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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2015-06-27, 3:22pm
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Default Swirly Beads

Hi, I purchased some beads and the seller calls them Swirly beads. I asked her how she made them and she said she made a base bead and added frit and then used a stringer to create the swirls. I want to make some but I get stuck at the swirly part.

My stringer did not swirl the colors but melted in like the frit. What should I be doing, please? TIA!

Last edited by ccaronn; 2015-06-27 at 5:29pm.
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  #2  
Old 2015-06-27, 6:20pm
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Heat the spot you want to swirl, get it nice & gooey there. Pull the bead out, and use the cold stringer to move the hot glass. If it gets stuck, let it cool until you can break the stringer off, then melt the bead smooth again.
There are better explanations around
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  #3  
Old 2015-06-27, 7:33pm
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Eileen, thank you so much for all of your help! I appreciate it so much!
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Old 2015-06-27, 8:48pm
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My brain wouldn't cooperate to make it clearer, hope it helped. I "was" making hand motions while I was telling you though
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Old 2015-06-27, 8:54pm
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Maybe some of this thread will get you inspired. We were doing challenges to learn new skills, and this one seems to fit the bill!
http://lampworketc.com/forums/showth...+raked+twisted
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  #6  
Old 2015-06-27, 9:38pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eileen View Post
My brain wouldn't cooperate to make it clearer, hope it helped. I "was" making hand motions while I was telling you though
haha I love how you explain things Eileen.

I say that my beads always get deformed when I try it, so the trick is to spot heat as well, and keep the stringer out of the flame so it doesn't melt in. I suppose clear stringer would work, also a tool if you keep cooling the tip?
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  #7  
Old 2015-06-27, 9:39pm
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There is a technique involved with;

A) making the bead

B) letting the core of it cool enough to firm up but not get too cool to put up with going back into the flame so you can

C) reheat the outer surface enough to move when you rake it but not get it so hot that that the patterns you have melted into the surface distort from being too soupy and

D) letting the reheated surface 'skim over' enough to solidify so that it moves as 'skin' being pulled rather than just a parting of the upper surface.

Kind of like the difference between the skinned over surface on a pudding verses the all together too liquid surface of foam on a cup of very hot coffee.


Did any of that make sense?
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  #8  
Old 2015-06-27, 11:39pm
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Love the Mardi Gras colors of those beads.
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  #9  
Old 2015-06-27, 11:55pm
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Love this group, THANK YOU!
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  #10  
Old 2015-06-28, 10:46am
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Blow on the spot you have just twisted with the stringer until it cools enough to break the stringer off (wiggle it).......just don't get so close to the bead that you wind up "kissing" it. That hurts!
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  #11  
Old 2015-06-28, 12:34pm
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LOL, will do, thanks!
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  #12  
Old 2015-06-28, 3:13pm
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I keep a short section of brass tube for that kind of spot cooling.

I just don't trust my blower to that kind of hot glass. A kiss could wind up becoming quit an event!
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Old 2015-06-28, 6:40pm
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A pain in the kisser!
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  #14  
Old 2015-06-28, 6:48pm
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A lesson to be learned only once!
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  #15  
Old 2015-06-28, 8:45pm
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Make your frit bead.
Then apply a zigzag of the white stringer.
Then heat the surface, and with the stringer rake a smaller zig zag. Around the bead.

It's about heating the surface enough to move it, but not so much the whole bead is soupy.
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  #16  
Old 2015-06-28, 9:33pm
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Gonna try it tomorrow, thanks!!
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