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Beads of Courage


 
  #1  
Old 2006-10-20, 8:03am
Elaina Elaina is offline
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Default Button Bead

Please someone post a tutorial on making buttons. Two hole and loop on the back.

Thank You,
Elaina
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  #2  
Old 2006-10-20, 9:57am
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monarae monarae is offline
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I've never made buttons before. The loop on the back would be pretty easy though.

Make your small loop on the mandrel. Add glass for the botton; smash flat but maintain loop on mandrel. Decorate. Top with clear or not. Another way would be to start an off mandrel button, like a pendant.

Start with the back glass; melt blob, smash, decorate, top with clear and round out. Punty up to the clear and melt off rod from back, melt in flat. Set aside. Make one or two small spacers for loops, reintroduce button back to flame and attach to loops. Melt or tap of face punty, rewarm/polish, and put in kiln.

I suppose one could use two mandrels, perhaps stablized by a wooden spacer and taped together. I know there are special button mandrels for sale too.

Mona
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Last edited by monarae; 2006-10-20 at 10:01am.
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  #3  
Old 2006-10-20, 10:27am
barb barb is offline
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The easist way for the two-three-four hole buttons are with the special button mandrels.

I make the loop buttons like Mona explained.

Barb
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  #4  
Old 2006-10-20, 11:22am
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Phoenix Phoenix is offline
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Quick and easy looped (better for things like crocheted purses than delicate shirts)

-make a small base bead
-blob on (technical term) a base color of glass until it's the size you want your button or just smaller- just blob one side
-heat blob and shape as desired- I like the base of a spree press
-decorate
-reshape if needed
-anneal

or- finish reading Mona's explanation first...she did a good job
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  #5  
Old 2006-10-20, 11:39am
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MaryBeth MaryBeth is offline
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Here is any easy way to do a glass loop on the back:

1. Make your basic button and decorate.

2. Attach a punty (use a small attachment point and the same color glass as the button attachment point) to the front and burn off the rod on the back except for a small amount.

3. Round up the small amount of rod that is on the back of the button into a large dot.

4. Smash the dot flat with a masher tool. At this point the dot should look like a thick disk standing up on the back of your button.

5. Heat up a tungsten pick until it is glowing orange. (Do not overheat tungsten as the fumes are toxix.) Slowly push the pick through one side of the disk and then the other to create a hole. Enlarge the hole as necessary.

6. Let the newly created loop cool and then grab it with tweezers - burn off the punty on the front of the button. Fire polish the attachment point.

7. Put the button in the kiln.


The method creates the best-looking glass loops on buttons that I have ever seen.
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  #6  
Old 2006-10-20, 12:15pm
Bobby Bobby is offline
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Default botton mandrels

I needed bottons quickly for a present. I taped 3 of the med sized mandrels together and dipped 3 of the small mandrels and wired them together. When they came out of the kiln I took the wire off and the buttons came off the release very easy. Pictures........hopefully are better than words................

Bobby


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  #7  
Old 2006-10-25, 12:47pm
Just Nancy Just Nancy is offline
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I've been thinking about doing something similar Bobby. Thanks.
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  #8  
Old 2006-10-25, 6:20pm
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Mustang Dawn Mustang Dawn is offline
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You should rent the video Smircich Makes Beads vol 2. It shows a really easy way to make the loop on the back of the button. You can rent this video and other great videos at www.SmartFlix.com They have a lot of great glass videos and have great service. I sometimes have to wait a week or two for a video but they are worth the wait

Have a great night,

Dawn
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  #9  
Old 2006-10-26, 3:55am
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beachbeads beachbeads is offline
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Make a small tube bead. A 1/16th mandrel is best as any larger will bulge out from clothing it is sewn on.
Add a dot of the base color to one side. Mash this dot and side side flat.
Build up the flat side with circular rings around the edges, ( you are not adding glass ontop but to the side of the flattened area).
Melt in to smoothe circular buildup and flatten again. This is a great time to use one part of a lentil press.( you press the "button" are into lentil mold to get a raised shape
Decorate.
They also look really good if you decorate the flattened area and then heavily encase and then press into lentil mold to create a paperweight button.
Hope this makes sense, My studio is broke down for my big move or I would take some photo's.
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Last edited by beachbeads; 2006-10-26 at 4:26am.
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  #10  
Old 2006-10-26, 4:03am
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beachbeads beachbeads is offline
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I tried to find a photo but this was all I could find I have on my computer, ( Some very very old beads!) the flowers are made with the same idea, make a base, flatten and build up.The end result is you have a glass shank on the back.
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  #11  
Old 2006-10-26, 4:17am
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beachbeads beachbeads is offline
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I found a link and a few more!http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show...sunflower+bead this one shows how to make a bead or button with bad photo's by me a while ago! But it shows the back button shank and the idea well.


and a great tutorial by Evan http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show...t=bead+buttons I love his tools, and had to make a bunch of buttons once so had to make some more mandrels with 2 holes.
I made my 2 hole button mandrels by duck taping two 1/16th mandrels around a chopstick, and made several of these. The disadvantage is I have to blanket or vermiculate cool them and take off mandrel before annealing, but I have made 100's of buttons and none have broken! Just another step as this way I could afford to make several buttons at once of same design when at the time I couldn't afford several of the double mandrels to make sets, and have stuck with it. The manufactured mandrels have the advantage of going right into kiln, but sometimes I make 20 or more of the same button design and that's alot of $ for mandrels! I am a true fan of Inspiration toolworks though if you think of buying some button mandrels, I love his work! http://www.inspirationtoolworks.com/lampworking/
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Last edited by beachbeads; 2006-10-27 at 1:59am.
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