Stick pin

[DreamMuse]

Hi all *smiles*

I have someone asking about making a bead into a stick pin. I've done the clutch pins before, but never really given stick pins a thought.

I've been wondering if it might be easiest to build the bead right onto a sterling pin top. (Fine silver would prob be too soft.) I know there would be firescale, but I could use pickle to remove it, right? Would that create a lot of additional stress in the bead though?

Or, is it really safer just to make the bead with the smallest mandrel, then glue it? I used to be so anti-glue, because I started jewelry design with seedbead work, and that looked horrible if you used glue. Now I'm slowly getting over it *chuckles*

[ltsexpressions]

I'd go the glue route, only b/c of my aversion to dealing with firescale! but a good glue to use is Gorilla Glue... it only takes a TINY bit though, as it expands 4x it's size and it's best to wet the pin with water before glue (somehow the water activates the glue expansion I think...)

Anyway, I'm a seedbeader 1st too and know what you mean about the glue vs. antiglue thing... but this isn't too bad... I'll see if I can dig pics of my post earrings I do w/sterling and GGlue... not too bad unless you get too much glue, then it's REALLY bad!

my .02

stacy