Mandrels smaller than 1/16"???

[LyndaJ]

I was at a bead show this weekend, and saw beads by MothLady (I think). They were the smallest things I had ever seen. Complete cats, dogs horses, birds, angels... all smaller than my pinkie nail. She wasn't at her stand when I saw the beads, but the mandrel hole was even smaller than 1/16 from the look of it.

So, anybody heard of mandrels smaller than 1/16?

[RSimmons]

Arrow Springs has 2 sizes smaller than 1/16th. I think that the smallest is something like 1/29. They are REALLY tiny, but if you can manage them they are great for making little bity ear ring parts.

Robert

[Amybeads]

I wonder how you could clean out the holes. What's tiny enough to work?

Amy

[RSimmons]

First, use a thin layer of release and don't over heat. I use the tip end of a narrow tapered diamond bit on my rotary tool and work gently from both ends. I will also run the mandrel back and forth under water to get the middle bits. They aren't easy to use or clean, but you do get very narrow holes that will fit 26 ga. wire pretty well.

Robert

[LyndaJ]

Wow. think how long a pound of glass must last!! Don't they melt through easily?

[RSimmons]

They will melt very easily, so you have to use careful heat control and a small flame. Once you get the hang of it they aren't too bad. I'll try to remember to photograph some of the thing's we've made with these mandrel and post them here tomorrow.

Robert

[Kim V]

Amy,
I usually keep a bunch of the smaller diameter mandrels ready for when I want to make a couple of earring beads to match a set or a focal. You can get diamond drill bits small enough here http://lopacki.com/drills/
HTH,

I wonder how you could clean out the holes. What's tiny enough to work?

Amy

[DesertDreamer]

That was my pal Mothwoman (http://www.mothwoman.com/) (Joan Eckard) you met! I don't know if she's doing it anymore, but she used to MAKE her own mandrels cuz she couldn't find commercial stock small enough for what she wanted. She is the GODDESS of heat control!!!!! She's great about helpful info, so you can always ask her stuff.

[Amybeads]

Thanks Robert and Kim!
I will have to get some of those drill bits in all the sizes!

Amy

[wildfirelauri]

That was my pal Mothwoman (http://www.mothwoman.com/) (Joan Eckard) you met! I don't know if she's doing it anymore, but she used to MAKE her own mandrels cuz she couldn't find commercial stock small enough for what she wanted. She is the GODDESS of heat control!!!!! She's great about helpful info, so you can always ask her stuff.

If I remember right, Joan used piano wire for her mandrels at one time. (This was awhile ago, and I may be having a "duh" moment.) Either way, her teenie-tiny beads are packed with detail.

[Tink]

The very first lampwork bead in my collection was one of Joan's tiny cows. It was a gift, and I treasure it.

Kim is so right about the Daniel Lopacki bits. LOVE THEM. They are very high quality, too, and seem to last forever.

[beadsoncypress]

Buy mandrels??? I just go to my welding supply store and buy stainless welding rod for $6.00 a pound and cut them to length (then wire brush the ends) Oh, some will actually cut them to length for you! All that at $6.00 a pound. There is a wide variety of sizes. I've used down to 3/32 but burned thru a bunch before I got the hang of it and they bend really easy when you take the beads off....

[RSimmons]

These photos aren't what you'd call great, but they give you the idea of size for these small mandrels. I keep a pot of them all ready to go just in case I need a matching set of small beads to accompany a focal.

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