FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- GENERAL
- Do you give factory tours?
- How do I get to your factory?
- Can I select my glass at the factory?
- Can I buy glass directly from you?
- Where can I buy your products?
- Can I get samples of your glass?
- What do your Product Codes stand for?
- How do you color the glass?
- Can I get a custom-made color?
- How do you come up with new products?
- What is "UNCAT" glass?
- Can I get back issues of Fast Breaking News?
-
ART GLASS
- What types of glass do you recommend for Tiffany-style lamps?
- How do you make Ring Mottles?
- How do you make Ripples?
- What is the size of your glass sheets and how many sheets to a case?
- Do you have a poster I could purchase?
-
FUSING
- What is System 96®?
- Is your fusible glass compatible with Bullseye?
- What firing schedule should I use with your glass?
- What are the technical specifications of your fusible glass?
GENERAL
Do you give factory tours?
We sure do! Please call us a day or two before your arrival. We schedule our 20-minute tours Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please wear closed-toe shoes, not sandals.
How do I get to your factory?
Just click on Map & Directions in our Contact section. If you still have questions, just give us a call (503-284-4900).
Can I select my glass at the factory?
Yes, with preapproval from your glass supplier. Simply ask them to call us and alert us of your visit. The selection minimum is 10 full sheets or 20 half sheets of glass. If you are selecting glass, you must wear long pants, jeans are preferable, and closed-toe shoes, not sandals.
Can I buy glass directly from you?
We sell our products through quality retailers and wholesale distributors worldwide. Please ask us for the name of your nearest wholesale distributor or retailer.
Where can I buy your products?
Click here for information on where to purchase our products.
Can I get samples of your glass?
Absolutely! Soon, this web site will open The Dragon's Den, where you can purchase samples and other Uroboros goodies on-line. Until then, ask your supplier or call us directly with your sample needs. You can also view or download our Product Catalog that describes our great sample sets and kits.
What do your Product Codes stand for?
Good question! While probably of more use to us than to you, here is how the code is structured using 60-56-90-IR as an example. This represents a sheet of Double-Rolled Smooth (60), Black (56), 90 COE Fusible, Iridescent (IR) glass.
Other Codes are F for Frit, N for Noodles, and S for Stringer.
How do you color the glass?
Color is created by adding specific materials to each of the glass batches. Many colors are made using metallic oxides. Some examples are Cobalt (blue), Copper (blue, green or red), Manganese (purple), Gold (pinks and purples) and Selenium (reds and oranges). There are many different materials used to create colors. We combine them to make lush, complex colors for your beautiful art.
Can I get a custom-made color?
Yes, if you are willing to pay for the minimum run required (ranging from one to three cases) and if it is within our production capabilities. There is a significant upcharge over our standard products for matching custom colors. Please let us know your needs and we will be happy to discuss them.
How do you come up with new products?
We listen! And we experiment. Our color committee meets regularly to discuss possible new colors. And we consider your suggestions, employees' suggestions, historic art and happenstance. We're always looking for ways to come up with exciting products and colors to enhance your palette.
What is "UNCAT" glass?
Uncat is short for uncategorized. These are non-standard mixes or unique sheet colors created by our casters. They result when we have leftover components from a standard run or when we are experimenting with new colors. These are some of our most spectacular glass sheets! It's one-of-a-kind glass! Many dedicated artists look forward to a new shipment of Uncats arriving at their supplier. Some go so far as to pick up a case or two of this beautiful glass at our factory after making an arrangement with their supplier.
Can I get back issues of Fast Breaking News?
We don't keep an inventory of back issues. However, Issues 14 and 15 were created electronically and will be posted on this web site in the near future for you to view and download.
ART GLASS
What types of glass do you recommend for Tiffany-style lamps?
Please call us for a printed copy of Glass and Color Recommendations for Tiffany Lamps. It lists Product Codes for glass types and colors plus amount of glass needed for 41 different Tiffany lamps. Quantities are limited! We plan to add this listing plus another that is currently out of print to our web site soon. Watch for them!
How do you make Ring Mottles?
Simply stated, Ring Mottles are made by creating the right chemical and temperature conditions to cause a crystalline growth in the glass. See About Our Glass for more information on the history and typical uses of Ring Mottles.
How do you make Ripples?
Ripples are made the same way nature makes them - by moving the top of the glass at a different speed than the bottom of the glass during manufacture. See About Our Glass for more information on the history and typical uses of Ripples.
What is the size of your glass sheets and how many sheets to a case?
Please see our Specifications section.
Do you have a poster I could purchase?
Not at the current time. In the future, who knows? We might come up with something really neat! You can obtain our color Product Catalog representing our entire line of glass products.
FUSING
What is System 96®?
Our 96 COE point products are part of a cooperative effort with our friends at Spectrum Glass of Woodinville, Washington. Both of us have produced stained glass sheets at this expansion point since the early '90s. In 1999 we committed to mutually launch a broad-purpose product line. System 96 is the result, reflecting the strengths of both companies. Uroboros makes the specialty colored, textured or iridized sheets and Frit, Noodles and Stringer. Spectrum produces a vibrant color palette of super-smooth, single-color sheets at affordable prices. System 96 is designed to also work with many of the existing glass batches and color rods used in the blown glass world.
Is your fusible glass compatible with Bullseye?
Generally speaking, our 90 COE fusing glass has been very compatible with Bullseye. It is always a good idea to first run a small test of all the products you are using before doing that special commission.
What firing schedule should I use with your glass?
Uroboros fires similarly to Spectrum and Bullseye. Good references for this complex question are: Glass Notes by Henry Halem, The Fused Glass Handbook by Gil Reynolds, Contemporary Warm Glass by Brad Walker, and Firing Schedules for Glass by Graham Stone.
What are the technical specifications of your fusible glass?
Please see our Specifications section. We will be adding a series of firing schedules to this site in the near future.