What is the secret to 3 color ribbon cane?

[Pringle Teetor]

We are trying to make some ribbon cane for ornaments - white in the center and a transparent color on either side, so my questions are:
How to set it up? Flatten the white on a punty and add the color on either side or build the color on the punty As a color stack, switch axis to another runty and then flatten? How much color compared to the white? Equal parts?
Once all is ready to pull, twist less pull more?
Am I overthinking this?
Happy Thanksgiving!
First attempts attached even though its a lousy pic

[Eben Horton]

Make a white tongue and put colored bits on the side. Heat it pretty good to melt away the seams but if you can’t get rid of the seams, just take a small gather and chase the air pockets back to the moil.

I use a drill to twist. The tighter the better.

[Pete VanderLaan]

I heat up enamel white on a punty and then squish it so it looks like a lollipop.
Then color is applied to either side of the lollypop and squished yet again. Then, go into your clear pot with the thing straight up and down to keep bubbles out and gather the clear you want. Shape that up keeping the clear pushed towards the punty rod.

Since I do this stuff alone, I pull it in small segments at the bench, knock that off the punty wash rinse repeat. I make a lot of cane for Mary Beth's jewelry.

[Kenny Pieper]

here is a little trick...once you have the tong shape white with the colors on the outside, heat it a bit cool the end then grab the end with something and twist 3/4 of a turn in the direction you will be twisting so it looks like a corkscrew. Now when you gather screw your way into the glass slowly. This way when you come out with the gather and marver it wont be like having a flat tire.

[Pringle Teetor]

Thanks! I made some Friday and used about the same sized chunks this time, made the lollipop instead of a rectangle and it worked nicely. I wanted to try the corkscrew but my dyslexia gave me pause on which direction to turn. Maybe it doesn’t matter?

[Pete VanderLaan]

It matters.