Lentil-tab with dot trimmings by JC

[JCHerrellGlass]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/t.jpg
I made a tutorial on this bead for another group but thought I would share it here.

Before you start pick out your colors: Base color, decoration color (like flowers or squiggles) and dot boarder color. You’ll want to pull your dot color into stringer. I like a thicker stringer, like 2-4 mm. Reading through this tutorial will help you select your colors, too.

I also use the Osibin Lentil Shaper (Arrow Springs $24 or so) for this bead. You could also use a tab press.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/P7121095.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/P7121094.jpg

[JCHerrellGlass]

First, make a footprint for the bead as wide as you will want the finished bead to be. I’ll be using a wonderful light transparent color for the base of this bead. It is from Checklosovakia and a light smoky topaz. You can use any color you wish. Transparent colors will tend to show some of the plunge work you do on the bead (I’ll be making plunged flowers) and any bubbles that may be trapped in the bead. You can get around this by either etching the final bead (which I’ll do) or by using a dark transparent.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/a.jpg

Add glass, in layers, until you have your desired shape. If you make your bead long and olive shaped, the finished bead will be more circular. This is the shape I will use. A round bead at this stage will finish as a bead that is taller than it is wide.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/c.jpg

If you have the Osibin Lentil Shaper, you can also use this tool to make a nice even oblong bead.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/b.jpg

This is where you will add any surface design to the bead like squiggles or flowers. I’ll add flowers with 3 and 5 petals. The first layer in the petals is avocado. If you used a transparent base color, be sure to use an opaque color against it, or you will loose the effect, especially when you start to form the bead and stretch it out of shape.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/d.jpg

I added a layer of transparent Root Beer glass to each of the Avacado dots to add depth to the final flower.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/f.jpg

[JCHerrellGlass]

After heating the bead until the surface was smooth, I poked the center of each flower to bring the petals together.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/g.jpg

After poking the flower, I applied heat directly to the “hole”, encouraging the glass to gather dramatically.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/h.jpg

Heat the bead to working temperature (so it is soft and malleable). GENTLY press one side into the lentil shaper. The size of your bead will determine which indent you use on the shaper. Use the one that is closest to the size of your bead.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/i.jpg

Now heat the other side of your bead until soft, and then gently press the bead into the shaper. It is important to remain gentle as you work through this process. If you press too hard you will break your mandrel release. When this happens you will no longer be able to form the bead.

You’ll need to repeat the process of heating and forming one side until the other until you achieve the desired thickness and shape. As you work to form the bead the width will increase, but only slightly.

Avoid shaping the bead too flat in order to maintain structural strength. If you desire a thin bead use a 1/16” mandrel or other small size. I like to work on a 3/32” mandrel and my beads are usually about 11-13 mm (1/2”) thick, leaving about 6/32” of glass on each side of the mandrel. Having less than then 3/32” of glass on each side of the mandrel (or a bead less then 7 mm thick) would make a very weak bead.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/j.jpg

To give your bead a nice round shape and flat edge, start by heating the edge of your bead until soft. Then shape it by rocking it gently back and forth across the largest concave indent on the lentil shaper.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/k.jpg

This last step will help you achieve a nice crisp edge on the bead that will assist you in placing the dot boarder neatly.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/n.jpg

Once you have formed the bead to your liking, fire polish each surface. Be sure to avoid flipping the bead in the flame while fire polishing, to keep crisp edges. Fire polishing is an important step in achieving a nice clean look for your bead.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/m.jpg

For the dot border, use an opaque glass pulled into stingers. I like to work with stringer about 2 –3 mm wide. If you choose black for the dot boarder, be sure to use intense black, so it won’t look purple around the edges.

Placing dots straight and even takes some practice. First, grab a piece lined paper, like from a notebook. Try drawing a straight line by drawing a line on top of the blue lines to practice. By looking slightly ahead of where your pen is, your line will be straighter. On your bead, do the same thing by placing dots on the crisp edge you created and be sure to control where you are looking.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/o.jpg

While placing these dots, I work just above the flame where the bead will stay warm, and the stinger won’t get out of control. After touching the molten stringer to the bead, (still holding the bead just above the flame) the stringer will separate nicely from the bead as you pull it back from the bead and dip the stringer into the flame to “cut” the glass. When I say “cut” I mean flame cut – no scissors here, please.

I also find that having rhythmic music playing loudly in my headphones helps quite a bit! Making sure that your dots are evenly space and are roughly the same size requires a rhythm. Keep your stringer and bead in the same place relative to the flame until you have completed the circle, even while turning the bead to maintain a crisp edge in your line of vision.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/p.jpg

After placing all the dots on one side use a sharp, tight flame to fully fuse the dots into the bead. Be sure to aim the flame into the base of the dot both on the front surface and the narrow side to assure a full fuse. Begin the second side of dots only after fully fusing the first and then repeat the process for the second side.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/q.jpg

Here is the fully formed bead:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/s.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/r.jpg

Because the light transparent base color does not hide the inclusions from poking at the centers of the flowers, I’ve chosen to give the bead an acid bath. This is an optional step. Follow the instructions for your particular brand of etching solution. Here is the bead after etching:


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/jcherrellglass/BHV%20Class/t.jpg

[Jude Rose]

Cool toot! Thanks, JC!

[Gwenlori]

Thanks so much for sharing Im gonna try this.

[Nicker]

JC you are a doll! I am going to print this and try it towmorrow. Thanks loads \\:D/

[Slaterville]

Great tutorial JC................I rated it 5 stars!

Penny

[yeepers]

That's so cool how you can achieve that perfect tab shape with just a lentil shaper and freehanding it. I can barely do it with a tab press :D

Awesome!

-Yee

[JCHerrellGlass]

Well thank you, guys! Good luck and I hope to see what you all make!

Yee, I can barely use a press either! :wink:

JC

[Lara]

Very pretty. I haven't see one of the Osibin Lentil shapes being used, so your tutorial was very helpful.

Lara

[Jamn!]

JC
Those are pretty beads! Thanks so much for this tutorial!
I cannot believe you use Kim's tool for this! That's incredible and an amazing use of her tool!

[Rhapsody Fire Beads]

I love you JC!!!! That is such a well written tutorial!!! Thank you!

~Suzy~

[JCHerrellGlass]

Thank, guys. I love using a tool in everyway I can. I'm really glad you found the tutorial useful.

And Suzy... I love you, too!!!!!!

JC

[Mr. Smiley]

This girls got skills. ;) Thanks JC!

[dhare09]

OK...I kow this is an old post but that bead is absolutely stunning. Thans for sharing the tutorial!

[Max Hardcastle]

Pre-tutorial:

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/4642/lentil007gq3.jpg

Post-tutorial:

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/9307/lentil009uw3.jpg

The blue and yellow are without using my lentil mold at all.... I think it's time to sell those useless molds on eBay! lol...

Thanks so much for posting this.... I can finally make a lentil! =)

[Sharon Abood]

Thank you JC. Great Tut. I will be trying this one soon. Your bead is gorgeous as always.

[ziggys]

Hi! Just saw this for the first time. I love your detailed directions. Sometimes there isn't enough "how to" in a tutorial for me to get it right. :-)

Thanks for sharing, and taking the time to do this!

[cadia]

Thanks JC!
Very nice tut!!

[Jgiovacchini]

Great tutorial

[JCollie]

Great Tutorial. Thank you for sharing.

Janet

[beybey]

Beautiful bead and great tutorial. Thanks, JC.

[theglasszone]

JC:

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This answers a long-time question I've had running in my mind!!! (Of course, I could have done the "experiment" thing and answered my question, but since torch time is so hard to come by, I was plain chicken and stubborn!)

My question was, basically, "WHEN YOU SEE SHAPED OR PRESSED BEADS THAT HAVE FLOWERS AND/OR OTHER DECORATION THAT SEEMS TO MOLD/MELD WITH THE SHAPE OF THE BEAD, IS THE DECORATION/DOT FLOWERS ETC. APPLIED BEFORE SHAPING? WOULDN'T THEY SMEAR?"

You're photos say it all!!! I so appreciate you sharing this technique with us!!! I'm gonna have to try it!

~De

[volkanokaren]

Thank you for the great tut, so much appreciated.

Karen
Volkano Exotik