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

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  #1  
Old 2015-09-12, 4:18pm
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GabiLoraine GabiLoraine is offline
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Default Why does this happen?

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  #2  
Old 2015-09-12, 7:04pm
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If you are asking about the bead release cracking I think that is because the release needs to be kept warmer (warmish).

If that is a hollow bead it will come down to getting the timing on the heat control in to a habit.


I think I have heard comments about some bead release brands keeping a better grip when it is hot and then letting go when it cools and some others don't let go very well even when they are cold.

Its a juggle.

Pretty bead.

If you are not talking about the cracking bead release then I missed the problem.
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  #3  
Old 2015-09-13, 12:36am
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Or the sharp bead ends? If so, when you lay your initial glass footprint down make sure it is smoother and there is enough glass for the bead you are making. Also, take time to heat the glass and ensure your glass comes down to the mandrel all around the bead. Heat the ends of the bead and the them form a pucker, in essences the glass is moving and almost overflowing the edge of the bead as it "collapses" if that makes sense.

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  #4  
Old 2015-09-13, 7:06am
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My take on bead release cracking:

1.Bead release is supposed to stay on when hot, and release when cold (otherwise you wouldn't get your beads off the mandrel). So letting the mandrel get too cold may be an issue.

2. The mandrel expands when hot and contracts when cold, so having it repeatedly go hot/cold, hot/cold, as compared to evenly hot/warm may be an issue. I suspect these first two issues are why I have this sort of problem when I use brass presses.

3. If your mandrels are brand new, they may be very smooth and the bead release may not stick well. Some people recommend using a scouring pad on them. I just use them a couple of times.

4. Some brands of bead release are better than others. Try a few different ones.

5. How thick or thin you apply it to the mandrel may be an issue.

6. If you diluted the bead release with tap water instead of distilled water, this will affect the release.

7. The humidity of your location will affect bead release performance, so there is no perfect release for all locations. So a personal recommendation makes more sense if they work in a similar climate to you. Hot dry Texas is not the same as muggy Florida. Summer is not the same as winter.

8. If your working style/technique causes any torque on the bead release it is more likely to crack. I find this a problem with bigger beads on thin mandrels.

9. If you didn't heat the mandrel and release enough to fully drive off all the moisture before applying the glass, it might cause a problem (although more likely to just cause some bubbles which seems to more obvious with white glass).

10. If your bead release is not thoroughly mixed, it won't work as well. Before dipping mandrels, vigorously shake/mix the bead release, then tap the bottle on the table to help the bubbles come to the surface. Having some broken or unusable spacer beads in your container helps the mixing. Make sure your cap is on tight as most bead makers have made a mess at least once. (I always hold two fingers over the cap as I shake.)

I'm sure there are more possibilities, but this is what comes to mind.

Darrell
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  #5  
Old 2015-09-13, 10:01am
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Default Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! I think in my case the most likely reasons are these:

Quote:
Originally Posted by dwgrant View Post

1.Bead release is supposed to stay on when hot, and release when cold (otherwise you wouldn't get your beads off the mandrel). So letting the mandrel get too cold may be an issue.

2. The mandrel expands when hot and contracts when cold, so having it repeatedly go hot/cold, hot/cold, as compared to evenly hot/warm may be an issue. I suspect these first two issues are why I have this sort of problem when I use brass presses.

6. If you diluted the bead release with tap water instead of distilled water, this will affect the release.

7. The humidity of your location will affect bead release performance, so there is no perfect release for all locations. So a personal recommendation makes more sense if they work in a similar climate to you. Hot dry Texas is not the same as muggy Florida. Summer is not the same as winter.

8. If your working style/technique causes any torque on the bead release it is more likely to crack. I find this a problem with bigger beads on thin mandrels.
but the other reasons are all possibilities also... Thank you so much! So basically... it will keep happening hahaha because there is NO WAY I can control all of those factors.

about the sharp edges... get off my case! hahaha I am aware... heat control is a challenge for me.

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  #6  
Old 2015-09-13, 10:10am
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As I was making more last night I noticed that this problem was only happening on one side of the bead (this side) possibly because I was manipulating that side a little more forcefully? So instead of bending the disks with tweezers I made the last two (the bean colored and green one) by just making the disks more cup shaped and then pushing in with a marver...
Imagine my dismay at the dark blue one...
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  #7  
Old 2015-09-13, 10:58am
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btw I see that these images are huge but I am posting them from Tapatalk from my iphone and I don't know how to make them smaller :S
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Old 2015-09-13, 1:37pm
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Yours look better than mine ever did Gabby.

I get the impression that heat control is one of those learned habit things/
Make one hundred of something / anything and some of the routine stuff becomes a habit that you don't even think about anymore.

Keeping things toasty and not putting force on the bead release are alot like learning to drive a stick shift truck.
You just gotta do it a few dozen dozen times and hope the owner of the truck doesn't take your head off for grinding the clutch.

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Old 2015-09-13, 2:12pm
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Gabiloraine,
About the sharp edges. I was not "on your case" you showed a photograph and you were very vague about what issue you needed assistance with. I was actually trying to be helpful. Perhaps you may be more specific when asking for advice in the future.

Otter
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  #10  
Old 2015-09-13, 4:24pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedslug View Post
Yours look better than mine ever did Gabby.



I get the impression that heat control is one of those learned habit things/

Make one hundred of something / anything and some of the routine stuff becomes a habit that you don't even think about anymore.



Keeping things toasty and not putting force on the bead release are alot like learning to drive a stick shift truck.

You just gotta do it a few dozen dozen times and hope the owner of the truck doesn't take your head off for grinding the clutch.




I hear you!!! Hahaha
Thanks for the compliments.
I loved driving my stick shift truck... But I did abuse it a lot. I like that analogy. So... I probably have like 85 beads to go or so?
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  #11  
Old 2015-09-14, 6:29pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GabiLoraine View Post


As I was making more last night I noticed that this problem was only happening on one side of the bead (this side) possibly because I was manipulating that side a little more forcefully? So instead of bending the disks with tweezers I made the last two (the bean colored and green one) by just making the disks more cup shaped and then pushing in with a marver...
Imagine my dismay at the dark blue one...
When making hollows, I don't use tools at all to manipulate the disks otherwise the bead release will often break. Instead I cup the disks towards one another, then seal the gap between them. Once sealed and reheated, tools can safely be used on the bead without breaking the bead release.
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  #12  
Old 2015-09-14, 7:05pm
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Yes that's what I did and it worked...
I don't love doing it like that because those cup shapes are not so easy!
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