Cylinder Speed Shaper from Arrow Springs
 

Has anyone seen Arrow Springs's Cylinder Speed Shaper in the flesh or used one? Seems to me that the bead release would be torn off and deposited on the end of your bead, although that doesn't seem to be happening in the video on the Arrow Springs site (www.arrowsprings.com).

http://www.arrowsprings.com/Cylinder..._Shaper_EW.jpg

It looks like the lampworker is giving insurance heat to the ends of the bead release. Maybe heat keeps it from cracking? Looks like a nifty tool though.

:) Kelly

I just watched the video and am curious also. I work in the middle of the mandrel and am wondering if that makes it difficult. I would love to hear from someone who has used it!

Where on their site is the video? I live only a few miles from Arrow Springs and go in there alot for glass, etc...I may be interested in this tool...but I can't find it on the site! Thanks :)

If you scroll down their site, it is towards the bottom in their items for sale. The links to the video are on the left. It gives you two choices. Good luck!

Let us know what you find out at Arrow Springs.

very nice tool. Thanks for the info.

Roy

omg I want one and I am soooo broke wahhhh

This will be the next tool I buy! I'm always using the edges of my marver to straighten my ends and wishing I had a mandrel groove. This would be great for beads that are other shapes also. You can just use the tool from the outside instead of the inside.

Bump. :)

I have it and used it yesterday. It was very helpful. i did not have any trouble with bead release coming off.

We are having a NorCal meeting at Arrow Springs this Saturday, so I'll probably see the cylinder in action, and possibly give it a try even though I have a homemade tool that I've been using for years that does the cylinders as well as other shapes. The tool looks like it produces some really clean lines and the cylinder shape was a good one for me in Tucson and the Babe show.
I have a nice example of cylinder beads on my website. The bead release does not break off while working in this manner with a slotted tool.
Vickie

It looks slick... just the sort thing I need since I seem to like the cylinder shape. And you could use it for making nice neat ends before manipulating the beads in other ways as well, making for less fuss, I think.

I got it... LOVE IT. It's pretty slick. Really nice for squaring up the ends, I do alot of beadables, so it's nice to have really squared up ends. You do need to have the glass pretty balanced around your mandrel, it won't automatically center your cylinder as your mandrel can still move up & down the slot.

It's wide enough to get the full width of a bottle stopper bead [bottom] flat & squared up nicely... I just made a disc & used both the inside & the outside of the squared side of the shaper to flatten & square up both sides of the disc. Very nice.

It might become unnecessary in a few weeks when I get my EMS, LOL, I purchased this shaper a few days before deciding to pick up the EMS... might be fun to use w/ it...will see. :-D

HECK!!!! Wish I HADN'T SEEN THIS VIDEO - Now I want one too!!! It looks wonderful...

DeAnne in CA

It's completely brilliant that they posted that video. That sold me instantly. On Scott's (Bearfoot Art) website, too...he's got this long list of videos that shows all sorts of different ways to use his products....damn him. :-D Pure brilliance. Told him he needs to post them to YouTube.

Just watched the video....now I want one too!!

We are going there on saturday, hoping to see a live demo of such a cool tool !!

I tried it today (Actually it's past midnight so "yesterday") at Arrow Springs. I liked it because it takes care of the end and the side at the same time. I also work in the middle of the mandrel but it's not a problem.

If you want to make a big hole cylinder bead, the shaft of Emiko's Big Glasshole Mandrels is small enough for the slits.

It does look like a great tool for squaring ends. Emiko, Julie or anyone who has the tool, can you post the maximum mandrel size it would accept? Thanks,

the ems will not square your edges. i use the rolling marver and it works great for making cylinders i then square the edges with mikeys marver that arrowsprings sells. i want one of these to even up the disk beads! i tried to get a disc smasher thru inspiration tools but this make work just as well!

We got a demo from Rob from AS yesterday and got to try the new tool. Have to say it will take a few tries to get the hang of it. It does a nice job of rounding off barrels and bicones. The ends can be a bit problematic as the glass likes to squeaze out the edges, Robs way of fixing that was to reheat bead and roll in again to pucker the ends back out. Another neat trick you can do with tool is to make long square beads by pressing glass into center trough then flip and press other side.

Spring & Jeff

The slit measures 4 mm.
Arrow Springs' catalog says that Big Glasshole Mandrel has 1/4" handle, but the handles of ones I have measure 3.9 mm.

Thank you Emiko. I wonder if they would consider selling a 1/4" slit version to make large hole beads.

They will probably widen the slits for you if you request.