Hollow Beads - Cleaning?

[jaylee78]

How the heck do you get the little pieces of bead release cleaned out of hollows? I used 1/16 mandrels and I can't seem to get them to dissolve, shake out, broken up into small enough pieces to "wash" out. Help!

[Gelly]

I use a needle or piece of wire to break it up as much as possible, then shake out the pieces. When I have it, I use canned air to blow out the pieces, chunks, dust. Then, just clean the hole w/dremel as normal.

I don't get them wet until I have as much of the bead release out as I can get.

[pam]

I used to fill them with water and then blow on one end, blowing all the little pieces out. Canned air is a great substitute, and if you really get into hollow beads, you might want to purchase a WaterPik. It works great!

[Kevan]

The blowing can cause you to strain a cheek muscle. I have done this a few times. I have heard that you can get one of the bulb syringe things that they use for babies to suck snot out of their noses. Fill it with water and shoot it in there. I haven't tried it because I just never remember to buy one. lol

[jaylee78]

Thanks!

Going to try some of these tonight :biggrin:

[FiredDesires]

I just use one of the tiny jet streams on my vegetable sprayer at the kitchen sink.........however, cleaning with water pressure will leave water spots...so shake out as much water as possible after cleaning/rinsing and follow up with the canned air......Pam, I learned about the canned air idea from Maureen Kennedy when she submitted it to my tips/tricks thread...your two great minds think alike!

[e. mort]

A friend of mine uses a water pik to clean the hollows, and then follows up with canned air. If you use distilled water for the final rinse you will get a lot less spots. I just had an idea though - I wonder if adding a little bit of "Jet Dry" to the water have the same effect in preventing the spots?

Eric