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

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  #1  
Old 2009-07-10, 11:31am
pamsummers pamsummers is offline
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Question Help with cracking bead???

Does anyone have any suggestions with large or sculptural beads cracking? I try to keep the bead warm all over but I think I get so involved with adding something in one area I don't get back soon enough to keep it evenly warm. I have a tendency to make large sculptural beads with alot of detail and I am never satisfied and always going back to fix something or change it. I try to warm the area where I will be adding something, I usually work on the bead for at least an hour or more - sometimes I think I get frustrated and tired. Should I put the bead in the kiln and then go back and work on it in a few minutes or if I am going to add a detail could I make it off the mandrel and add it to the bead? I have heard of people making parts, keeping them in the kiln and then adding them to the bead, has anyone had any results with this?

Thanks Pam
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Old 2009-07-10, 11:49am
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Pam, honestly, I make huge beads with lots of detail and what you have to do is every few seconds, go back and throw heat into the entire bead again. Just because you are working on one area, it doesn't mean the rest of the bead is getting any heat. I have tried putting beads into the kiln for a few minutes, but many, many times, when you introduce it back into the flame it will crack, or even explode. Not fun.
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Old 2009-07-10, 1:46pm
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Yep just what Pam said!! Often when working on a bead you think you are keeping your bead warm when you really arent. If your beads are cracking you should probably reheat the bead twice as many times as you are currently.
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Old 2009-07-11, 11:15am
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yup what everyone else said. you really have to keep an eye on the rest of your bead especially when fine tuning details. i constantly watch the colours of the different areas to see when they're starting to lose their glow (looks different on various glass colours) and then regularly flash those areas in the upper part of the flame to evenly reheat them before going back to work on a particular area.

also, every once in a while i also slowly reheat the whole bead to the core far out in the flame so fine details aren't destroyed and then begin working on the sculpting and decorating again.

i have popped beads into the kiln mid-way and gone back to them minutes, hours or even weeks later but it takes patience and practice to reheat them and begin work again. i sometimes run out of patience during the reheating process and generally end up having a stringer or other decoration pop off or one of the ends crack if i move too fast. as long as the damage doesn't ruin the design that area can be slowly healed in the flame and you can continue working... exploding beads teach you pretty quickly when you're moving too fast, LOL.
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Old 2009-07-11, 12:15pm
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Also, when you are warming the bead in between steps, it takes a while. You have to take your time and make sure the heat is going all the way into the core of the bead. I think your core is getting too cool. It might look like the bead is hot, but it's only the surface.

For very large sculptural pieces, I often have two torches going. I am fortunate enough to have purchased a Japanese torch that has a very large soft flame only using air and propane. I keep that lit right next to me to bathe my piece in it, and then back into my other torch to do the detail work. I know many don't have this luxury, but I am so glad I purchased that torch. Originally, it was to work with Satake, but it's invaluable for large scale pieces.
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Old 2009-07-12, 12:06am
pamsummers pamsummers is offline
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Default Thanks for the information it really helped.

Thanks everyone for your help, I started making a little smaller beads and applying all of your helpful hint - I haven't got them out of the kiln yet. When I have conquered the smaller size I will gradually increase the size, I will just keep practicing until I get it. I think I just get to involved in the design and don't watch it close enough. Thanks Pam
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