Please give me some suggestions

[rosebud101]

As you can see from the photo, these beads are hopelessly stuck on the mandrels. :-({|=
Here's what I've done so far.
1) soaked them in plain water
2) soaked them in water with glass cleaner
3) soaked them in water with Efferdent
4) soaked them in water with CLR
5) soaked them in water with WD-40
6) soaked them in water with # 5 & 6
7) soaked them in ice water
8) put them in the freezer over night
9) used my heavy duty pliers to twist in all of the above
10) soaked them in warm water.
11) used them as plant pokes for a day.

I'm out of ideas. Does anyone have any suggestions? Help! Thanks.

125938

[WildatHeart]

Are you trying to save the beads, or just the mandrels at this point?

Beth

[MaryBeth]

Place the tip on the mandrel (the tip with the bead) against a concrete floor.
Take a hammer and tap the end of the mandrel (non-bead) side that is facing you. (I actually use the side of my big pliers.)

It will appear that nothing happens, but keep tapping (fairly vigorously - but not enough to bend the mandrel). After doing this for maybe 10 taps try twisting the bead. If it is not loose repeat the tapping.

I've been amazed at how well this works. Eventually, you will go to twist the bead and it will turn and come off just like magic. The vibrations from the tapping will loosen the bead.

[Kevan]

Those are shapes that should come off rather easily. It's easier to get a grip on them and torque them off. I always use a paper towel in my hand that's doing the twisting.

[Mr. Smiley]

If a bead is stuck, please wrap it in a rag of some sort while you twist. The beads may break and the cut from that much pressure is normally a deep one. :love:

All good suggestions so far. Good luck!

[rosebud101]

Thanks so much! I will give each of your suggestions a try!
Beth, the madrels are secondary to me. I'm trying to save the beads!

[WildatHeart]

I had to put the mandrel in a vice and work the beads off on some of my first ones made in a class. Might try a vice to hold the mandrels.

Good luck!
Beth

[Karen Hardy]

What bead release are you using?

I've been using Fusion, and I have NEVER had
a stuck bead.

[rosebud101]

I switched to Alice's. I've heard it's good, but I'm not sure I had it thick enough.

[skyberrys]

Soaking in Cola perhaps? I had majorly stuck beads once and that did get one of them off. The others broke :(

[Three Muses Glass]

I think it was Shari that recommended soaking in water with a dryer sheet, those fabric softener thingies, in the water for stuck on beads. I did try it on a few and had some success. Not a 100% but better than nothing.

[klcbeads]

I'd second tapping the rods on concrete floor. I've had difficult ones come off that way. If they still didn't come off I'd get so mad at them I'd shock them off the rod, of course destroying the bead. Whenever I used that size mandrel I was always getting beads stuck on the rods, but when I switched to a smaller sized mandrel they don't stick.

[LyndaJ]

Well, if you give up on getting them off
1) snip the mandrel off about the top of the bead.
2) snip all but ~6" off the bottom of the mandrel
3) sharpen the bottom on a grinder

Then you will have some beautifully decorated stainless picks, useful for raking and such.

[rosebud101]

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the help!

[Spookyjewel]

WD40 or similar? Spray it one bead holes and leave for a while. It's worth a try1

[Imzadi]

Well, if you give up on getting them off
1) snip the mandrel off about the top of the bead.
2) snip all but ~6" off the bottom of the mandrel
3) sharpen the bottom on a grinder

Then you will have some beautifully decorated stainless picks, useful for raking and such.

Could they be turned into ice tea swizzle sticks since the mandrels are stainless steel?

Or if the mandrels could be pounded flat, turn them into bookmarks. Then the ones with the cross could be placed in bibles on bedside tables.

BTW, OP, I really like the heart bead. :) Good Luck!

[rverk47]

whatever you do don't ask your husband for help..i asked him to get a bead off the other night and shortly after he brought me a busted bead and a mangled mandrel..he meant well!!

[honey*bee]

Well from the pics it appears that there is no bead release at all. I use sludge plus and it works pretty good. After they cool I soak them for at least 15min and then hold the bead with a soft cloth and the mandrel with vise grips and twist the beads off.

[Imzadi]

Well from the pics it appears that there is no bead release at all.

She soaked them several times already so the bead release has already come off the exposed sections of the mandrel. Plus she did say she used a bead release.

[Max Hardcastle]

I think the tapping might be the key! I have been making tube beads on 1/8" mandrels and I take my vice grips, tap the excess bead release off, then just twist them off! I noticed the tapping helped a lot and it was a complete accident too since I was just getting the excess bead release off. Another thing I've noticed with beads is that if I leave them on the mandrel for a while it becomes increasingly hard to take them off! I tend to batch anneal (work the bead, cool in fiber blanket, then anneal a lot at once) and in the beginning I saved the beads on the mandrels which was a pretty bad idea!

Good luck!!!

[SuzyQ]

Here is my tried and true method. Drill a mandrel sized hole through a scrap piece of lumber (like a piece of a 2x4) Hang the hole piece of it off the end of a table. Drop your bead/mandrel in the hole. Using a hammer tap with increasing strength on the top of the mandrel. You can hold the mandrel above the bead to keep it steady so you don't bend it. Eventually it will budge. If you didn't bend the mandrel, you will even get it off. :)

[Karen Hardy]

Plant stakes.

[squid]

Here is my tried and true method. Drill a mandrel sized hole through a scrap piece of lumber (like a piece of a 2x4) Hang the hole piece of it off the end of a table. Drop your bead/mandrel in the hole. Using a hammer tap with increasing strength on the top of the mandrel. You can hold the mandrel above the bead to keep it steady so you don't bend it. Eventually it will budge. If you didn't bend the mandrel, you will even get it off. :)

yes yes yes - this is a 100% fail proof method :)

[Sarabella]

I have squeezed a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap (Joy I can speak for, but not other brands) on both ends of the bead & mandrel, then soaked in water bath for approximately the time it takes to savor a cup of coffee. Remove from bath, wash off soap and dry. Holding the mandrel with vicegrips, or my favorite - robogrips - about 1/4 inch from the bead, wrap the bead in a piece of thin rubber (like the jar grips used to open jars). Test the bead to see which way if any it wants to turn including further onto the mandrel. I use my mandrels far too long I think, because I have a heck of a time getting some beads off, even if they spin freely on the mandrel ... some have wonky ends making the last bit of removal difficult. I haven't made any plant sticks yet.

I hadn't heard of the tapping the mandrel technique - sounds promising too!

Good luck!
Sals

[Shane]

Dunno if it's been said yet or not, have you tried fabric softener?

[elle]

Place the tip on the mandrel (the tip with the bead) against a concrete floor.
Take a hammer and tap the end of the mandrel (non-bead) side that is facing you. (I actually use the side of my big pliers.)

It will appear that nothing happens, but keep tapping (fairly vigorously - but not enough to bend the mandrel). After doing this for maybe 10 taps try twisting the bead. If it is not loose repeat the tapping.

I've been amazed at how well this works. Eventually, you will go to twist the bead and it will turn and come off just like magic. The vibrations from the tapping will loosen the bead.

YES!! THIS WORKS!!!! I've had a bead stuck on a 1/2" big hole mandrel for months. I soaked it in everything I could find (besides fabric softener - I'll try that next time) and nothing worked. I've been trying not to think about that stuck bead because it made me crazy every time I did. As soon as I saw this I tried it and it came right off, and the bead didn't even break. If you're worried about chipping, you could cover the bead with a washcloth or something at the point of impact.

Thanks for the great tip!!!
Sarah

[Imzadi]

wrap the bead in a piece of thin rubber (like the jar grips used to open jars)
I have one of those for jars. They work great. I was wondering if they would work on beads. :)

If you're worried about chipping, you could cover the bead with a washcloth or something at the point of impact.


Aren't you supposed to hit the end of the mandrel, not the bead itself?

[MaryBeth]

YES!! THIS WORKS!!!! I've had a bead stuck on a 1/2" big hole mandrel for months. I soaked it in everything I could find (besides fabric softener - I'll try that next time) and nothing worked. I've been trying not to think about that stuck bead because it made me crazy every time I did. As soon as I saw this I tried it and it came right off, and the bead didn't even break. If you're worried about chipping, you could cover the bead with a washcloth or something at the point of impact.

Thanks for the great tip!!!
Sarah


You are welcome, Sarah!

I find this particularly useful when trying to get beads off of those oddly shaped big-hole mandrels like triangle where you can't twist the bead at all - you can only push it.

[squid]

I have one of those for jars. They work great. I was wondering if they would work on beads. :)



Aren't you supposed to hit the end of the mandrel, not the bead itself?

yes, you hit the mandrel, but if the bead is close to the end of the mandrel, you might catch it also. The washcloth would protect it.

[Glasstastic Treasures]

I made my first goddess beads today, and they got stuck on the mandrels. I broke the best looking one trying to twist it off.

I tried tapping the mandrel on the other two, and it worked perfectly!!

Thank you so much everyone. You are all so clever!! yay!

[twiggyinaz]

whatever you do don't ask your husband for help..i asked him to get a bead off the other night and shortly after he brought me a busted bead and a mangled mandrel..he meant well!!

Our husbands must be related! I don't even let him see me struggle with a bead or he is all over it wanting to help. He is pretty good about helping me cut mandrels and other things, he means well, too.

I had him make me a hole in a piece of wood and I use a small hammer, works like a charm and doesn't bend the mandrels.

I also have some nice plant stakes in my flowers, sometimes it is OK to leave the bead on the mandrel. Chances are if I broke the bead release bad enough for the bead to stick, I probably don't have a great bead for jewelry, but very nice for my flower garden.

[karrina]

i've tried all the methods... tapping method doesn't work~

but soaking it in vinegar works great every time!!!!

[jillybead]

I have a bunch of stuck curved beads I can't get off,, the timing of this thread is perfect! I will give some of your ideas a shot. Thanks!

[neagle]

I use the rubber jar openers all the time to get my beads off, and it's wonderful. Have you looked at the thread about the riveting tool that you get at the hardware store for about $18? It gets beads off mandrels without ruining either one. Here is the thread....

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107760

[jaci]

you can also take a 2x4' piece of wood and drill a hole in it. place the mandrel in the hole so the bead is flush and tap the top of the mandrel to force the mandrel off the bead.

same effect as the riveting tool, only primitive..:lol:

[neagle]

you can also take a 2x4' piece of wood and drill a hole in it. place the mandrel in the hole so the bead is flush and tap the top of the mandrel to force the mandrel off the bead.

same effect as the riveting tool, only primitive..:lol:

Hey, I'm totally into primitive! Also a great idea...:smile:

[Rudy]

There was a thread a while back...a "chuck" was mentioned as a good tool for loosening "stuck" beads. A chuck is a tool that you can purchase @ Home Depot or Lowes (or any hardware store, I'm sure). It is normally used with a drill, but you can buy it separately. Chuckie (as I call him) is WONDERFUL!!!! It works GREAT as it grips the mandrel tightly while you twirl the bead off. I love Chuckie, but don't tell my DH that I said that...LOL. I suppose it's possible that your case is hopeless, but they do make cute plant stakes! : - )))

[karrina]

I tried all the methods and what works for me is soaking it in vinegar! comes off every time...

no thumping, wacking or dremeling needed...

[Kevan]

I use vice grips. You just tighten those babies down on the bead and hold the bead in a paper towel while you twist back and forth. Be careful or you will bend the mandrel.

[twiggyinaz]

I tried all the methods and what works for me is soaking it in vinegar! comes off every time...

no thumping, wacking or dremeling needed...

Does the vinegar hurt the reduced beads?

[playswithfire104]

I have a pair of planishing pliers. They have rubber coated tips and I use them to hold onto and twist the bead while I hold the mandrel with regular big pliers.

[Kim1979]

Using a vice is a great option! (you can turn the bead with both hands....) I also try the dryer sheet method and I've gotten great success out of it... just make sure to let the sheet soak in the water for a few minutes and leave your beads in for a while before attempting to pull them off...

Good Luck!