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-   -   how to make a size 8 glass ring? (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61840)

DeboraCox_facetsdesigns 2007-07-31 11:38am

how to make a size 8 glass ring?
 
I have an 11/16 big hole mandrel which makes a fun ring in size 7 to 7 1/2, but the next size available (via Frantz) was the 3/4, which is 9 to 9 1/2 ring size. I've tried to double coat the bh 11/16, but the second coating of bead release explodes off. Ideas anyone? I've got a customer who'd like a size 8 :) thanks, Deb

Janine 2007-07-31 1:08pm

You can dremel out the inside until you get an 8. You need to make the ring thicker to compensate for the loss but I have done it. Luckily I got the right size mandrel for an 8, it is easier!

Ro 2007-08-08 8:11am

off mandrel and use a tapered reamer marked for size and insert it. please post if you find other ways. i also have used small pipe sections from the hardware store.
ro

LeahPellegrini 2007-08-19 8:21pm

purchase a ring mandrel from a jewelery supply store and this steel bar can be used to size your rings as you make them (be sure to only use graphite to ream the ring out though - as to not ruin your ring mandrel)

check out the tutorial i posted :)
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16098

Bob Torbett 2007-08-22 2:16pm

I've thought about drilling some holes in a 2x4 of the various sizes and filling with ceramic slip and firing to bisque after sizing them correctly and polishing. Anyone have any thoughts about trying this?

Bob

Mythbeliever 2007-10-23 6:04pm

Bob,

I'm not sure what type of pollishing you are going to do, but i'm not sure ceramic would work as a large hole madrel. The heat/cooling properties of clay/ceramic I belive is different than that of glass. You might have problems with shocking. I could be wrong though, it might work. Let us know if it does.
Good luck

MaggieDo0dle 2007-10-23 6:33pm

Since ya'll are discussing rings... has anyone experimented with soft glass rings? Is it strong enough for a ring? Or is boro necessary for ring-making?

Daria 2007-12-06 2:03pm

soft glass rings
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieDo0dle (Post 1444894)
Since ya'll are discussing rings... has anyone experimented with soft glass rings? Is it strong enough for a ring? Or is boro necessary for ring-making?

I'm a little late for a reply, but I just read this today. YES, you can make soft glass rings. They are my favorite thing to make. I wear them all the time, -even while I do electrical work (my former occupation)- and haven't broken any on my hands, as of yet. I must add that I'm very rough on them. I wear them next to my silver rings with no problem. The ones that I've broken were while I was cleaning them and they flew out of my hands and bounced all over the room and onto the tile floor -always before annealing. You can see some of the rings I make in my Etsy shop here:

http://daydreamglass.etsy.com

I have an assortment of big hole mandrels from Arrow Springs that I make them on. It's totally addicting. I have to force myself back into "bead mode" sometimes.

-Daria

flamemoth 2007-12-06 2:52pm

mmm...very nice Daria!
off to to look for BIG hole mandrels...:)

jdrag13 2007-12-07 6:41am

no mandrel rings
 
I know a special trick for rings that my friend chad came up with. i havent seen anyone else do this. take any stainless socket wrench clamp to your table, socket up, now you can put any size socket on pull a hot cane wrap around socket badda bing you have a ring

swamper 2007-12-07 10:06am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdrag13 (Post 1522680)
I know a special trick for rings that my friend chad came up with. i havent seen anyone else do this. take any stainless socket wrench clamp to your table, socket up, now you can put any size socket on pull a hot cane wrap around socket badda bing you have a ring

Huh? Can you explain further - I must be dense.

Artistic License 2007-12-07 3:38pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daria (Post 1520805)
I'm a little late for a reply, but I just read this today. YES, you can make soft glass rings. They are my favorite thing to make. I wear them all the time, -even while I do electrical work (my former occupation)- and haven't broken any on my hands, as of yet. I must add that I'm very rough on them. I wear them next to my silver rings with no problem. The ones that I've broken were while I was cleaning them and they flew out of my hands and bounced all over the room and onto the tile floor -always before annealing. You can see some of the rings I make in my Etsy shop here:

http://daydreamglass.etsy.com

I have an assortment of big hole mandrels from Arrow Springs that I make them on. It's totally addicting. I have to force myself back into "bead mode" sometimes.

-Daria


Daria I assume you are coating your mandrels with bead release so my question is, how do you get the inside of your rings smooth and shiny after using release? Your rings look terrific and the insides seem very smooth and appealing. So what's your secret to clean shiny insides of rings?

Red

Daria 2007-12-08 2:07pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artistic License (Post 1523498)
Daria I assume you are coating your mandrels with bead release so my question is, how do you get the inside of your rings smooth and shiny after using release? Your rings look terrific and the insides seem very smooth and appealing. So what's your secret to clean shiny insides of rings?

Red

Hi Red, I use Hotline's Pink Slipper bead release and have always watered it down a little. A thin smooth coat leaves the glass smooth inside. I don't do anything to them besides scrub the bead release out to get them that smooth. I think the release is harder to clean from certain colors of glass and over heating can also cause it to stick more too. If that is that case, I soak them in white vinegar overnight and they clean up a lot easier.

-Daria

lampwork.dk 2007-12-10 2:31pm

well bob that's sound as a try out *S* i have some porselen clay that takes more heat i will try that out let all know it it works what a great idear hope it works... but 8 i gues you means inch i am use to cm and mm here in Norway,

Kaye 2007-12-10 8:15pm

how do you get the insides so nice...wow, great rings!

Daria 2007-12-11 12:27am

[quote=DeboraCox_facetsdesigns;1301161]

Hi Debora-

I am getting size 8 rings on my 11/16 mandrel. It has to do with the width of the band. The 11/16 gives me rings approx. between 7 1/2 size and 8. The wider the band the smaller they fit. You can look at the size 8's in my Etsy store and see the difference compared to the 7 1/2 on the second page and another one on the third page. Hope this helps.

-Daria

jdrag13 2007-12-15 6:32am

rings
 
take a socket u know the things u loosen bolts with put on your table socket up now use a c clamp clamp to table now what ever size socket u use is your ring size pull twistie or stringer while still hot wrap your twistie around the socket until stiff now u have a perfet circle decorate from ther

DeboraCox_facetsdesigns 2007-12-16 10:46pm

great responses!
 
Thanks everyone so much for the great responses! I am going to try an 11/16 mandreal and see how that works out, but the other suggestions are great too. I do have one problem though...of the 4 rings or so that I have made, 3 have broken now, and one that I was wearing at the time cut me in the process...not fun! Others I have talked to have discouraged making rings from soft glass...so I am curious how you, Daria, have had such great luck keeping the darn things in one piece... I'd sure like to make some more and sell some, but with the luck I've had so far, I wouldn't dream on selling. Perhaps I just need to practice more and make my band nice and thick...
Isn't PRACTICE always the answer...SMILE!

Daria 2007-12-17 12:51am

soft glass rings
 
"so I am curious how you, Daria, have had such great luck keeping the darn things in one piece" (quote from Deb)~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well... if you could see the scars and cuts all over my 'manual laboring' hands right now, you would see that the rings I wear go through a lot of abuse. I do take my annealing very seriously.
What I can tell you is: definitely do not to use Dark Silver Plum for the main band material. Those break (for me, anyway)! Too bad, because I love the look of it. I haven't tried any other fancy silvered glass, either, because of this.

Due to my studies in Physical Science, I've always figured that if I were to break one while wearing it, that the glass would break 'away' from my finger, not 'into' it. Now your injury worries me...:-k :sad: I hope you weren't hurt too bad.

meitali 2007-12-17 5:26am

daria, it all depends on what you're doing at the moment that caused the ring to break.

i've only broken one ring, but wow, was that a STOOPID moment that caused it...

it wasn't annealed yet (my big mandrels are too long for my kiln so i batch anneal), but i liked it so much i decided to wear it anyway. i was at my cousin's, playing with his youngest daughter, i think she was 3 or so at the time... and she said she'd teach me a new game. we sat on the floor, and she said- "it goes like this-" and started pounding on the floor with both her hands... she was so funny doing it, that i joined her, completely forgetting that i was wearing an un-annealed glass ring!!! :jawdrop:

and that's how i learned that when you pound an un-annealed ring to the floor- oh well, it breaks!

anyway, i think i was lucky not to hurt myself, but breaking the ring this way, it couldn't have broken away from my hand, only into it. i guess i was lucky it was a thin band (oh, it was so comfortable too... :( )

motheroffire77 2007-12-17 9:22pm

Hi Guys,
I have a question about that ring mandrals from Frantz, I bought one a while back and just tried it the other night, I dipped in bead release , dried and then started to apply glass and there was fumes and it smell like something was burning. Any thoughts about this? Thanks so much. I am perplexed.

theglasszone 2007-12-17 11:39pm

Hi There Everyone!

Well, if it were me...I'd try a combo burrito using Michael's (FiG) tutorial on "Making Rings Off Mandrel" (here's the link):

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75360

With this neat looking little tool from WeaverInd (here's the link, too):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fine-Grain-Graph...QQcmdZViewItem

To start with, after purchasing the Graphite Ring Mandrel, I'd use it as a "guide" and take a piece of paper, wind it around the size on the mandrel of the ring I intend to make, and use this as a length guide for the cutting the Latticio or rod or whatever the ring will be made from. Then you know you have the length/size ratio correct.

After following Steps/Photos #1-8 of Michael's Tutorial, at Step/Photo #9, I'd use the Graphite Ring Mandrel to do the final shaping - first into round using the smaller sizes/tip end. Then, as the ring rounds out into shape, I'd carefully (with "tongs" or "tweezers", carefully slide the ring up to the correct original size, and make sure it's "true".

How this idea sounding?

Now I want one of those Mandrels!!!! Ha...it's always something!!!

DeAnne in CA

meitali 2007-12-18 1:06am

you can replace the tongs or tweezers with a glass punty and it's even easier because you don't have to make an effort to hold them closed, just hold the punty like any other glass rod :)

jdrag13 2007-12-18 6:47am

why dont you guys believe
 
i really don't understand why everyone says to buy some expensive ring mandrels and such. those are at least 35 plus $ when everyone has a socket set in thier garage. thats cool what do I know anyway. the fact that my friend who makes tons of rings uses a different socket for each different size ring and none of them break because he knows what hes doing. just trying to help peace

theglasszone 2007-12-18 11:00am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdrag13 (Post 1541344)
i really don't understand why everyone says to buy some expensive ring mandrels and such. those are at least 35 plus $ when everyone has a socket set in thier garage...

Hi Again!

Well, first of all, if I dare get near my Hubby's socket wrench set (especially with the words "hot glass" scrolling across my forehead and flashing neon in my eyes!), I'm sure he'd FREAK! So as far as the ones I have just "hanging" around in my garage, they're spoken for. (After all, if he asked if he could "borrow" my torch for a welding job, I'd tell him to take a hike!) So, I guess this is partly why some of us would bother to spend the money on an actual "Mandrel" to make the rings...this way, we're sure it's not going to be "reborrowed" back, and, further, if the mandrel (like the one from WeaverInd., $32.50 by the way on a BIN) actually HAS the ring sizes "marked" right on it, well, no guessing and no "experimenting" with which "socket" do-hicky actually makes what size ring.

If you'd care to share the formula here, though - I'm sure lots of people would appreciate it. For example, which size "socket" should be used to make a Size 8 ring...? I think that was the original question which began this whole thread after all!!! Yeah? (Giggle)

Thanks in advance for your help!
DeAnne in CA

Orchid40 2007-12-18 12:54pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdrag13 (Post 1541344)
i really don't understand why everyone says to buy some expensive ring mandrels and such. those are at least 35 plus $ when everyone has a socket set in thier garage. thats cool what do I know anyway. the fact that my friend who makes tons of rings uses a different socket for each different size ring and none of them break because he knows what hes doing. just trying to help peace

Why didn't I think of that!!! Thanks for a fantastic idea I'm going to sneak into my DH shop and see how many sizes I can "steal".:-D

jdrag13 2007-12-19 5:02am

right
 
ok sorry but a socket set can be purchased for way less than 32.50. as far as which is a size eight I don't know mybe you could stick it by a size eight finger then mark a peice of paper telling what size for what finger just an idea. sorry if i'm loosing a sale or two on your ring mandrel but if i'm correct it would be easier to hold hot glass around something that is one size than something that if you slide up or down the slightest your size eight may now be 7.5 or whatever. I'm sure if you asked your hubby if he has any old sockets blah blah oh yah and since there made out of sainless then the heat most likley won't hurt them. good tools you can get replaced for free craftsman, snap on. thanks

meitali 2007-12-19 5:09am

i have 2 ring mandrels, one was a gift, the other one (i'm wearing a ring made with it right now) cost me $22 :)

FiG 2007-12-19 7:31am

Here's yet another tool for you to buy.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by theglasszone (Post 1541169)
Hi There Everyone!

Well, if it were me...I'd try a combo burrito using Michael's (FiG) tutorial on "Making Rings Off Mandrel" (here's the link):

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75360

With this neat looking little tool from WeaverInd (here's the link, too):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fine-Grain-Graph...QQcmdZViewItem

To start with, after purchasing the Graphite Ring Mandrel, I'd use it as a "guide" and take a piece of paper, wind it around the size on the mandrel of the ring I intend to make, and use this as a length guide for the cutting the Latticio or rod or whatever the ring will be made from. Then you know you have the length/size ratio correct.

After following Steps/Photos #1-8 of Michael's Tutorial, at Step/Photo #9, I'd use the Graphite Ring Mandrel to do the final shaping - first into round using the smaller sizes/tip end. Then, as the ring rounds out into shape, I'd carefully (with "tongs" or "tweezers", carefully slide the ring up to the correct original size, and make sure it's "true".

How this idea sounding?

Now I want one of those Mandrels!!!! Ha...it's always something!!!

DeAnne in CA

Yes The graphite tool is very usefull in not only determining the round shape but also in determining if the glass congealed to much, constricting smaller than one would have liked. In finding the right size to cut the cane I find your low tec. solution of paper or string quite ingenious. I would use my Pi dividers also low tec. but the tool is a tad spendy.

theglasszone 2007-12-19 10:05am

Quote:

Originally Posted by FiG (Post 1543241)
Yes The graphite tool is very usefull in not only determining the round shape but also in determining if the glass congealed to much, constricting smaller than one would have liked. In finding the right size to cut the cane I find your low tec. solution of paper or string quite ingenious. I would use my Pi dividers also low tec. but the tool is a tad spendy.

Thanks, Michael! Simple minds, simple measures!!!! :)

DeAnne in CA


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