Lentil beads chipping at holes...

Lyssa · #1 2012-07-05, 6:49pm

Hey, I'm learning how to use my Zoozii's lentil press and my (annealed) beads keep chipping at the holes. This happens both when I'm cleaning the beads with my BeadReamer AND when the beads are in a bracelet with other lentil beads (so that the holes sort of nest together).

Any suggestions on how to keep the beads from chipping? I read Zoozii's tutorial on using her lentil press and that's basically how I'm making them.

Or are lentil beads always just easily prone to chipping at the hole?

Thanks!

tammydownunder · #2 2012-07-05, 6:57pm

This is a good question with a simple solution. Make sure you have enough glass on your mandrel right where the glass meets the mandrel. If you have it too thin, it will chip right at the hole. Get some playdough and put it a the mandrel and squeeze it in the press. Play around until you figure out the amount you need to have on the mandrel to give you a good press. Once you know what you need, roll it back into the football shape and keep it near your torch for comparisons.

Lyssa · #3 2012-07-05, 6:58pm

Omg i love you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tammydownunder

this is a good question with a simple solution. Make sure you have enough glass on your mandrel right where the glass meets the mandrel. If you have it too thin, it will chip right at the hole. Get some playdough and put it a the mandrel and squeeze it in the press. Play around until you figure out the amount you need to have on the mandrel to give you a good press. Once you know what you need, roll it back into the football shape and keep it near your torch for comparisons.

AmorphousDesigns · #4 2012-07-05, 7:43pm

fantastic suggestion!!

MelanieG · #5 2012-07-05, 10:46pm

The other thing that might be happening is that you are maybe not keeping the beads hot enough at the ends so they are brittle even after annealing. It's easy to forget to give the ends of your bead a little heat when the beads you are making are small.

essiemessy · #6 2012-07-05, 11:14pm

OMG what a great idea (they playdough)!!
Here I was about to do a glassy one, like a fellow newbie had already done, and who said it was such a tedious job...
So glad I read this before I subjected myself to that, too

Sorry, Patty

Lisi · #7 2012-07-06, 12:29am

What speed are you using for your rotary tool? If you are using the high speed, umm...don't do that. Always the low speed, and it gets the job done. If they are chipping and you have been using the low speed, then all of the above advice should solve the problem.

PattyK · #8 2012-07-06, 12:37am

I do think the play dough is a great idea and I actually tried it a while back. But the stuff I got (I think it was modeling clay) stuck to my presses and made a real mess. I probably should have tried with a different kind but by then I had moved on to other things.

steiconi · #9 2012-07-06, 1:34am

I use a brass dopping block to help shape my beads, and one of the depressions is just the right size for my lentil press, so I use that as a guage.

Lyssa · #10 2012-07-06, 10:58am

Lisi, I'm probably using the high speed, I'll turn it down. But what about for those beads that chip when they're strung on a wire together?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisi

What speed are you using for your rotary tool? If you are using the high speed, umm...don't do that. Always the low speed, and it gets the job done. If they are chipping and you have been using the low speed, then all of the above advice should solve the problem.