? on blowtube- brass ok?

[x_phoenician]

Ok, I bought 2 steel tubes for blowing shards and making vessels- $6 a piece seems pricey to me but it was first time I bought them. I was in craft store the other day and saw some smaller diameter brass tubes for A LOT Less $$$.

So my question is- what's the difference? I haven't tried the brass tube yet because I don't know what I'm doing and would rather not end up with singed lips. Is there any good reason why I can't use the brass tubing? It's used for presses so it made sense to me at the time that it would be ok for blowing vessels.

Thanks in advance,
Tracy

[Kalera]

When I first tried blowing knobs several years ago, I tried with brass and copper tubing... but I found two major drawbacks immediately. It conducts heat very rapidly, and so is difficult to work with, and it softens in the flame, so when you remove your bead it's impossible to not bend and ruin it for future uses. Oh, there's a third drawback; the melting point is quite low, and you can burn it in two very easily. I would advise spending the money on pre-cut hollow mandrels, or buy 3-foot lengths of stainless steel brakeline tubing and cut it yourself.

[Tink]

Kalera is right. I've tried everything for blowing since day one at the torch. Stainless Steel is best. $6 is a pretty darn good price, too. Most of them out there are $8+. Because of the rising cost of steel, expect those prices to go up, too, once a maker's current stock of tubing runs out. I try to price mine lower than anyone, but it looks like I will have to raise it to $6 when I order steel next month.

[bolimasa]

Is there a metals supermarket near you? (http://www.metalsupermarkets.com)
That's where I bought mine. I asked for stainless tubing in 1/4 inch (and a couple other diameters). They cut them for me and I didn't pay more than $2-3 per 10 inch mandrel

[Tink]

I keep praying we'll get one here. *swoon*

[x_phoenician]

Thank you Kalera, Tink and Bolimasa!