Product Reviews
Pros
Great when you need a uniform set of rainbow colors
Cons
pieces are a little small.
Other Thoughts
Be aware that the actual color contents of the pack are subject to change and may not match the picture.
Pros
Great purple color
Cons
Other Thoughts
Pros
Cuts well
Cons
very thick. you might need to grind down the height at the edge to fit in some came
Other Thoughts
Because this is a large pattern, it works best if you continue the pattern across multiple pieces.
Pros
Medium green with dramatic iridization from different angles
Cons
Other Thoughts
Pros
Sparkly
Cons
Expensive
Other Thoughts
Beautiful stuff. Not cheap, but adds a lot of sparkle.
Pros
Small, simple, easy to use
Cons
Need to go a touch higher in temp to get a flat bottom
Other Thoughts
Love the mold. I've had it for almost 10 years and use it all the time.
Pros
Good solder melts smoothly and consistent
Cons
none
Other Thoughts
Good value for the money
Pros
Ease of use
Cons
None!
Other Thoughts
Pros
These are nice
Cons
Other Thoughts
Pros
very solid and each one is very heavy. It has a pro finish look, you could even apply cabochons to the covers
Cons
The slot is SO wide you have to have a high degree of curvature or quad thick glass to be able to actually secure it, the adjustable screw adjusts about 1 mm so it's use is negligable.
First installation is not straight forward, there are no directions or instructions and you can't tighten the screw holding the device to the wall once the art work is in it, so getting the art in place is a magic trick. And it will never be secure. There's no rating to know how much it can hold, and honestly, they are heavy enough in their own right there is no using brads- it requires studs.
Then once you install one and put on the cover, there's no changing it, EVER. The cover is counter sunk and applied with adhesive so removing it to change or even release the artwork it's holding is difficult and not always safe. On top of that, you'll have trouble getting the cover back on if you are trying to leave them in place to change or even just thoroughly clean the art work.
Other Thoughts
They are sold individually, which is nice if you say only want 3, but 1 is NOT enough to hold a piece, so make sure you order enough, and realize that hanging your art work will cost at least double, and probably 4 times the price listed.
Pros
The only way to get the holly or tree designs, which are cute. They are made in the US.
Cons
I was hoping for a near even mix of the different types, but 1/3rd was "presents" (the red blob on the green back ground). I got four of the striped mint look, and half a dozen of the snowflake. 10 of each of the others, and nearly 30 presents. Worst part is I can't even use the mints on the corners of say a candy dish, because they vary from less than 4 mm to more than 7mm, (ot to mention thickness variations....) and while I expect SOME variance, twice as big is too much.
Other Thoughts
The biggest problem with murrine is that you need a LOT of them to make good use of them, and they are far from cheap. I avoided giving this just one star because I'm sure some one could make good use of these as they're packaged, but I was disappointed that I couldn't use them to ring the edge of a candy dish as I'd intended without ordering several more bags and having to discard more than half as unsuitable.
Pros
I love the non-aerosol version, it feels like I'm wasting less, getting better coverage, have more control over where it goes and it's easier to ship.
Just like regular ZYP it cleans up easy, saves my molds, doesn't leave brush marks like kiln wash and even when I'm casting thick pieces for a long time frame it never breaks down and gets stuck in the final project.
Cons
I always prep large batches of molds to use at a time because the spray nozzle has to be fully cleaned and removed from the bottle when not in use to keep from clogging. And it takes time and wastes a bit to clean it but it's not much worse than having to prep kiln wash every time either.
Other Thoughts
I've been told that once you use boron nitride on a mold you can never go back to kiln wash because it won't stick any more, so I was hesitant to try it. ZYP is way more expensive than kiln wash! but after I had several molds damaged due to imperfect kiln wash coverage and staying power I realized, it costs way more to replace a mold than the extra BN costs to do a great job. Since I've switched I haven't lost a mold yet.
Pros
I love the consistent cuts and the potential for the system.
Cons
Complicated to learn. Had I known how complicated this is to learn, I would have gone with another system.
Other Thoughts
It has great potential, but I haven't figured out how to do all the angles.
Pros
Durable
Easy Cleanup
Cons
Other Thoughts
I used one of these to make over 20 stones. With proper care, they can be used again and again. Heavy Duty plastic vs cheap stuff you get at the craft store. A+
Pros
Beautiful when completed.
Cons
Difficult to bend (need came bender)
Other Thoughts
Must be able to solder really well with plan to polish immediately and patina right away so joins color matches the came. Tricky but doable and finished projects are stunning.
Pros
Easy to manipulate with a came bender, finishes a piece beautifully, even if regular lead or solder is used.
Cons
None
Other Thoughts
