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

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  #1  
Old 2015-02-21, 10:32pm
LunadelaOssa LunadelaOssa is offline
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Default What length of mandrel?

Wow! Almost there. I've been working on carving out a 8'X8' space in a spare bedroom to set up a "studio". We are actually at the point of figuring out the amperage draw for the equipment, and I'm beginning to look at tools. I will be purchasing a bead annealing kiln, but have no idea in the least what happens to those mandrels during the whole annealing process, and what is the best length to work with. I took a class and the teacher annealed after we all left, the ends of the mandrels were left sticking out at the end of our session. Are they annealed sticking out like this? And what is the difference between using a 9" and a 12" mandrel? TIA

Claire
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  #2  
Old 2015-02-22, 2:32am
Alaska Alaska is offline
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If you are making your own mandrels, then the length of the stainless TIG rod will determine overall length. The rod comes in 36 inch lengths, thus if the full length is used it is 3 or 4 mandrels per rod. Some rod has the type stamped on one or both ends which will limit useful length.

If the kiln is deep enough, length is of no concern if you anneal with beads on the mandrel. In my case, the beads are removed and then batch annealed at some later date. Thus mandrel length does not figure into the workflow.
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  #3  
Old 2015-02-22, 7:30am
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Flonche Flonche is offline
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I buy my 1/16" mandrels in 12" length because I tend to bend them easily and that way I can cut off the bent end and keep using it. I retire them when they're about 6" long.
I use 9" length for everything else.
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  #4  
Old 2015-02-22, 7:39am
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echeveria echeveria is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flonche View Post
I buy my 1/16" mandrels in 12" length because I tend to bend them easily and that way I can cut off the bent end and keep using it. I retire them when they're about 6" long.
I use 9" length for everything else.
That is what I do too. I guess mine aren't quite 12" because I cut off that little stamped part. But close enough.

Yes, the annealing cycle is run with the mandrel ends sticking out. That was a real aha moment for me when I started. I was driving myself batty trying to match mandrel dimensions to kiln dimensions.
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Old 2015-02-22, 4:13pm
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I usually use 12" mandrels because I like working in the middle of the mandrel. I get much better control when marvering and can use both hands at once or easel switch back and forth.

The ends do stick out the bead door.

Georgia
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  #6  
Old 2015-02-22, 6:57pm
losthelm losthelm is offline
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Its personal preference.
I just shipped out an order for 7" mandrels.
Though my regular orders are 9" or around 11"

Its harder to make multiple beads or longer beads on short mandrels.
Shorter mandrels are also harder to bend.

Often short mandrels are used with an hand vice, pin vice, or eletric mandrel spinner.
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  #7  
Old 2015-02-22, 9:50pm
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And remember that it is not the mandrel that is getting annealed, it is the glass bead on the end so having a lot of the metal hanging out is not an issue at all as long as the bead is inside and the door closes properly.

I just reminded someone else that a lot of mandrels can still have oils on them from the manufacturing process and that oil can play havoc with trying to get the bead release to stay put with hot molten glass on it.
So wash your new mandrels with soap and water and even give them a good once over with steel wool or emery cloth to give them a rough surface so the bead release has something to grab ahold to.

I leave the stamped marks on the welding rod and just use the other end to make my beads on.

Oh and give both tips a light touch with a metal file to round over the burs on the ends from cutting them to length. Those burs can leave a very nice cut in the most sensitive parts of your finger at the most inopportune times.
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Old 2015-02-23, 12:17am
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I really don't like to stack beads in the kiln (I guess old superstitious habits die hard) so I prefer the longer mandrels because it makes it easy to stagger beads towards the front and towards the rear in the kiln to maximize space. It also gives your hands a little more distance from the heat when you are loading beads into the kiln.
I confess I just use the opposite end of the mandrel if I bend one, and if both ends get bent, I just throw the mandrel away rather than mess with cutting it down. I don't bend a lot of mandrels, so it isn't much of a waste.
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  #9  
Old 2015-02-23, 1:53am
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I cut up several lengths of 'hardware cloth' into staggered height racks for inside my kiln so I have 4 rows of 8 inch wide fingers to hang my beads on while annealing. I gave it a good firing in the kiln before using it and cleaned the burned off crap off the kiln floor first.

Also I use a pair of forceps with a couple of groves cut into into the faces to grab the ends of my mandrels to get the beads into the kiln without losing the hair on my fingers anymore.
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Old 2015-02-23, 6:02am
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I prefer 9" mandrels because I find the 12" ones more awkward to handle - more likely to get the handle end caught on something and because my kiln is small, they don't balance so well when they're that long.
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  #11  
Old 2015-02-23, 12:45pm
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I prefer the 12s but I use a mix of 9 and 12. I do stack beads on my rack in the kiln but not when I first put them in. I put them in in a single layer until I'm out of room. I then start stacking over on the left. New beads go on the right until the next one is done. Last bead gets stacked, new on on its own for a few. My bead door does not fully close but it's close enough with the handles sticking out. It's just a crack, I use a conservative schedule, and it's brick so it holds the heat well.
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  #12  
Old 2015-02-23, 3:58pm
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If your using hardware cloth for a bead rest make sure its not galvanized or otherwise treated.
Paints, zink, and other treatments are not good for you, your kiln, or the beads.
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