BJJunk
2007-12-15, 1:58pm
A couple of people asked for a tutorial on 4 hole buttons with my new mandrel. I got together with Tracy (Bead _Bug), we made some buttons (and some bloopers) and took a bunch of pictures. Thanks so much for your help Tracy!
97401
MANDRELS
If they are new, rough them up a little bit so that the bead release holds better. It seems to work better if you air dry rather than flame dry them, the bead release tends to crack less. Because you handle the tips of the mandrels when putting them into the handle, I’ve started wiping the bead release off of the very tip when I dip them. Again, it seems to help with the cracking (or maybe I need to get some new bead release!)
STARTING THE BUTTON
I found 2 methods for starting the buttons that seem to work well.
Method 1:
Put 3 of the mandrels into the handle and the O-ring and balance a piece or murrini or slice of glass on them where you will be making the button. (Alot of times, murrini that has white in it will devit on you)
Slide the 4th mandrel in to the handle and O-ring, being careful not to scrape the bead release on the glass.
97402
Put dots onto the murrini in the spaces between each of the mandrels.
97403
Melt the dots in and start wrapping a disc around the glass already on the mandrel. Finish and decorate as desired.
97404
Method 2
Put 4 mandrels into the handle and O-ring. Wrap a layer of glass around all 4 mandrels. (Try for a more even wrap than this picture)
97405
Melt the glass and using a sharp tool push the glass between the mandrels. Add dots of glass between the mandrels and continue pushing the glass until the center of the button is filled in.
97406
Wrap additional glass around the mandrels to build the button.
FINISHING THE BUTTON
Let the button cool a little bit.
Slide the O-Ring off of the mandrels.
97407
Push the mandrels towards the head of the handle.
Use a pair of pliers (I like bent nose pliers but any kind works) to grab one or two of the mandrels, slowly working the mandrels out of the handle. Sometimes you can just hold the handle with the button down and it almost falls out - so do it over a table) Remove the mandrels completely from the handle and put the button in the kiln.
97408
That’s it – you’re done!
97409
The third one down shows what not to do! It was not cool enough as I took it off and one of the mandrels shifted.
Making a 2 hole button is pretty much the same process – they are a little easier to start though.
Let me know if you have any questions and practise - it can be a little frustrating getting these started.
97401
MANDRELS
If they are new, rough them up a little bit so that the bead release holds better. It seems to work better if you air dry rather than flame dry them, the bead release tends to crack less. Because you handle the tips of the mandrels when putting them into the handle, I’ve started wiping the bead release off of the very tip when I dip them. Again, it seems to help with the cracking (or maybe I need to get some new bead release!)
STARTING THE BUTTON
I found 2 methods for starting the buttons that seem to work well.
Method 1:
Put 3 of the mandrels into the handle and the O-ring and balance a piece or murrini or slice of glass on them where you will be making the button. (Alot of times, murrini that has white in it will devit on you)
Slide the 4th mandrel in to the handle and O-ring, being careful not to scrape the bead release on the glass.
97402
Put dots onto the murrini in the spaces between each of the mandrels.
97403
Melt the dots in and start wrapping a disc around the glass already on the mandrel. Finish and decorate as desired.
97404
Method 2
Put 4 mandrels into the handle and O-ring. Wrap a layer of glass around all 4 mandrels. (Try for a more even wrap than this picture)
97405
Melt the glass and using a sharp tool push the glass between the mandrels. Add dots of glass between the mandrels and continue pushing the glass until the center of the button is filled in.
97406
Wrap additional glass around the mandrels to build the button.
FINISHING THE BUTTON
Let the button cool a little bit.
Slide the O-Ring off of the mandrels.
97407
Push the mandrels towards the head of the handle.
Use a pair of pliers (I like bent nose pliers but any kind works) to grab one or two of the mandrels, slowly working the mandrels out of the handle. Sometimes you can just hold the handle with the button down and it almost falls out - so do it over a table) Remove the mandrels completely from the handle and put the button in the kiln.
97408
That’s it – you’re done!
97409
The third one down shows what not to do! It was not cool enough as I took it off and one of the mandrels shifted.
Making a 2 hole button is pretty much the same process – they are a little easier to start though.
Let me know if you have any questions and practise - it can be a little frustrating getting these started.