LBS Clear 2-3mm

Messy Color is developed and tested to work well within existing product lines marketed as 104 COE. Testing is compared against the major players within the "104" offerings (Effetre, Vetrofond, and Lauscha) using the current industry standard of the Trident Seal Test.

An optically very clear glass that prefers to be worked cool.

2-3mm

We are committed to making an optically clear Clear [no green or blue tints]. During the inspection process, we are careful to remove rods that are not a consistent 4-7 mm diameter, to check that the rods are straight and smooth without bumps, and to remove any rods with seeds, bubbles, stones, or other impurities. We limit handling to prevent scratches, and we package the rods by individually wrapping in tissue paper to prevent scratching during shipment.

Like all Messy Colors, our Clear has been formulated and tested to be 104 compatible. We strive to be as consistent as possible from batch to batch, and to reproduce the Clear on a timely basis so that it is available when you need it.

Our testers are sharply divided about whether or not they like Messy Clear. About half reported that they loved Messy Clear and experienced no problems. The other half reported that they could not cope with what they described as boiling.

Thanks to our testers, we’ve been able to establish that the wide range of responses is due to the wide range of working atmospheres.

Artists who preferred Messy Clear describe their working style as “cool,” or are quite often using a Hot Head. Several testers who could be described as working “hot” noted that they were successful in using Messy Clear without boiling it if they worked it very slowly [much slower than they preferred to work] in the outer reaches of the flame.

If you find yourself to be one of the users who can’t seem to prevent Messy Clear from boiling, then I would recommend either working cooler or using a clear that can tolerate working hotter.

There is also a relevant point about the ends of our rods. As part of the quality control process, the rods are divided into bundles which are stood vertically and ground over a disc to smooth the ends. Our purpose is to remove any sharp and potentially dangerous edges. Several testers noted that the ground ends of the rods have a tendency to scum. So we discontinued the grinding process for Messy Clear [though we continue to do it on all other color rods].