Can I use broken beads again?

[robinbrown]

Ok,, I have many beads that have split in two, or I see the fracture in the bead. They are my test beads, but just hate to waste.
Can I crush them and use them as frit? Or at least until I get it right. :grin:

Thanks

[Lynn Larson]

You probably could, but you would have to get all of the release out which could be a bear. You could glue the halves on a pendant or bracelet. There was an article in one of the mags about doing that on purpose. It was very cool!

[MikeAurelius]

My studio partner cleans the bead release out, then pre-heats them in the kiln, mashes them, and makes a pendant out of them.

Waste not, want not.

[BillBrach]

My wife flattens a bottle in the kiln and glues them to that !! Makes for an interesting bit of wall art and a reminder to me about being more careful !! She's also stuck them on suncatchers. Ours usually have 12 or 14 gauge copper wire as part of the design, so you can glue both haves back to back on the wire.

[suzanne]

wow that is a cool idea! I love the bottle!

[kandice]

Use them as cabochons! If they broke exactly in half - clean the bead release and then glue them to leather or whatever and bead around them. You can create pretty hair barrettes and pendants this way.

[robinbrown]

Thanks guys...
I'm going to try some of these ideas.

Love the bottle!

[totallytorched]

I found an idea to glue them on a terracotta pot, me an dmy four yr old went out to the garage and dug all the broken ones outta the trash, we had a blast gluing them on, it is really cute too :-D



Jenni

[robinbrown]

I have a terracotta pot at home. This would be a fun project with my 3 and 7 year old.
Thanks!!!!

[MikeAurelius]

Just make sure there are no sharp edges - a diamond file can fix that quite easily.

[CLabora]

If the bead did not crack in two, just has a crack, and it is still on the mandrel you can place in the kiln while the kiln is cold, ramp the kiln up, let the bead get nice and hot and rework on the flame. Just make sure the bead has time to throughly heat and that the handle on the mandrel is out of the kiln so that it is not hot.
I have also done this with beads I had already removed from the mandrell and cleaned. I do that by dipping a mandrel in release, then make a little thick spot with release on the middle of the mandrel and letting it dry. Then slide the bead in and make another little stopper by dabbing some release on the other end, so that the bead can not fall of the mandrell/ Let the second dab dry, then place in cold kiln, ramp up and you know the rest.

Type A peronality you ask? Yes!!
Hope that helps.

[1pne]

Can anyone tell me what happens to the glass that makes it hard or impossible to crush the bead and use it as fritt ? If your not using broke beads as fritt, what are you making fritt out of? thanks penny

[BillBrach]

Hi Penny !!

It's because little bits of the bead release remain in the hole. When you try to use the broken up bead as frit, these bits of release will 'float' to the surface and possibly ruin the bead. You know how a bit of bead relase can flake off the mandrel and stick to the bead, and how difficult it is to remove. Same problem with bits of release from the hole area.

Bill

[CLabora]

Can anyone tell me what happens to the glass that makes it hard or impossible to crush the bead and use it as fritt ? If your not using broke beads as fritt, what are you making fritt out of? thanks penny


To make frit just gather a blob of glass on a rod and then squish it like a pancake with tongs, reheat and get it molten then sitck in a can of water. The glass will shatter into small pieces. Strain the bits of glass with a coffee filter. When dry, store in a closed container and there you have home made frit!

Of course you can always buy the frit from ValCox.com or Glass Diversions (don't have the name of the web site.)

[Lydia]

Hi,

I take my broken halves (when I have a bunch) and put them on kiln paper and ramp up the kiln. They really make nice cabachons. But, before I put them in the kiln, I make sure I completely clean all the bead release out. :)

[Cherine Perrin]

I keep mine for a future mosaic project. I think they would look good as a border on a tabletop mosaic. Just a thought!

Cherine