Tips placing cz's

[BlackRiverBeads]

I am wanting to start incorporating cz's in my beads, but haven't figured out a way to get those little things into the bead. Could someone give me some tips on how they manage to get then placed correctly.
Thanks

[Kikki]

Use a tiny amount of white glue and glue the cz to a thin mandrel. This way you can use the mandrel as a poker and push the cz down into the bead.
The white glue will burn off and doesn't leave any residue.

[suzanne]

Kiki will the white woodglue work?
Suzanne

[Kikki]

Hi Suzanne, I think it will. I use something that is called school glue, made by Casco, and I suspect it is the same stuff as the wood glue. Only in smaller and more expensive bottles...

[kbinkster]

I don't use glue. I took a class from Kim Miles a couple of years ago to learn how to do this. Here is what I do (which may vary from what Kim did/does):

*I heat the spot where I want the cz to go.

*I use a poker and push straight into the bead - not too deep, not too shallow.

*I have my czs laying face down.

*I take my tweezers and with my palm facing up, pick up a cz by the edge of the face.

*I then have the cz in the right position in my tweezers.

*Then, I carefully drop the cz into the hole I poked.

*I hit it with some heat and use the tweezers to push the cz in good.

*I then heat around the edge where the glass and cz meet, to get the glass to cover the edge of the cz just a little bit.

*Then, I cover with a clear lens. You probably don't have to do this if you don't want to. But, if you're making an encased floral, you will.

I-I-I-I-I --> so many I's it sounds funny to me - like "Aye, aye, aye!" Anyway, I sure hope this helps. It's important to get the initial hole going straight down towards the center of the bead/mandrel (not off to the side).

[Moth]

I drilled a small (less than a millimeter deep) tapered hole in the side of my graphite paddle. I scoot the CZ into that divot so that the point is down and the flat side is straight up and level. I heat the tip of a clear stringer, then come straight down on top of the flat part of the CZ. By putting it into that divot in my paddle, I can bring it up to a comfortable viewing level.

After the CZ is attached to the clear stringer, I flash that in and out of the flame. The clear glass will start to cradle around the CZ and will hold it very securely until you are ready to use it.

I make up a dozen or so of these in advance and keep them CZ-up in my stringer cups. That way, even on a whim, I can grab one and use the stringer itself to poke the CZ down into the molten glass base. One of the other benefits to this method is the built in drop of clear you achieve by snapping or melting off the stringer after the CZ is adhered.

~~Mary

[Dreamcloud Designs]

Mary-that is very clever. :cool:

I've been using the Elmer's glue method and need to burn off the glue residue before encasing the CZ. Your method surrounds the CZ on the flat side with glass which I'll bet also means less chance of trapping air bubbles.

Great tip! :grin: ~Leiza

[ltsexpressions]

there you go again with the kewl ideas Mary!!!

woohoo 4 us to have U!!!