Flame Cutting Rods and Stringers

brandy514 · #1 2011-01-16, 12:35am

Okay, so, second question

... I haven't seen much on this specifically ...
I have been reading a lot of the posts on stringers, making them, using them and found some of the excellent tutorials on here (one of my favs: http://www.jcherrell.com/practice.htm). What I can't seem to get is how to flame cut the stringer or rod without pulling another stringer in the process. I was guessing that I was getting too much of the glass hot and tried to just get the tip hot, but then when I apply, it seems to get cold too fast to pull off and then when I point the flame at the part where I want to cut, it gets like honey. Any suggestions? I am guessing it's just practice, but ... man-alive it is frustrating to get pretty little dots and then these goofy little lines here and there.

Thanks!
Brandy

brandy514 · #2 2011-01-16, 12:35am

BTW, my stringers are starting to come out awesome ... so are my twisties. I may give up on trying to use them on beads and just make a full time hobby out of making them!

JCHerrellGlass · #3 2011-01-16, 1:26pm

Hi, Brandy! (Thank you! YAY! Good for you!) My best suggestion on the rod is to very gently, very slightly pull the rod apart right before or when it gets to the mushy, honey stage while in the flame. The glass will tend to ball up on each rod and then separate. Or, when it's honey like and you pull then as soon as you start to realize that you're going to get a stringer that you don't want, - stop, let it cool a little and then either put the little stringer-ish part in the flame and pull it gently apart OR, pinch the skinny part with a cool pliers/tweezers and it'll snap apart. (That's kinda a cheat - but I'm a big fan of doing whatever is most comfortable for you.)

The same things apply, on a super micro level, to flame cutting stringer. Though I must admit that I find the tapered end of a flame-cut stringer super handy on many occasions. But if I want a blunt end on my stringer I simply snap it with a tweezers or pliers.

jaci · #4 2011-01-16, 1:39pm

That was a great visual explanation JC.

Another thing you can do is to heat the section gently that you want to cut, and lay it on your bench, then take a drop of water (dip a knife in your water jar and fake cut he rod, it works) then tap it and it will break apart. The only downfall to this method is it tends to make the end of the stringer/rod a bit crumbly, if it is thicker. The crumble part usually falls off. It is probably time to invest in a pair of nippers!!! I love mine! I have disc nippers. A tiny bit of a learning curve, but when you get it, its awesome!

brandy514 · #5 2011-01-16, 2:58pm

thanks ladies!

artsyuno · #6 2011-01-16, 3:27pm

You can also dip needle nose pliers in water and then use them to break the warm stringer.

PerfectDeb · #7 2011-01-16, 4:32pm

i pull my stringer with tweezers then i have a pair of pliers on the desk that are always cold, i just gently hold the hot stringer with them and it snaps off

but in reading your post again i think you really mean when you're putting dots on a bead yes?

place your dot and push down gently to make it firmly fix the pull the stringer back up through the flame quickly - it takes practice but the trick is in the speed, if you pull slowly and come out of the flame you'll get a tail, this is not always a problem because you'll find if you flash that back throug the flame it will ball nicely back into the dot you just made anyway

JCHerrellGlass · #8 2011-01-16, 9:07pm

good catch, Deb!

jaci · #9 2011-01-16, 10:49pm

It is easier (i think) to teach yourself how to flame cut stringer on a bead by starting with a hairline stringer. You let it ball up in a very low flame, and you can SEE what is happening when you pull. Move on to a slightly larger thin stringer, and repeat. keep moving up in size. by the time you get to a rod you will be a pro! You will also know the feel of your glass better. It only takes 2 or 3 flame cuts per thickness to get it. Maybe a bit more just to find your sweet spot with each stringer. Good luck! I find that if your stringer where you want to cut it, is in the hottest part of the flame, it will do the work for you, you may have to be patient with it at first.

OH you can always take the i am just messing around and dont care how my test bead looks method, and take a stringer, and try to dot, as fast as possible, try to flame cut as you go! by the time that bead is dotty, you will have gotten it!!!! You should also find that your dots are placed slower as you get to the end of the dotting process, as you find your spot. Make sure to watch the flame, and where it is 'cutting' the glass....

brandy514 · #10 2011-01-16, 11:32pm

thanks gals! jaci - that's pretty much what i ended up doing this evening. i think i am getting, it's sooo frustrating. i want to be able to control it a little better ... practice. lot's of it. i read an article about how to get those perfect little donut shaped spacers - the person said to make 100 of them, and then make 100 more. great suggestion. i made 6 and then went back to playing with colors!

i think i need to learn patience, LOL.

jaci · #11 2011-01-17, 9:26am

haha!! I have the same problem!! although this year Is the first year that I have been able to make 100 beads and 100 more, no problem... Odd But I finally did it! it only took me uh.. 13 years!! LOL I never had the patience!!! Especially on the HH. I was using valuable gas!!

not gonna waste that on spacers!!!!! haha.. Now I have a Minor, and it seems like I have an unlimited supply of fire...

And it all melts so much faster!

brandy514 · #12 2011-01-17, 10:04am

Ah, Jaci! You crack me up, LOL. I am on a HH ... I think it's probably good, because it's slow to melt the glass and I think it's teaching me more than if I had a different torch (and will maybe help me get to that point where I can control better) BUT ... yeah, 6 spacers took me 25 minutes and all I could think at the end was this is goofy ... it's going to take me 5 or 6 cans of gas at this rate ... of course, I think I am supposed to get faster at it, but ... whatever. LOL. maybe I will when I have a bench torch in my studio (when I have a studio. hahaha). it would be cool to have a few hundred spacers to match up to some other neat beads.

Edited to Add: $50 worth gas to make them would drive me batty - MAPP is so expensive and I can't seem to figure out where my beads won't get that mucky look in propane. gah!

PerfectDeb · #13 2011-01-17, 3:30pm

i found that Corina Tettingers DVD on stringer was really good - lots of ahha! moments for me - its not expensive and well worth it

brandy514 · #14 2011-01-17, 7:47pm

Thanks Deb - I think I saw that one on the Frantz site - might be worth getting the next time I place an order for glass.