Bead Release Cleaning problem

Mopnglo · #1 2007-11-21, 8:02am

I take great pride in the fact that my beads are completely cleaned of bead release........or I thought I did.

After I anneal my beads, I remove them from the mandrel and soak them in straight vinegar for a day or two. Then I ream them with a diamond bit on a dremmel. Then they get soaked in BAM oven cleaner or Toilet bowl cleaner for a day or two. Then I scrub the holes with a pipe cleaner while rinsing them in warm/hot water. The holes look absolutely spotless, on transparent you can't even see the holes through the glass........but.......after they sit for a while a residue appears.

Of course before I send out the beads I've sold, I'll redo the process of cleaning them again, but who's to say the residue doesn't appear again?

It seems I spend more time cleaning beads than making them. Any suggestion on how I can keep this residue from appearing?

Cat · #2 2007-11-21, 8:17am

I clean my beads with a diamond reamer attached to my foredom - once through each end of the bead, set them in a basket, run them through a few seconds in the ultrasonic with ammonia and soap, rinse them clean and they are finished and completely clean.

Why are you going through this huge process for something that could probably be done in 1/16 the time? Is it a bead release issue? I use Sludge Plus. I think I remember using a bead release at one time that was a pain to clean out and thinking that's maybe the issue? Is it possible it's your oven or toilet bowl cleaner that's leaving a permanent residue?

Mopnglo · #3 2007-11-21, 8:27am

Believe me I don't want to be going through this huge process, but I'm stuck on what to do to eliminate this.

I'm using the new foster fire tough & smooth? and I don't think I've seen anyone else with this problem.

It did cross my mind that the toilet or oven cleaner could be the culprit, but I've tried other things and still have the problem.

Tink · #4 2007-11-21, 8:29am

I clean my beads with a diamond bit in my cordless Dremel. Hollows and vessels then get a quick blast with the WaterPik. A rinse in clear water and I'm done, though if I'm in a hurry I will sometimes use canned air to blowdry hollows and vessels. Less than 15 seconds per item. No soaking.

It really does sound like you've got some overkill going on there, Terri. Are you sure what you're seeing is residue of some sort, and not simply the look of the glass after it's been ground with the Dremel?

ETA: If you're getting the bead release out with the diamond bit, why are you doing all those other things?

Mopnglo · #5 2007-11-21, 8:40am

Hmm that's a good question. It is possible that it may be the look of being ground with a dremel, but I still see some white flakes in the glass, both on transparent and opaque. Is that normal for using a dremel? I've never had any complaints on my beads, but being a semi newbie, I want to keep it that way.

Cat · #6 2007-11-21, 8:41am

Great tip on the canned air for cleaning/drying hollows, Tink. That's a great idea.

Tink · #7 2007-11-21, 8:51am

My pleasure, Cat

Terri, next time you see those white flakes, snap a quick photo. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. I think it would help us to see what you're talking about.

I did think of something else: If your bead release cracks or flakes inside the bead while you're still torching it, sometimes flakes will become embedded in the glass (because it's still sticky or molten because you're still torching it). If that's the case, the solution is to work more gently or use a different release... Whatever ends up working for you.

Just a thought...

DesertDreamer · #8 2007-11-21, 9:29am

I'm wondering if it's an acid residue from the vinegar. I'd just skip the vinegar altogether, but if you want to stick with it, I'd give it a neutralizing bath in a baking soda/water solution after rinsing with plain water.

Or, maybe you have hard water? I had serious residue problems when I first moved out here and switched to distilled water til we got our water softener set up.

tasminann · #9 2007-11-21, 12:00pm

I'm thinking it's the diamond bit on the dremel that's causing the frostiness.

I know that just after I clean my transparent beads with the dremel, they look spotless. After they sit awhile and dry out though -- the frostiness in the hole reappears.

Mopnglo · #10 2007-11-23, 9:40am

Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I'll first try to eliminate the vinegar and just try warm water to loosen the bead release, while cleaning with the dremel. Here is a picture of what I'm referring to.

As you can see it looks like there is still a heavy residue of bead release. I hate that look in the beads. But maybe it's just normal?

Tink · #11 2007-11-23, 10:10am

IMO, that's how the glass looks after cleaning with diamond bits and a Dremel.

Carolyn M · #12 2007-11-23, 11:19am

I see no residue in that bead, that is what mine look like after cleaning release out with a dremel. I think you can eliminate most of the process you are going through.

jaci · #13 2007-11-23, 11:30am

Your bead holes are clean! great work! You can rub a bit of wax, floor polish, or clear nail polish on the inside of the hole to keep them shiney! I like Bert's Bee all natural hand slave. It is waxy and smelly wonderful! A little goes a long way.

Becky Mason · #14 2007-11-23, 11:58am

I switched recently to the BeaDreamer tool for cleaning my beads, and I am totally hooked. I can't explain why these bits work so much better than anything else out there, but I can assure you that they do. If you follow the instructions and use the right kind of bead release and get it the right consistency, you can ream out a transparent bead and the hole almost disappears. It is a truly amazing tool. I have nothing to do with the manufacturer, so I'm telling you all of this just because I love the tools and am a believer in them. They are pricy, at almost $30 for each size, but IMHO they are worth it for the ease of cleaning and the quality of the job they do.

gubnavnania · #15 2007-11-23, 2:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mopnglo

As you can see it looks like there is still a heavy residue of bead release. I hate that look in the beads. But maybe it's just normal?

Haha

I thought I was the only one that fussy.

Kym · #16 2007-11-23, 7:00pm

Well, I would consider that more than clean enough. I wonder though about the oven cleaner, vineger? If you are cleaning with a dremel and then soaking in these acids perhaps you are getting little pores in the glass where it has been ground with the beadreamer. I would go back to basics. Clean with the beadreamer, rinse in distilled water and dry. Then later go back and see if you can see a difference between the two results. If not, everything else is overkill.

Kym

Mopnglo · #17 2007-11-24, 7:51am

Thank you all for the help. I have been wasting a lot of time on the cleaning, I now realize.

I will go back to just the basics. I just didn't feel they were clean enough and was getting extremely frustrated at that. If this is the norm, then I can deal with it. Hmmm and I never thought I was anal. Guess this proves I am.

FourTailsLampwork · #18 2007-11-24, 8:01am

Not anal, just careful. My bead holes look like yours, and I was wondering whether I should be cleaning them more, too. Glad to know that's normal.

FourTailsLampwork · #19 2007-11-24, 9:02pm

I just had a good idea--I hope. You know how sometimes you make a bead and 3/4 of the way through it goes south on you enough that you don't even stick it in the kiln? Those usually crack clean in half along the mandrel line. (If this never happens to you, kudoes--now go MAKE a long nugget or Kalera or big round and just let it sit and crack.)

When it's cool, clean the bead half-hole the way you usually do. You'll be able to tell absolutely whether you DO need to take extra steps or whether your usual method gets that hole clean.

I like the Beadreamer for 1/16" mandrels, but for 3/32 NOTHING beats a plain rod saw blade (you can pick it up at Lowe's or Home Despot for under $4). Cut it in half, and you have two super long lasting CHEAP bead reamers for 3/32 beads.

bead crazy · #20 2007-11-24, 10:41pm

I use foster fires smooth and tough with this release I am able to take the bead off the rod without soaking then I run some water on the bead, take the mandrel I just took the bead off of then I will take the rod and just run it in and out of the bead a few times and it is clean. I don't have any scraped glass inside of the holes from the dremel anymore they are shiney and clean. I love this release. It comes out better this way if you don't soak it.

anneli · #21 2007-11-24, 11:09pm

I would just simply use the Beadreamer! I switched to it recently and it saves me SO much time. Very simple to use..and gets the bead very clean in no time at all! I highly recommend it..give it a try!

botree · #22 2007-11-26, 9:50pm

If you really want to make the hole disappear, put a tiny bit of cotton on a very small bit and add jewelers rouge or maybe rubbing compound and literally polish out the rough areas you see. When wet the hole will take on the look of having been polished. That is why when it dries it looks hazy again. I have been cutting slabs from rock and then cutting out rough cabochons and polishing them for years and it will work. The other idea of clear fingernail polish might be good for a short time but may wear off. Try clear epoxy, just be sure to leave the hole open!

Bo

Lizabeads · #23 2007-11-27, 12:15am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becky Mason

I switched recently to the BeaDreamer tool for cleaning my beads, and I am totally hooked. I can't explain why these bits work so much better than anything else out there, but I can assure you that they do. If you follow the instructions and use the right kind of bead release and get it the right consistency, you can ream out a transparent bead and the hole almost disappears. It is a truly amazing tool. I have nothing to do with the manufacturer, so I'm telling you all of this just because I love the tools and am a believer in them. They are pricy, at almost $30 for each size, but IMHO they are worth it for the ease of cleaning and the quality of the job they do.

I use a dremel with a diamond bit.. so where do I find this thing... BeaDreamer tool ?????

NEVER MIND.. Found it.. Thanks

Mopnglo · #24 2007-11-27, 7:08am

I've done a bit of experiencing with cleaning and found that I was way in over kill mode! I think the culprit for me was the soaking in vinegar. I started out using the vinegar because I had read that it helps in removing the release, and it's true, when I was using another bead release. When I changed releases, I continued doing what I had always done, but with the FF the end results were not the same.

I'm going to try Lori's suggestion with the beads I have in the kiln now.

Mincot great suggestion on breaking a bead down the center. I did that as well and had the same residue through out the bead.

I have been looking at the beadreamer, but I'm hesitant only because of the cost factor. Let me ask this. How often do you replace the beadreamer? I wouldn't have a problem paying the $$$ for the beadreamer if it last a year or two, but shelling out that much for something I would have to replace often, just wouldn't be cost efficient for me.

Alison D · #25 2007-11-27, 6:36pm

Has anyone tried the ZappZ bead cleaner and polish that ABR imagry has on their site?

You dip your mandrel in it and run it in and out of the clean bead to polish the hole.

Sounds like alot of work but I hate that frosty look on transparent focals.

Any reviews?

Ali

gemmasglassbeads · #26 2008-04-29, 4:47am

So i have used a bead reamer for over a year, sure it works ok for me, still a bit of residue same as after using my dremel drill(bit) and soaking in water, i work out of my parents garage and use pliers to hold my manrels to take the bead of the mandrel(no soaking) and whatever release is still on the mandrel i use again..I dip my manrels(3/32")
deep enough into the release to use whats left, i use PP-Purple Piffle bead release and it works wonderful-http://hotglassbeads.com/products.htm copy & paste, i will soon be making my own=), but yes i do get frustrated with not getting all the bead release out also, its nice knowing that, basically thats how most all beads end up, but you know i have used a white glass stringer as my base(just a little glass) to hid the noticable residue=)

crystalflipz · #27 2008-04-29, 4:07pm

I swear by KRAG mud! The only drawback to the stuff is that you have to use the mandrels the same day you dip them, but it works for everything from spacers to focals to small/med boro beads. I clean my beads using either a genuine pipe cleaner (the kind you find at a pipe shop) or by just running the mandrel up and down inside the bead several times under running water and my bead holes are clean. It's awesome stuff!

DaveF · #28 2008-05-08, 4:55pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mopnglo

I've done a bit of experiencing with cleaning and found that I was way in over kill mode! I think the culprit for me was the soaking in vinegar. I started out using the vinegar because I had read that it helps in removing the release, and it's true, when I was using another bead release. When I changed releases, I continued doing what I had always done, but with the FF the end results were not the same.

I'm going to try Lori's suggestion with the beads I have in the kiln now.

Mincot great suggestion on breaking a bead down the center. I did that as well and had the same residue through out the bead.

I have been looking at the beadreamer, but I'm hesitant only because of the cost factor. Let me ask this. How often do you replace the beadreamer? I wouldn't have a problem paying the $$$ for the beadreamer if it last a year or two, but shelling out that much for something I would have to replace often, just wouldn't be cost efficient for me.

Hi Mopnglo,

Here ya go...
http://www.artintheround.com/TimeCalculator.html

This is a little javascript applet I made that will answer your question.
After you see how it works with the pre-set values, try it with your own data. You may find it very useful in other ways too.

Have fun!
Dave

Carolyn M · #29 2008-05-09, 6:02am

My beadreamer bent the first time I used it, so back to diamond dremel bits for me!

DesertDreamer · #30 2008-05-09, 7:19am

I had Inspiration Toolworks' reamers (both sizes) for a little over 2 years, I think. The 1/16 one is still going strong, but I wore the diamond off the 3/32 after about 20 months. Only in a few spots, but they were rather crucial. I've had my new Beadreamer for just about a year now, and it's still going strong. I think it's a good investment and it does a very good job.