I don't use puffy mandrels, and my hollows are usually nice and thin-walled. I can get a reasonably large bead too, if I want to--nothing baseball-sized, of course, but pretty good all the same. Most of the time I prefer smaller beads for making bracelets anyway. Check out the tutorial I wrote for Soda Lime Times, the April 2012 issue!
Hollow beads require a lot of patience and practice before you get really good at them, much like marbles. The stiffer COEs like Bullseye and Spectrum are easier to manage than 104, and it's practically ideal for recycling bottle glass.
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