Pound and 1/4 Pound Minimum Items

Items labeled in this manner are sold by weight at a price per pound. The price you see is the pound price. You will be charged for the actual weight of the product you receive. If you wish to order a specific number of rods, tubes, sticks or the like, enter that information in the comment box upon checkout. We will do our best to accommodate you knowing how many pounds you want (from the shopping cart) along with how many tubes/items you want from the comment box.

Bullseye Rods

GRADES

T grade rods are formulated for flameworking and are not recommended for kilnforming. They include Lustres, Opaques, and other styles.

F grade rods can be used for both flameworking and kilnforming. They are part of the Bullseye Compatible product line.

F and T grades may be combined reliably in the torch.

KILNFORMING WITH F GRADE RODS

The material characteristics of F grade rods relate closely to the Bullseye sheet glass palette, with some noteworthy differences, generally driven by the rod-forming process and the nature of the form itself. Comparisons to 3mm sheet glass are drawn here.

Transparents

It is important to consider how color saturation relates to volume and thickness of form. The diameter of a rod is greater than the thickness of standard 3mm sheet and displays more saturated color. Many styles are highly saturated and will reveal lighter coloration if used in small amounts, displaced and thinned through kilnforming methods, or ultimately coldworked to remove material. Conversely, the BE 1800 series has subtle coloration and much greater transparency, which is suitable for working thicker or as visual representation of negative space in thinner works. For medium color saturation, the BE 1500 series (currently unique to rod) has less color saturation and more transparency than its BE 1400 counterpart. As a general guideline, color saturation decreases as the style number increases. Striking transparent pinks and purples likely contain a linear streaked design along the length of the rod, which may also be visible if fired on end. Linear streaking is most prevalent in the following glasses: BE 1215, BE 1232, BE 1305 and BE 1311. Hue and saturation may also differ slightly when compared to sheet glass; a wider range is accepted due to changes that occur in the forming process.

Opalescents

Expect more variation in opalescent rods when compared to sheet glass, with several styles taking on both greater opacity and lighter coloration. This visible shift occurs in sulfur glasses during the forming process and remains stable through kilnforming. Similar comparisons in color and opacity could also be drawn between sheet glass and stringer. (See www.bullseyeglass.com/torchtips for more information about sulfur content.)

When viewed on end, opalescent rods may exhibit a small dark spot—a core that runs the length of the rod. Whether it is a darker version of the rod color or transparent in nature, it generally remains stable through firings and can be used as a design element. This too, is a result of the forming process.

HOW IS BULLSEYE ROD GRADED?

“F” rod is recommended for kilnwork or torchwork. The majority of rods are "F."

“T” rod is recommended for torchwork only.

The “F” and “T” grades were created to help kilnworkers who want to incorporate rods in fused work. The grades are essentially irrelevant for torchworkers, since all Bullseye rods are recommended for torchwork.