I need Bead release !

Freddy · #1 2009-09-15, 12:55pm

...I finally ran out of my old (possibly 8 year old) stash of bead release. It was called Smooth Bead Release, very similar to plaster of paris in color and smoothness. It could not be flame-dried and was rather fragile, but I loved it as it was so easy to work with and it made removing the beads off the mandrels a dream.
Unfortunately I cannot get anymore because the store in town where I bought it closed out a couple years ago. I have no clue who they got it from.

So now I am on a quest for a new brand, or even similar brand if you know what I am talking about.

What is your favorite brand ? What would you suggest I go with ?
Thanks so much in advance.
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<3

Elegance_1 · #2 2009-09-15, 1:20pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddy
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...I finally ran out of my old (possibly 8 year old) stash of bead release. It was called Smooth Bead Release, very similar to plaster of paris in color and smoothness. It could not be flame-dried and was rather fragile, but I loved it as it was so easy to work with and it made removing the beads off the mandrels a dream.
Unfortunately I cannot get anymore because the store in town where I bought it closed out a couple years ago. I have no clue who they got it from.

So now I am on a quest for a new brand, or even similar brand if you know what I am talking about.

What is your favorite brand ? What would you suggest I go with ?
Thanks so much in advance.
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<3

I use (and have a couple for sale) Foster Fire Smooth & Tuff. Works great with ALL glass. Never had any issues.
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If you need a 16 oz bottle, I've got one with your name on it.
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Freddy · #3 2009-09-15, 9:19pm

well, PMing you !
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Margrieten · #4 2009-09-15, 11:41pm

Last weekend we just have test 14 beadreleases with 6 beadmakers. There was also smooth beadrelease between it. You can order it at
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.
But the best beadrelease seems to be

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.

Perhaps this helps you!

I am writing a report at this moment about this test.

ThatFritGirl · #5 2009-09-16, 3:07am

How durable is it? I tend to do a LOT of tugging, mashing, abusing etc but I still want the poor bead to come off of the mandrel. I've been known to bend 3/32" mandrels...
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. I usually mix my own, but that's such a PITA.

Cherine Perrin · #6 2009-09-16, 3:30am

I am in love with FosterFire Smooth and Tuff.

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krisdaka · #7 2009-09-16, 4:56am

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This is what I want to try next. There are testimonials on this page.

blindmonkey · #8 2009-09-16, 5:45am

I love Mohawk Mud that Moretti and More has--you can flame dry it, it handles a lot of tough love when bead making, the beads come off easily (I hold the mandrel with a pair of needle nose pliers in my left hand and just twist off the bead in my right hand), and it cleans out fantastic with a dremel.

Elegance_1 · #9 2009-09-16, 5:45am

I started with hotline and I didn't like the way it performed. I dried my mandrels ahead of time (by a day or two) and it would flake off under the flame. Now maybe they have improved the forumula. I've been using Foster Fire for years now and it holds up under all the extreme and extended flame use with no ill effects.

In the near future I may be offering a brand new, not yet named bead release to the market that is 100% as good as Foster Fire!
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echeveria · #10 2009-09-16, 5:50am

I had that same experience with hotline. Sometimes if the mandrels sat around for a week or two, it flaked off just sitting there, in weird little ovals.

I use Bucket 'O Mud or Smooth and Tuff for small round beads, and then if I am going to use a press or do a lot of tugging, I use Fusion. Fusion seems to hold up better in a press, but is just a tad more difficult to get off the mandrel. But not TOO hard, IYKWIM.

[Hey Fr3d!]

lnew · #11 2009-09-16, 5:51am

ah, the never ending quest for the perfect bead release.... I've yet to find one that I'm perfectly happy with. Some of the Foster Fire ones are lumpy and leave pits in the holes of my beads. Lately I'm using a nice smooth gray one (Sludge?) but I need fabric softener to get them off the mandrel and it's very messy.

lnew · #12 2009-09-16, 5:54am

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisdaka
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This is what I want to try next. There are testimonials on this page.

How does this hold up to tugging and squashing beads and large focals?

playswithfire104 · #13 2009-09-16, 5:55am

Another FF Smooth and Tough lover here!

beadgal · #14 2009-09-16, 7:33am

Fusion!!!

Freddy · #15 2009-09-16, 12:04pm

well thank you for all your input, all of you
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<3
I will try my hand at Smooth and Tuff I think
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tgslampwork · #16 2009-09-16, 12:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisdaka
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This is what I want to try next. There are testimonials on this page.

This is hands-down the best release for transparent beads. I never, ever, ever need to use anything but a few back and forth motions of the original mandrel as I'm taking the bead off to get the hole incredibly clean with this release. However (and there's always a however, right?) - the mandrels dipped with this release must be used relatively soon (less than a week) or the release flakes almost as soon as it gets warm. It's also not an incredibly strong release - but I just keep that in mind when I'm using it.

For me there's not a single perfect release...so I have three in the studio...each with their own sets of pros and cons...but the Kragg is UNBELIEVABLE with transparents. Really. And getting the beads off of those mandrels is stupidly simple. No pliers -- I don't even *need* to soak the mandrels or run in water. They slide off so easy it's amazing.

FosterFire · #17 2009-09-16, 1:11pm

I used to make FosterFire, so I rarely speak up when asked about a brand and I am still partial to mine, of course, but I would avoid the HotLine bead release.

Pat · #18 2009-09-17, 7:49am

I like Fusion as Foster Fire is impossible to get at the moment.

FosterFire · #19 2009-09-17, 8:00am

You can get FosterFire from
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You can also get it from Barb who posted above as Elegance_1. Fusion is good release and there's a new one put out by Jamey Lynn as well.

dreambeader · #20 2009-09-17, 9:56am

Does anyone else use Alice's Bead Release? I work in boro and it really does it's job!

2xMI · #21 2009-09-17, 10:14am

I've used Alice's Bead Release for years and haven't (yet) had a reason to change.

Mimi

Elizabeth Beads · #22 2009-09-17, 9:07pm

Arrowsprings Blue Sludge wins hands down for me. Goes on smooth and thin, hangs tough and I haven't had a stuck bead yet (but I do bend 3/32 mandrels all the time).
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Freddy · #23 2009-09-17, 11:22pm

I like the idea of Kragg for the transparent beads ! Too bad indeed about the shelf life...
My old bead release could last years... I have used mandrels dipped months, even a few years ago (when I took a 2 year break from beadmaking) and the release still held just fine ! that was a fun observation ^^

(hi Echeveria ! <3 !)

tmmopar73 · #24 2009-09-18, 6:44am

if you are a mandrel bender or tough on release then bucket o mudd from frantz is the only way to go.i comes of the mandrel very easy and cleans up well.also it can be flame dried or air dried.if you air dry it can be left for up to 5 months with no cracking.sometimes as others do it thickens but just add a couple of DROPS of distilled water.
thats my opioin
Tammy

Carols Glass · #25 2009-09-18, 10:00am

I just tried out JameyLynn of Howaco's Michigan Mud last night. I dipped the mandrels and a little while later I made beads on the mandrels. No flaking at all, the bead release held perfectly through pressing crystal beads pictured in the tutorial section "taking silver by storm".

Today, I had to give it the easy off test. I put them in water and proceeded to get them off easily immediately with no wait at all and the bead release just wiped right off of the mandrels. I have Fusion bead release I could have dipped the mandrels in after cleaning the mandrels but I chose Jamey Lynns. (It was very easy to dip the middle of the mandrels in, too!)