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View Full Interactive Version Of This Page : Quick Tute on Shaping Perfect Ends


Hayley
2008-06-10, 9:35am
I did this for my Perfect Bead Exchange where participants are trying to make beads that stand up on their own on both ends . . . thought I would share it here for those who may be interested.

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In order to shape the ends, you need to get the enough glass at the end in order to shape it properly.

1)
• Tilt your mandrel and heat the glass until molten and droop along the length of the mandrel.
• Imagine the bulb at the end of your mandrel as a "round/donut" shape bead, keep the mandrel rotating, slow down a bit when there is more glass on top to let gravity bring the glass towards the side with less glass

2)
• As the glass forms in a uniform manner at the end of the mandrel, slowly bring the mandrel back to more or less parallel

3)
• Heat the glass, then let it cool slightly and marver lightly tilting the mandrel . . . the glass should not be so hot that you distort the cylindrical shape

4)
• reheat a bit and marver again, repeat until the end is centered

5)
• heat again a bit and marver the end against the side of the marver

6)
• repeat 3-5 until you get the end perfect
• once you are happy with the end, heat it slightly to "soften" the hard marvered edge
• once the end is shaped, keep it warm with periodic insurance heat but never so hot that it softens the shape

7)
• do the same with the other end

NOTE: don't forget to give insurance heat to the other end . . . to know that you are giving insurance heat regularly enough, you only need to heat the other end one revolution and it show glow slightly. If not, you have waited too long.

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To check that the ends are shaped properly with the hole is centered. Rotate the bead at eye level and sight along the dotted line in the illustration against the background . . . the bead should NOT bob up and down as you rotate, indicating that thickness of glass around the hole is all the same.

ziggys
2008-06-10, 10:05am
Hi Haley, Thanks for posting this as it takes me forever to get the ends right once they get off kilter.
My biggest obstacle is #5. Then #3. But 5 is worse for some weird reason!
Every time I try to use the edge of the marver to shape, the glass is too soft and it ruins it. I just can't seem to find that perfect moment when it's soft enough but not too soft.
Sigh...PPP huh? ;-)

Hayley
2008-06-10, 10:18am
Angela . . . before you marver, let the glass cool a bit first. Start paying attention to the color of the glow . . . err of the side of waiting too long coz you can always reheat slightly and marver again.

ziggys
2008-06-11, 11:41pm
Angela . . . before you marver, let the glass cool a bit first. Start paying attention to the color of the glow . . . err of the side of waiting too long coz you can always reheat slightly and marver again.
What glow, LOL! I swear there isn't any when I use the side of the marver for the ends in step #5. Still, I will wait some more.

I am getting a better feel for the beginning marvering. It's on the too cool side now, but I'll find it yet! This is as hard as stringer control for me! :razz:

Anne Ricketts
2008-06-12, 3:54am
Great tut Haley! After taking Michael Barley's class I use a garden trough now and I can do this so much easier now! The glass likes to stick a little, not much, to the stainless steel giving you a little more control over the graphite that is slippery! Plus it's long so I can get the whole bead marvered in one roll! :grin:

playswithfire104
2008-06-12, 5:57am
Thank you so much. My issues are in steps 1 and 2 - they get way off kilter.

Anne isn't a trough great?!? Michael is a wonderful teacher.

Calypso
2008-06-12, 7:36am
Thank you so much.

GiGiC
2008-06-13, 12:30pm
Thanks for sharing this. I will have to try this tonight as barrels are such a challenge for me.

Jane P
2008-06-14, 9:51pm
Thanks Haley - that is great.
Anne - what is a "garden trough" please?

Anne Ricketts
2008-06-15, 5:07am
Here ya go! It's what the Japanese bead makers use. http://www.artcoinc.com/kote.php

Hayley
2008-06-15, 9:44am
Thank you everyone! Anyone want to show your progress? ;-)

Thanks Anne for providing the link for Jane. Do you find that the trough needs to be cooled in water often? I was going to purchase one but Malcolm said that with our torches, it does get hot.

Anne Ricketts
2008-06-15, 10:10am
It does get hot but I don't cool it off with water. I just keep using it! :grin: I haven't had it hot enought to feel the heat in the handle.

Hayley
2008-06-15, 10:53am
Thanks Anne! My sister and I are taking Kogure's workshop in August. . . I think we will come home with all kinds of fun tools . . . maybe even a volcano torch! ;-)

dehoffa
2012-04-05, 6:12pm
I'd like to PPP with this group. I'm finding the exchanges etc are improving my bead makeing. & I can use all the PPP I can get.

Dragonfly Queen
2012-04-06, 7:09pm
This is awesome! I am going to have to try this now. :)

redbutterfly
2012-10-13, 11:59am
Thank you! For us newbies that are teaching ourselves this is gold. I will have to make a chart and put it on the wall.
Renee

Hayley
2012-10-13, 1:01pm
Glad you found it helpful, Renee! :)

Dragonfly Queen
2012-10-14, 9:14pm
I'm glad this got bumped back up. Great reminder. thank you.

Bead Trixx
2012-10-14, 9:26pm
Thank you! For us newbies that are teaching ourselves this is gold. I will have to make a chart and put it on the wall.
Renee

I agree...thank you !