more than bad, then I'll be doing good. God Bless!

[richsantaclaus]

ok - here goes.....

You need to have a kiln, digital controller is best = $600

You need a torch, Minor is best = $250

You need special glasses = $200

You need glass mandrels, tweezers = $20

You need approximately a year of experience with torching before you can safely TRY to repair any marble.

I don't want to throw a blanket on anyone's vigor, but this is fact - ask me, I am a marble repair person...lol

[michaelmastro]

In that case - do you provide this service? What are the details?

Thank you.

ok - here goes.....

You need to have a kiln, digital controller is best = $600

You need a torch, Minor is best = $250

You need special glasses = $200

You need glass mandrels, tweezers = $20

You need approximately a year of experience with torching before you can safely TRY to repair any marble.

I don't want to throw a blanket on anyone's vigor, but this is fact - ask me, I am a marble repair person...lol

[richsantaclaus]

I have been known to TRY an "fix" marbles before.

Details... well, usually I have one steadfast rule.

You give me the marble then I try to repair it and if it works, I give it back. Usually in 9 out of 10 cases, the repair goes well but there is always that chance that in spite of my care, the glass does what IT wants to do!!! The person I deal with MUST realize that - there are NO guarantees with glass.

Price - I have no set standard - I have traded marbles for repairs, been given money for the repairs and that averages between $10 to $20 and totally depends on the amount of gasses, time behind the torch and time it takes to get the scars, dents, chips and cracks to "heal." It took about 45 minutes to repair the sulfide I posted for you guys and about 1 hour 45 minutes to repair the swirl marble. So I feel my prices are fair. I must mention the 1 of the 10 marbles that gets away - there might be a sudden POP in my kiln as the old glass slowly warms up (about an hour or more) and that glass can't take the heat even before the repair. Then it might go "wonky" and not stay round because the glass has cooling issues. It might thermal shock in the cooling process - one never knows because I am not the original maker and I don't know the COE of the old glass.

Taking all this into account, it's a personal choice the owner of the marble makes if he/she wants to make a try at fixing it. If the person has ANY emotional value to the marble, I discourage them from "fixing" it since I'd rather them buy a stand and put grandpa's best marble on display as it is. But if it doesn't carry emotions, then why not go for it?

I also round the marble out as completely round as the glass will allow - of course I could put punty marks on it but I won't so as to protect a future buyer from being deceived. I am into restoring the marble back to it's best look as I can because I love working in the flame with the glass. I am not trying to make it my business! I worked as a physical science and math teacher for 37 years - my time of working is over! It's my time to play now.

Ok, I have rambled enough...lol. If anyone wants more information, pictures of my repairs, just email me - thanks.

[michaelmastro]

Rich - What is your email address?

I have been known to TRY an "fix" marbles before.

Details... well, usually I have one steadfast rule.

You give me the marble then I try to repair it and if it works, I give it back. Usually in 9 out of 10 cases, the repair goes well but there is always that chance that in spite of my care, the glass does what IT wants to do!!! The person I deal with MUST realize that - there are NO guarantees with glass.

Price - I have no set standard - I have traded marbles for repairs, been given money for the repairs and that averages between $10 to $20 and totally depends on the amount of gasses, time behind the torch and time it takes to get the scars, dents, chips and cracks to "heal." It took about 45 minutes to repair the sulfide I posted for you guys and about 1 hour 45 minutes to repair the swirl marble. So I feel my prices are fair. I must mention the 1 of the 10 marbles that gets away - there might be a sudden POP in my kiln as the old glass slowly warms up (about an hour or more) and that glass can't take the heat even before the repair. Then it might go "wonky" and not stay round because the glass has cooling issues. It might thermal shock in the cooling process - one never knows because I am not the original maker and I don't know the COE of the old glass.

Taking all this into account, it's a personal choice the owner of the marble makes if he/she wants to make a try at fixing it. If the person has ANY emotional value to the marble, I discourage them from "fixing" it since I'd rather them buy a stand and put grandpa's best marble on display as it is. But if it doesn't carry emotions, then why not go for it?

I also round the marble out as completely round as the glass will allow - of course I could put punty marks on it but I won't so as to protect a future buyer from being deceived. I am into restoring the marble back to it's best look as I can because I love working in the flame with the glass. I am not trying to make it my business! I worked as a physical science and math teacher for 37 years - my time of working is over! It's my time to play now.

Ok, I have rambled enough...lol. If anyone wants more information, pictures of my repairs, just email me - thanks.

[RamblezMarblez]

I have a complete glassblowing studio and two different types of marble molds.  One is a mike close mold.  Best in the market available!  I run a bunch of torches but mainly a GTT Mirage with foot pedal.  RamblezMarblez.com to see pictures of my studio.  Po box no longer active so you will need to call me or email me.  No promises it won't break however I will soak the marble in the kiln to 1050* before I drop into the flame.  6077441957  [email protected]  Sven Johnson aka RamblezMarblez!!!

[Steph]

On 8/25/2019 at 12:33 AM, RamblezMarblez said:

I have a complete glassblowing studio and two different types of marble molds.  One is a mike close mold.  Best in the market available!  I run a bunch of torches but mainly a GTT Mirage with foot pedal.  RamblezMarblez.com to see pictures of my studio.  Po box no longer active so you will need to call me or email me.  No promises it won't break however I will soak the marble in the kiln to 1050* before I drop into the flame.  6077441957  [email protected]  Sven Johnson aka RamblezMarblez!!!

Thanks for posting.  Have shared this with someone already.  Good luck to you. 

[Mojo]

I have asked and mailed a buch of people here in the Netherlands with glass blow studio's and glass ateliers , same answer i get , because of the compound of the old glas in the handmades , they will crack or break while heating them 🙄 i have a few marbles that i like to see restored in the future.

Whatbis the best option and how can i do it myself , next step i want to make , professional restoring old marbles let them live again 

[Chad G.]

A couple links for ya Joep, Mathew does restoration polishing and he even shows ya how he does it, if you're gonna make your own I would highly recommend several trials and maybe contacting Mathew before you throw a treasured damaged mib on a homemade polisher though !! Got this link right here on MC, only polisher I know of anymore, most have passed or only do it for personal reasons.   "crowncarrier"  posted this just last month with this link. Well worth watching if you've never seen it done before.

LINK :  https://marbleconnection.com/topic/26937-i-finally-did-it/?tab=comments#comment-232167

MATHEWS MARBLE POLISHING VID :

 

MARBLEGEMS HOMEPAGE LINK  ::   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwrelgs3_xWO8AxTDZVBz_w