Hollows...tips and tricks...

[chrissij]

I've noticed, since I've been consistently successful, that...

If I make the wraps heading towards each other, and make the wraps on the right disk higher than the wraps on the left disk, I can heat just the higher right wraps, fold 'em left and down over the last outer wrap on the left disk, effectively making the two meet, tip the left side of the mandrel down, and heat the left side of the bead, the left wraps will expand outward, increasing the liklihood of a truly good "seal" and voila...hollow bead.

Hope that helps some of you who were doing the cursing thing, instead of the yippee thing. Now, if anyone else has some tips and tricks to share, I'm all ears. :biggrin:

[AKDesigns]

I have yet to even try a hollow. Maybe now I will!

[chrisdd]

My main problem was taking so long to get the glass on the mandrel that the disks would shatter. I was given 2 tips that finally led to success. Don't place the discs too far apart; you can round up the bead by tilting the mandrel and letting the glass move towards the ends. And don't worry about making the disks perfect...the glass will smooth out.

[lunamoonshadow]

And to think, your hollows are like, teeny, like dime sized....um....when will they be on etsy? I might need a pair to make earrings for my neice for christmas...in um, fuschia or purple ;) when you gonna list 'em?

[AKDesigns]

I have a question about hollows...how well would they hold up in a bracelet if the walls were say 3mm thick in soft glass? Or are hollows really only good for earrings and necklaces?

[lunamoonshadow]

How hard are you whacking them?
I mean, Tink says she's dropped her vessels (and they're not very thick) & they've been ok (but...I'm not dropping my precious one to find out!)
Hollows are supposed to be very sturdy as long as they're properly annealed & close to even thickness (no really thin spots)
I'd wear them if they didn't "look" super thin fragile--prolly not to work (I'm hell on my jewelry @ work--it's retail--I do bad things, like disassemble the printer, & the shredder & such) but for "normal things" like office wear, or dress stuff, sure!

[squid]

And to think, your hollows are like, teeny, like dime sized....um....when will they be on etsy? I might need a pair to make earrings for my neice for christmas...in um, fuschia or purple ;) when you gonna list 'em?

Dime sized? try 2 will fit on a dime!

[lunamoonshadow]

I know! (she said her first hollows were "huge" though...so, knowing the size of her "huge" regular beads--I've got her "regular" beads & a pair that she *thought* were "big"...rofl...they're smaller than my smallest beads :roll:, I was guessing her "huge" first hollows were prolly still smaller than a dime ;)) I'm sure she's got them down to microscopic by now :D
I'm wanting to put them on the bottom of threaders--won't they be just PERFECT for that?? My neice works in a big office now (her first "real job" out of college!) & last year I gave her swarkies on threaders, I thought chrisii hollows on threaders would be nice this year :D

[theglasszone]

I've not tried making a "blown" hollow yet (you know, the ones made on mandrels with a tiny blow hole to help thin the walls); even though I'm on a Hot Head, I've managed to make several that are 1" or slightly bigger - and I even dropped one on the cement floor of the garage and it didn't break, so I think if the walls are sturdy enough, as Luna says, they should be a-ok for a bracelet!

I'm looking forward to trying these again with the new Moretti "Super Clear" or even the DH "Aether" Clear will improve them - I'm not happy with the way the standard Moretti Clear leaves a bit of bubbles and some "foggy" areas.

DeAnne in CA

[Lara]

I found that when I used my BE glass it is a lot easier than the Effetre.

[chrissij]

The width of my hollows is about 1/2 to 3/4 of the width of a dime, the height is typically two to the width of a dime...and I've succeeded in making some with the height of three to a dime.

I've made the majority into earrings already 'cause they weren't perfect, IMO.

Oh, and today...I can't make a hollow for sh*t. I think it's the humidity in the air. The bead release keeps failing, and if I succeed, they're kinda' flat...not as poofy as usual. :pout:

[chrissij]

I found that when I used my BE glass it is a lot easier than the Effetre.

Caliente is what I've been successful with. That and some uroboros citrine green, and ming green.

and for the strength...since glass is basically held together by surface tension, there's twice the surface, therefore twice the surface tension. Thus, if physics applies (and doesn't it always?), barring a weak area, a hollow bead should be twice as strong. (Yes, we did bounce one of them over and over again on the kitchen floor, dropping it from higher and higher. It has yet to break.)

[Bubbyanne]

Do you use full rods or stringer to make them itty bitty hollows?
I reiterate what Luna said, when are you going to offer some in your etsy again?

[chrissij]

Do you use full rods or stringer to make them itty bitty hollows?
I reiterate what Luna said, when are you going to offer some in your etsy again?

Rods, and I never offered 'em in my etsy. :poke: I'm a perfectionist. ;)

[lunamoonshadow]

They don't need to be "perfect", there's gonna be an asymetrical HEAD between the pair of earrings :roll:
My NEICE "gets" art....(she thinks *my* beads are cool...:roll:)

[loco]

Wholey cow, such tiny hollows! I don't think I could do that... Mine range in size from maybe 1 1/4 to 2 inches. I would love to see a picture of the tiny hollows.

[tammydownunder]

Gaffer glass (96 coe) is perfect for making hollows since it comes in about 3-4 mm rods. It's easy to get a good foot print and make nice even wraps. I'm going to give your method a try -sounds foolproof.

146920

[Kevan]

Chris, you could probably put 10 or 12 of your hollows INSIDE one of Antonio's.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i242/chichiboy/DSC_0016-5.jpg

[Art of Hand]

I regularly throw my hollow on concrete to show clients how strong the are. In my mind they are as strong or even stronger than solid beads. (annealed of course!) And I make really thin hollows. I only use stringer when I make them, and use a ribbon stringer for the bridge part.
I could not find an image of a normal hollow, but here is some with a solid inner.

146921

[lunamoonshadow]

I regularly throw my hollow on concrete to show clients how strong the are. In my mind they are as strong or even stronger than solid beads. (annealed of course!) And I make really thin hollows. I only use stringer when I make them, and use a ribbon stringer for the bridge part.
I could not find an image of a normal hollow, but here is some with a solid inner.

146921


WANT! RAINBOW! WANT!!!

(bet Nikki will too :lol:)

[Art of Hand]

Lol Luna! Thank you. That se is unfortunately taking a long trip to Europe; the Netherlands, to be precise ...

but I got so inspired by the hollows this morning, I have been making some since I started torching earlier. I allowed the one to air cool, to see what my colour mixing skills were up to. If the garaged ones is ok, I will post some pics tomorrow.

Oh, and I got Oxy - it was real kak pulling thick stringer on the faithful HH!

[Sonja]

A trick I found easy to make a start on hollows.
I use a thick transparent stringer (clear or any colour you like) to make the base of both disks. If i do that with a normal rod, the base is too thick and I don't like that. after a wrap or 2 or 3 I start using a normal rod.

Sonja

[chrissij]

A trick I found easy to make a start on hollows.
I use a thick transparent stringer (clear or any colour you like) to make the base of both disks. If i do that with a normal rod, the base is too thick and I don't like that. after a wrap or 2 or 3 I start using a normal rod.

Sonja

Amazingly enough, even though I typically make rather small beads, I find I work better with a normal size rod. I think because I pull the glass thinner or something, and the weight of the normal rod (that somehow comes into play) seems to make the coils adhere to the previous coil better. I can't explain it. :???:

And I don't make two "disks" per se...my coils, after the first two or three, extend towards each other, so it looks like I'm trying to make bead caps.

[Bubbyanne]

Oh so you didn't, my bad, it was your disks I wanted @ etsy and missed out on. So did I see them in a S&T thread then?
You use a rod to make hollows that teensy? Dang.
Okay Miss Patty Perfect when you gonna get some out there? :p

ETA: Yup it was a S&T thread. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2212537&postcount=13

Rods, and I never offered 'em in my etsy. :poke: I'm a perfectionist. ;)

[chrissij]

Oh so you didn't, my bad, it was your disks I wanted @ etsy and missed out on. So did I see them in a S&T thread then?
You use a rod to make hollows that teensy? Dang.
Okay Miss Patty Perfect when you gonna get some out there? :p

ETA: Yup it was a S&T thread. http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2212537&postcount=13

:lol: I have more disks; I just gotta' take pictures of 'em. Which means, of course, I'll be bugging Kevan. ;)

[theglasszone]

Hope it's OK to show some of mine, too (shy)!!!

These were done on a Hot Head:

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x280/theglasszone/Bead%20Photos/HollowGroup.jpg

The biggest one is about 1 3/8" :) They're also done on large mandrels 5/32" to 1/4".

De

[chrissij]

Those look great De. I wouldn't think I'd have enough radiant heat on a HotHead.

[lunamoonshadow]

ROFL @ Chrissij.
Have you SEEN Nikki's hollow Octopusses? They're HUGE & HOLLOW & DONE ON A HOTHEAD :lol: :poke:....
(duh.)
All hotheads ARE is "radiant heat" :D
(that's why I like the mini cc @ the studio & the cricket so much better than the minor--it didn't have the "fluffy flame" that the hothead had--too focused & not enough "radiant"!)

[chrissij]

Really...Wow. I'm taking my HotHead to NC for my SIL and nephews to play with. Maybe I'll rethink that. Of course, everytime I covet Amber's DSP beads, or Holly's ancient lookin' beads, I think, "Damn; I should break out the HH."