what press do you prefer

[PerfectDeb]

my first poll - be kind

and yes, i do think this might have been done before but there are so many new ones available.

i've decided to lash out and buy some presses - i stuck some questions in the tips section but i really need some concrete input, presses are expensive!

so, what should i start with? i do want a lentil (a biggish one) and i'd like a square and one of the crunch ones, but what do you guys think is ideal to start out with and what brands do you like most?

[artsyuno]

I find those that can be used with varying amounts of glass to be the easiest to use -- Cattwalk crunch, Jim Moore Lentil, Jim Moore Pillow Press.

[gubnavnania]

I love my Cattwalk's lentil, crunch and button.
Crunch is the easiest to use.

[ChaseDesigns]

Can't live without my Cattwalk button press.

Though my CG disk beadroller is coming in a close second these days.

[CarolS]

Zoozii Kalera XL.:love:

[PerfectDeb]

Zoozii Kalera XL.:love:

thats on my wish list :)

[andreajane]

Cattwalk lentil. I have maybe eight presses and that's the only one I use regularly.


Andrea

[Teri.p]

Zoozii's Lentil and Straight-Sided-Lentil are my faves

[Amethyst_briolette]

Lentil, and the crystal. I also like the zoosiis tab and raindrops.

[PerfectDeb]

Zoozii's Lentil and Straight-Sided-Lentil are my faves

i like the idea of the straight sided lentil

[stephl]

Straight sided lentil is lovely and easy to use too

I just got Corina's smallest bead shaper and that has not left my hand for 10 days straight now:grin:

I must admit I really like the crystal and nugget too ( zooziis)

On my wish list now is a large lentil


Oh and the cattwalk tube marver has many uses as well

[Maria Louisa]

I'd go for a Straight Sided Lentil if I were you.
Wonderful shape and very easy to use.

[patienthand]

I love my big cattwalk lentil for focals, and the small 3 pillow press because it lays nicely on a wrist. The smaller lentils lay nicely on a wrist too, but my CG rtoller is getting a LOT of use these days and I want another one and another one...

Candice

[BellaBean]

I love my Zooziis straight sided lentil!!!!!!

[bclogan]

I use my Zoozii Straight Sided Lentil and the Kalera XL all the time.

Next favorite is the Special Nugget.

Then the Medium Plus Duo.

[mtarara]

I find Zooziis Nuggets (all sizes) the easiest to use and love the shape on bracelets. I also like my Zooziis straight sided slim lentils.
Mary T.

[Sue H-K]

I love my Zoozii's lentils (all the sizes) and the straight sided lentil and Kalera the most. I like the feel of all of those beads in bracelets and necklaces...they are slim and comfy to wear and I like that!

[Lisi]

I got a custom made press from Coon Valley on ebay, and this one has the crunch/squeeze in two sizes. I got it custom made because I wanted mine to be thicker at 8mm rather than the 6mm in other crunch/squeeze presses out there.

[alb6094]

Cattwalk button, dual crunch, and elongated crystals....when they can pull me away from my cgbeadrollers which is less and less these days, I :love: my beadrollers.

[rusticstudio]

Zoozii's straight sided lentil, then the Zoozii's Kalera. I like to get the trio and a larger one.

[JetAge Studio]

Aw Deb, yer gonna have fun with your press(s)! :)

I think my first "press" was actually a patty masher from ABR. I just made a barrel type bead and mashed it to the flattish focal shape I wanted. Worked really well, and I'm a stubborn artists and didn't want to change a thing, that was a year ago. Then decided to get some of the tong style mashers....which are still ok, but still pretty loose in shape. I wanted a more "defined" shape, so I got a catwalk lentil which is 1.25", and it took forever for me to warm up to but I'm soo in love with it. It's a little intimidating getting the shape and quantity of glass on that mandrel, but once you do some tests, you get the hang of it. Then I recently got a Zoozii xl Kalera that I'm loving too, I kinda wish it was just a tad wider and/or maybe a little skinnier but it's still a really nice focal. It's tricky, heck so was the lentil at first, but I love love love it. I just ordered a custom 1.75" skinny-ish lentil from David at Coon Valley and I'm anxiously awaiting it's completion. Yeah, that's gonna be a big one. :)

I'm always surprised how "big" the beads turn out compared to what the first impression is of the press, even the itty bitty ones on the trio set I have. Just have some fun!!

[PerfectDeb]

i've never heard of Coon Valley - i'll go and google it

[ellyloo]

I LOVe lentils--but for the life of my I can't use a press right. Practice practice, I know... *sigh*

[claybraes]

I'd go for a Straight Sided Lentil if I were you.
Wonderful shape and very easy to use.

Yep and sit well too

I love the crystal press.

[AutEvDesigns]

I have a few and my current favorite is Zooziis crystal duo, followed by the XL thin Kalera (which I use as a crunch - I think random crunch shapes are more appealing than the actual rectangle shape of the press). I also like the straight sided lentil.

The only brass presses that have frustrated me are the ones that are symmetric around the mandrel - discs, rounds. IMO a graphite roller or marble mold would be better for those.

[SassyGlass9]

I have quite a few presses, but find I only use three of them! The Zoozii's straight sided lentil in size Large+ is my go-to lentil. It's an inch across, so a good sized lentil, but I make big beads, so the size is perfect for me.

I also use the heck out of my Cattwalk Crunch press - I think I have the Wide #2. They are all good, it just depends on how fat a bead you want.

The other press I use constantly isn't a specific shaped press - which is why I love it so much! Very forgiving, as you can use any size or shape gather in it. It's the Tabulator. Basically, a much nicer version, imo, of a pair of hand held mashers. The beauty of it is you can vary the thickness of the press and your beads by adding little "tiles" to the sides, thus changing the depth of the press. It is wonderful for any shape bead that you want flattened a bit.

I have a bunch of other presses sitting here collecting dust. Someday, I will either force myself to start using them, or - more likely - post them in the garage...

[stacied]

I will second Coon Valley presses! They are sturdy, easy to use and cost less than other presses. I love my huge focal lentil and would never give it up.

[PerfectDeb]

i asked this in the other thread - is there a square or rectangle with an off centre hole for making pendants?

[stephl]

Zoozis has an unflippable one, but it uses curved mandrels

http://www.zooziis.com/unflippable.aspx

have no idea how difficult it would be to

a: wind glass on a curved mandrel
b: how hard it is to get off mandrel

Deb btw on the Aussie Beadmakers Guild Forum there has been set up a brass press llibrary for Aussies

http://forum.aussiebeadmakers.com/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=705

[PerfectDeb]

Zoozis has an unflippable one, but it uses curved mandrels

http://www.zooziis.com/unflippable.aspx

have no idea how difficult it would be to

a: wind glass on a curved mandrel
b: how hard it is to get off mandrel

Deb btw on the Aussie Beadmakers Guild Forum there has been set up a brass press llibrary for Aussies

http://www.zooziis.com/unflippable.aspx

i saw the curved one - thats not what i want :(

yeah, someone sent me an email from ABM with a link to that but for some reason i cant log in and when i ask for a new password nothing happens - weird :-k

[Purity]

Hi Deb, I haven't had any emails regarding a new password for the AGBG forum. If you wanna email me with your username I will fix it straight away for you.

[sansan239s]

Hi Deb..... My vote would be any press from Coonvally. I have the round, diamond, custom large lentil and crunch presses made by David @ CoonVally and they are all wonderful. The craftmanship is exceptional, customer service is top rated, quick delivery and ya can't beat the prices. When I say custom, I mean "CUSTOM"!! You name the size, like my large lentil press in which I gave him the measurements of what size I wanted my final lentil to be and VIOLA!!

http://shop.ebay.com/coonvallybpresses/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

As a matter of fact, Coonvally has 15 various tools and presses available on ebay with "NO' bids @ exceptional prices. I just might have to add a couple presses to my inventory.

Now, my Zoozii's multi mini-size lentil press works just as well but wish the prices were lower.

Ya have to watch out because press purchasing can get quite addictive. I just wish I knew where I could purchase a special rake for these brass beauties. Have fun and as Corina T. says "May the flame be with you" heehee!!!

[PerfectDeb]

well you just convinced me, i just bid on one of coon valleys lentil presses - thats a really good price!!

i might see if they can do the square one i want