Northstar Borosilicate Oxidation/Reduction

Another important consideration when using NorthstarŽ BorocolourŽ is the oxidation/reduction balance of your flame.
This is the ratio of oxygen to gas in your flame. Some colors turn out better in an oxidizing flame, other colors better
in a more reducing or neutral flame. Most NorthstarŽ colors look great using either flame. Basically, a "hissing" flame
with the oxygen turned way up, almost blowing the flame out, would be considered a very oxidizing flame. On the other
hand, a soft, bushy flame low in oxygen, high in gas, is a reducing flame. A neutral flame is somewhere in between.
Only practice and experimentation can teach the glass artist the subtlety of this concept. In general, if in doubt, use
a neutral flame. Example: Ruby Red; use a neutral to slightly oxidizing flame. Too much reduction can cause the color
to become cloudy. Example: NS-16 Black; use a very oxidizing flame for Black, a reducing flame for Grey. Also, please
note that the flame becomes more oxidizing as you move farther from the torch head. Again, it is suggested that the
glass artist experiment with the colors. See the chart on page five for more detailed working instructions.Color Identification
If you are uncertain about which color a particular rod is, just strike the end in your torch flame for a few moments.
The color should begin to appear right away. With a very light color you may need to strike a piece of the glass in the oven
to see the end result.