JVVmarbles Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Friends of mine had an antique sulphide that was so damaged and cracked that the figure fell out! Here's a pic. It's a rearing horse. The interesting part is that it is tiny! only 1/2"! The glass around the figure works as a magnifier so the figure appears a lot larger. It must have been quite difficult to make such small figures, especially if they are detailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richsantaclaus Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I have a few sulphides explode i the kiln as the old glass couldn't take the re-heating process. I have seen the figurines but not the whole ones. Thanks for the pix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psia-antique Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 The process for making the figures to go into a sulphide are well explained in Ray Laubs book " The Making of Sulphides." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmuehlba Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Ray was great at making any Sulphide , he made a few for me first he would send me to a sight hat sold neckless and then I would buy it and sent stright to him then he would make the figure and then the marble after all done send the marble and the neckless back so th emarble would match . he did an aniversary one for Jan and I and an angel . I just took some fast pics did not want the beast as it will look like way to many years since dusting . I keep them abovr my Ro and David Salazar marbles Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Friends of mine had an antique sulphide that was so damaged and cracked that the figure fell out! Here's a pic. It's a rearing horse. The interesting part is that it is tiny! only 1/2"! The glass around the figure works as a magnifier so the figure appears a lot larger. It must have been quite difficult to make such small figures, especially if they are detailed. Nifty. Interesting observation about the magnification. I wonder if Ray's way is the same as how it was done in the olden days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdesousa Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 "Nifty. Interesting observation about the magnification." You can 'reverse' the magnification by looking at the marble under water. (Use water that's not too much different in temperature from the marble, so as to avoid cracking the glass) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raynsandy Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 The ceramic is about the same, the real early sulphide figures used a mix of gum aribic, powdered base glass and some other crap - to much for me to mess with to be honest. With ceramics and glass, each has its own coefficient of expansion, and viscosity. Finding a good balance between both materials is very important. If one or the other is to far out of line, then the piece wont hold up. If there was to much air trapped inside against the figure, that could have been what allowed the horse to survive. Cool piece to add to any collection never the less. I had an owl from an old sulphide, not sure where it got to... hmmmm Ill have to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'llhavethat1 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I'd bet that's what a lot of kids tried to do long ago, smash the marble to 'free' the animal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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