Need help to put my gator together

[PaulaP]

Hi Newbie here I made some gators on my hot head and had to make the head separate from the body but trying to wire them together the body and head just keep rolling around. I haven't a clue what I am doing.

I know allot of the professional lamp artist on here make two part beads and was hoping someone would share their technique. I was hoping to give this as a gift to my son. He has a Cajun restaurant in east Texas called Swampi's and a gator is his mascot. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

89130

[Jackson River Glass]

I just have to say that your gators are so cute! Nice job - love them!

[PaulaP]

I just have to say that your gators are so cute! Nice job - love them!

Thank You for the compliment. By any chance you wouldn't know what I could do to keep them from rolling around....lol

[Lea Zinke]

I think most folks use those little crystal-set rondells that mimic the look of a collar. Wired tightly enough, they're going to sit tightly for you!

HTH,
Lea

[Three Muses Glass]

Oh how cute are they?!? I've used flat bali spacers but the heads still move a bit. You could try rubber o-rings. They have small ones at HD and Lowes. Might work.

[playswithfire104]

Maybe a beadcap? May look like a a I don't know. Do you make any jewelry? Try playing around with different spacers and stuff. Maybe you will stumble on something.

I'll tell you what though, if you're a newbie making gators like that I ought to hang up torch! They're great!!!

[Jackson River Glass]

I've seen the crystal set rondelles used a lot, as well as the Bali spacers - I have some of the rondelles here if you want me to pop a few in an envelope for you.

I do mostly boro, and use thicker mandrels. To keep my beads from moving around too much on bracelets or whatever, I slide small silver round beads inside the hole. I am doubting you use mandrels that big, but thought I'd throw that out for whatever it's worth. If you string them on thick enough wire and do it tight enough, I would think it would stop the head from wiggling but I could be wrong. I've also heard of people poking a bit of that craft foam into the holes to stop beads from wiggling around.

Regardless, show us those cute gators when you're done!

[stereoette]

those are some stinkin' cute gators... if it wouldnt ruin them, you could always use a smidgen of glue?

[2kids&atorch]

TierraCast has a line of products for large hole beads...I LOVE their beadliners. Basically they are like a Bali daisy-spacer, but they have a small protrusion that comes out of one side to fit inside the opening of your bead, they keep the bead centered on your thread or wire. Or you can buy some glass glue and glue them together before you mount them on whatever type of wire you are using.

[squid]

You can also use those silicone earring backs - I cut the widest part off and the body left fits perfectly in a 3/32" hole.

[Bluejeangirlnc]

Here's a link to Diane's etsy store so you can see the bead aligners that 2kids mentioned: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35302567

I wonder if you could use that rubber tubing that I've seen used on memory wire but in your case slipped over the headpin to hold the beads still. Make sense?

[SilverReflections]

As Squid mentioned above, I use the silicone earring backs too if I don't want the bead to rotate around. I also like a flat washer style bead between the head and body of the dragon I did in a similar manner. Good luck with them, they are wicked cute and I admire anyone with the patience to do that on a hothead.

Tina

[PaulaP]

WOW! This is such a great place. So many great suggestions I would never have thought these ideas on my own. And the compliments coming from so many experienced lamp workers means so much to me especially being a newbie.

Thank You so much going to check out the sites and ideas to see what I can come up with.