Gripping miscellaneous items for lampwork
 

I'm interested in wrapping glass around items other than mandrels. Does anyone have any advice on how to do this?

Pliers come to mind, but I don't want to have to pinch the entire time--I'd be afraid I'd loose my grip and drop it.

Hemostats also come to mind, but I couldn't easily rotate the object in the flame.

Ideally, it would be something like a pin vice, but with a larger opening, that I could put any random shaped object into and it would still grip. Does something like this exist?

Thanks so much!

TA

You can make something like this:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48811649...rod-holder-for

Get whatever grabber size you need and glue the handle end into a piece of pipe or wood or something.

-BEP

here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JEGS-Perform...5d9e63&vxp=mtr

search vintage carpenters tools as well. Basically these large pin vises to hold a variety of drill bits were standard before the electric ones took over.

Felicia posted this one for skeleton keys. You could probably modify it for other things.
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=234487

I use hemostats and I have no problems with rotating once you get used to it.
Another option would be the short rods grabers, I have some from Carlo Dona : http://www.carlodona.com/english/pro...mpworking.html

Perhaps a peg leg tool?
ajusting the metal pins would let you grab different shapes.

Larger alligator clips may also work if you can solder the clip to a mandrel.
Most of the cheap ones are flimsy but you hardware or RadioShack might have better quality.

I have the hold-me-tight from Graceful Customs.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/39026944...ght-rod-holder

It has an incredibly strong grip if whatever you're wanting to grip would work in its end. I love it for glass rods - it has saved me a ton of glass. It would not be the easiest to continuously turn in the flame, though, due to the non-round handle shape.