hello everyone, long time no post.
i've got a bit of an issue that maybe you guys can help with. i'm going to start making and selling boro beaded jewelry (earrings, necklaces and the like) and i need some mandrels that are small diameter, ideally 1/16". the issue is, those 1/16 mandrels burn right out, even if kept directly out of the heat. gtt torches kill them. i've even melted 3/32 mandrels when not paying attention.
it seems any stainless steel mandrel will, in time, get soft enough so that it burns out easy...the ones i'm using now are the ones i learned on with my hothead back in '12.
what i'm thinking of doing is using tungsten rod as a bead mandrel. not the "release less ones" that arrow springs sells, but just regular tungsten (non thoriated) dipped in release and used as normal. tungsten melting point is like 3400c!
anybody got any thoughts or ideas about it? maybe i'm not the first one to try it and it's not a good idea (i know i'll have to make a mandrel holder...tungsten is very heat conductive)?
i'd just order them and try it, but that shite (tungsten) sure isn't cheap!
TIA
