Boro Beads?

[Thirteenmoons]

I feel so dumb asking this... I've been using boro for my offhand stuff for awhile but I just started trying to make beads with it. Why do my 1/16 mandrels keep burning up? Is it me, the bead release, the mandrels... Help! I don't know how much longer I'll be lucky enough to not have them land in my lap! Lol!

[Cosmo]

They are too thin. They can't take the heat. I have had a little luck double dipping 1/16" mandrels, but I still melt through half of them. I primarily use 3/32" for all my mandrels now.

[Thirteenmoons]

Ok, I'll try the 3/32's then. : P Thanks!

[hotflashwanda]

Lauren,
Don't be too surprised if you burn through a few 3/32" mandrels. Just sayin' it *could* happen.:wink:
Anita
www.fireflybeads.com

[Thirteenmoons]

As long as it's not just me it's ok! Thanks!

[Venbead]

Nope lauren it's not you. I retired those 1/16 babies with the effetre!

[Mr. Smiley]

It really teaches you to keep the heat on the glass and not on the mandrel. :lol:

[hotflashwanda]

Well, Lauren, I thought of you tonight when I was making my second bead of a matched pair on a mandrel and fried through the mandrel. The bead fell in front of the torch, bounced onto the painted cement floor, rolled under a glass storage bin and started a small fire! I did save the other bead, though. #-o
Haven't done that in a while, LOL!
Anita
www.fireflybeads.com

[Over the Moon]

Thanks God you acted quickly, and saved the other bead!! Whew.....

[Mr. Smiley]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly Val. Small fires aren't good, but a suicidal bead is horrible. :lol:

[hotflashwanda]

LOL! Glad to hear I have my priorities straight!
Anita
www.fireflybeads.com

[Thirteenmoons]

Oh yeah! Beads come first before fires and first aid! Lol!!! How many times have you waited to treat a burn until after the bead is done? Lol!

[Over the Moon]

ROTFLMAO! Lots!

[Curly Irish Girl]

I've spent a most EXASPERATING afternoon at the torch!!! Burned thru 6 3/32 mandrels and 1 hollow...GRRRR~!!! Is there a "strength" or quality/number I should order for the next batch of mandrels????? Of course....I had the PERFECT combination of colors and twisties from base boro & frit....some of which are in the annealer and others are in the trash with the "bodies of mandrels" still attached!!

[baylie]

Lauren,
Don't be too surprised if you burn through a few 3/32" mandrels. Just sayin' it *could* happen.:wink:
Anita
www.fireflybeads.com
I've made maybe 65-80 mandrel beads ever, all on 3/32. I did burn thru one, I was tryin to do a tiny bead. oops.

[Mr. Smiley]

I've spent a most EXASPERATING afternoon at the torch!!! Burned thru 6 3/32 mandrels and 1 hollow...GRRRR~!!! Is there a "strength" or quality/number I should order for the next batch of mandrels????? Of course....I had the PERFECT combination of colors and twisties from base boro & frit....some of which are in the annealer and others are in the trash with the "bodies of mandrels" still attached!!

316L stainless is the best that's readily available. 308 is fine for soft glass, but sux for boro. The L is important too, it means low carbon. They will last much longer for you. ;)

[LAG]

Buy your rods at a welding shop and cut your own. Buy what Brent said.. 316L (TIG rods - for extra heat) You can save LOTS of $. Sometimes, if you bat your baby blues, they might cut them for you for a fee. Then use a grinder to knock off the burrs where they were cut...

[Tanya]

Kay - I guess my baby blues aren't what they used to be since they haven't cut any for me! The last time I was in the welding shop I checked out the different grades of welding rod. For those of you with marginally more money than time and patience to cut rod, I believe the mandrels Sundance carries are the 316L. You can also buy them in bulk lots of a pound or two, which saves a bit over buying them by the dozen. I've been able to use the 5/64" mandrels so long as I'm careful. This is between the 3/32" and the 1/16". I haven't been able to find them anywhere but Sundance.

[lluviabrito]

I just wanted to add that I only use 1/16" mandrels, they are 316L, and I have only burnt through 2 rods in over 2 years... maybe because I am only using an OG-15 for oxy and the inner flame of my Barracuda? you can use 1/16" if you want, personally I love the small holes, it is just a matter of keeping the mandrel out of the flame.

LLuvia Brito
www.lluviabrito.com

[Over the Moon]

Nice to see you posting over here, Lluvia! Love your work...Welcome!!

[LAG]

I envy anyone that has the patience to use the 1/16 mandrels!!! I know most jewelery designers like the smaller holes...

[Karen Hardy]

Mike has some super duper tough mandrels on his site that are great for boro. I have yet to burn through one of these.

http://www.auralens.net/bs_mandrels.cfm

[gennym]

Yes - I bought his mandrels and they've been great. I was using the welding rods but didn't grind them so they'd be smooth and quite a few beads got stuck. I can use the thinner mandrels but have to be so careful that it's not worth the time - and one second of inattention and there they go! That's why we should always wear an apron or something to catch the glass before it burns through clothing. Now I melt the entire section of glass until it's really soft - and wrap it all at once around the mandrel and shape it versus heating-wrapping-heating-wrapping - that's how I burned through so many mandrels when I started (I work on a lynx so it could take forever). This way I don't have to spend much time shaping the beads and it saves time and mandrels. Just keep your eye and the heat on the glass not on the mandrel and you'll be fine.

[AdamCotter]

I use stainless welding rods,3/32 and 1/8,

i went right from a hot head to a major burner and melted evey mandrel i had in a day.

keep the mandrel completely out of the flame, just use the bottom edge of the flame on the glass, the heat radiates thru, i think, '

and i put a dab of glass at the end of the mandrel, like a little cap, before making each bead, helps kep the ends from pitting, especially if you don't grind them smooth

[Thirteenmoons]

Adam, I think you should get a reward for digging this old thread up from 4/27/06! Lol! Crazy! I haven't fried a mandrel in an awful long time but I do get the pitting at the end that makes it hard to get the bead off. That's a good tip about the glass at the end. I'll have to try that. Thanks!

[nagibeads]

Thanks so much for bringing this thread up!
I was wondering why my new 1/16ths are burning out like crazy!
Sure enough, the old ones are 316L....new ones are 308L

[Mr. Smiley]

If you can find 320L, get it! It's even better. :D

[Thirteenmoons]

Thanks Brent! I'll have to look for that! ;)

[nagibeads]

If you can find 320L, get it! It's even better. :D

woohooie!
Thanks Brent!

[squid]

I just bought a 10 lb package of 316L from a guy on ebay and he sent me 308L instead. He has promised to correct it and I am glad I insisted after reading this, since I will be doing boro with them.