aluminum paddle?

[ajwhite]

I have a horrible time with scorching black and cobalt blue beads when using my graphite marver. I dug out my very first aluminum marver (the one with the grooves on the other side that came with my beginner kit) and didn't get any scorching at all.

Does anyone know of a supplier that has an aluminum paddle similar to graphite paddles? Since I'm not engineering minded - I don't have a clue how to attatch a handle to my aluminum marver. I tried vice grips but that was really awkward and not stable.

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks
Audra

[InspirationToolworks]

A good welding shop (ask for aluminum tig welding) could easily tack on an aluminum handle.

-Jeff

[alexm]

Graphite is not kind to black and cobalt.

Brass works as well as the aluminum. Have you tried brass tools?

[MikeAurelius]

A problem with aluminum is that it is an excellent transferer (is that a word?) of heat -- and definately keep it out of the flame!

[ajwhite]

Hi Alex - I don't have a big enough piece of brass to be a marver. I did buy a strip of thin brass at the hardware store but it is buried under stringer bits. The brass stock I've seen is also really heavy - I want it on a handle so I can bring it closer to the torch.

I know aluminum is a heat grabber but I figured with a wood handle like my graphite marver has would protect that - maybe not. Where would one get a wood handle? :confused:

[beadmom]

I also have that aluminum marver. In order to bring it up near the flame my hubby gave me a pair of locking pliers to use. As good as a handle.

Trice

[LavenderCreek]

I'd love to find a big piece of brass too. I use my graphite marver with black, I heat it up a bit first in the flame and that seems to help. I have this problem to an even worse extent when I try to marver many of the Reichenbach colours, they get scared up and pitted really easily.

[Judi_B]

Do you think a stainless steel marver would work as well as the aluminum on the blacks and blues? If so, you could use a stainless steel pie server. I use mine all the time. If there isn't one hiding in a kitchen drawer, try the thrift shops.

[MikeAurelius]

When we make our graphite paddles, my dad takes 1.5 inch oak dowels and cuts them to the desired length, puts a radius on one end and drills and taps the other end for the mounting rod.

When they are finished, he dips them in lacquer to seal them, then sands when dry and dips again.

He uses a drop of lock tight when threading the mounting rod.

If your mounting rod is a different material, such as stainless or even cold-rolled steel, the metal difference won't transmit the heat up the rod to the handle.

Brass is by far the best overall material for working glass (next to graphite), but brass usually needs to be pre-heated, keeping it below the torch flame when not in use is a good idea. The biggest problems with brass are the cost and the weight, and a properly sized and balanced handle takes care of the weight issue.

[shawnette]

I bought a small sheet of brass (around 3" x 6") at Pearl (they also sell it at ACE) and cut it to marver size. I cut a 1/4 metal rod to the length I wanted and used my dremel with a cutting disc to put a groove/notch in the end. I placed the edge of the piece of brass in the groove and attached it with that weld stuff that comes in a tube. (You have to knead it like clay to mix it and it hardens fairly quickly). I don't have a photo of it, but it works great.

I also made parallel mashers by cutting 2 more pieces from the same sheet and sticking them to BBQ tongs:

2006


Both tools look pretty ghetto, but they were cheap and work great.

[loco]

I have 3 aluminum marver devices my DH made for me. They have an aluminum handel welded on sort of in this configuration:
______ < marver
l
l < handel
l

The tops have different size slots in them for the different size mandrels. When I'm working I put them on top of the kiln to the surface warm, the handles don't get to hot. I mostly use them for evening out the legs on my beads. They work great, but I have not used them for marvering a black bead. I'll give it a try today and report the results.

[ajwhite]

Trice - How do you get the vice grips to stay put? I tried vice grips but after using it a couple min. it went all squirrly - maybe I have crappy vice grips?

Teresa - I found lots of brass stock at my True Value hardware store - I'm sure others have it too. I found a 3x12 strip I put by my torch - but it is covered with stringer bits and other glass shrapnel - that why I need things on handles lol!

Mike - I think I blew a brain fuse - you talked about TOOLS!! I don't do tools very well - I get a twitch when I have to go to Lowes but I did just figure out how to use the angle grinder to smooth my steel bench block. My husband has a wood shop where he works so I might sick him on this. I thought I could get those handles premade. Damn. Do you know where to look for larger pieces of brass - about 4 times the size of a stump shaper?

Judi - Super duper idea with the pie server! I have never thought of it but will be trying it soon. Graphite is EVIL to black and cobalt and a few other colors. I don't use my pie server for serving pies anyway..

Shawnette - YOU ARE MY TOOL GODDESS! \\:D/ I think I could actually accomplish this! I need something thicker than the brass strip I have..eww I have to go back to the hardware store - my eye is twitching already! I can definately use JB Weld - it is my friend along with epoxy and duct tape!

Loco - could you ask your husband if he TIG welded your marvers? My husband only has MIG and has never welded aluminum which probably means he has no idea how. But if your husband used a MIG welder then I can shame my husband into learning to weld mine! :devang:

Thanks for all your great ideas!
Audra

[maddog1050]

Audra,

Timberwolf Studios has a wonderful line of stainless steel marvers. I have three of them and use them all the time. Also, I took a Michael Barley class last weekend and he uses a stainless steel Japanese cement trowel. This has a nice long surface for rolling beads. He likes the imported one because he finds the handle grip works best for him. I'm sure you could find a cement or plaster trowel in a hardware store. Just make sure there are no rivets on the face plate.

Hope this helps.

[ajwhite]

The marvers at Timberwolf are PERFECT! Pricey but perfect - I'm going to have to see if I can make one before I plunk down 50 bucks. Are all trowels stainless steel? That seems like a terrific idea - bigger and heavier than the pie server (I was just looking at mine and there isn't much wide surface area for rolling and some of my beads are really big). I wonder where he gets the imported version?

They also have stainless steel marvaring pads - YIPPIE! Now if I could find stainless steel stock like that I know my husband could make it because he has some big wicked sheet metal break out in the garage.

Where do you find stainless steel like that? I'm sorry I ignorant when it comes to metal and tools - it is just way out of my element and I think I was beaten to death at a Home Depot in a former life...

Audra

[Judi_B]

I found lots of brass stock at my True Value hardware store - I'm sure others have it too. I found a 3x12 strip I put by my torch - but it is covered with stringer bits and other glass shrapnel - that why I need things on handles lol!
Audra

Audra, a small paint brush is handy for whisking away the shrapnel and flakes of bead release that are always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I got that one from a Kate Fowle video.

[loco]

Audra, He TIG welded it. I would love to have a stainless steel one, but he is building an aluminum boat so I get toys from scraps.

[MaryBeth]

This problem was addressed in a class that I took with Jim Smircich. In order to stop your pitting warm your graphite marver briefly in the flame. This really works! Just rewarm occasionally and you are good to go!

[bolimasa]

Do you think a stainless steel marver would work as well as the aluminum on the blacks and blues? If so, you could use a stainless steel pie server. I use mine all the time. If there isn't one hiding in a kitchen drawer, try the thrift shops.

A stainless steel pie server is my favorite marver too. I bought mine for a dollar at the Dollar General.

I also like to use a a stainless steel kitchen knife to marver small beads. I stalk the thrift stores looking for old knifes with long wide blades.

[shawnette]

I was in a dollar store (Flea Market dollar store) today and saw a spatula (?) with a blade that had to be a good 8-10" long. It was about 4" wide.