|
Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2013-08-14, 8:05pm
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 08, 2010
Posts: 855
|
|
Arrowspring's new tungsten mandrels
I just came in from a day of torching without bead release!
Here are my tips on how to get to know these knew mandrels in no specific order.
*Your first several beads should be clear so you can see exactly how you work the glow to get them off the mandrel.
*You have to get tungsten hot for the glass to stick.
*In order to unstick it, you are going to heat the mandrel right at the sides of your bead and pop it off. You can do this with a punty or a marble grabber. I preferred my marble grabber. If you punty, you can still heat of any punty spots with the bead loose on the mandrel. If you do some clear beads you will see that you have to get that orange glow to travel up the mandrel from both sides before your bead will come loose.
*If I can do this anyone can do this.
|
2013-08-14, 8:32pm
|
|
Gay rights R human rights
|
|
Join Date: May 06, 2006
Location: Squamish BC Canada
Posts: 2,719
|
|
This is a disaster waiting to happen. Tungsten fumes are super toxic. Your ventilation better be damned good. No bead release is not worth your lungs.
__________________
Leslie
"Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes."
Remember kiddies..."WRAP IT BEFORE YOU NAP IT!!!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. bravo torch with 2 ex20's
|
2013-08-15, 3:07am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 14, 2012
Location: Bennington, VT
Posts: 1,776
|
|
tiggybubba, if you're getting the tungsten hot enough to fume (which is white hot) then you're doing it wrong.
__________________
now i've got a Mirage To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
|
2013-08-15, 7:21am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 09, 2005
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 6,802
|
|
These look really interesting. If they come out with a version with the tungsten in the middle of the mandrel instead of on the end I'll be ordering.
|
2013-08-15, 7:45am
|
|
I fart diamonds
|
|
Join Date: Jun 14, 2005
Location: Altamonte Springs, FL
Posts: 3,893
|
|
Pure tungsten doesn't pose a danger. It's tungsten with other crap mixed in that's a problem and shouldn't be used.
__________________
-Shawnette the original "everybody get a grip" girl
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
|
2013-08-15, 11:11am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 08, 2010
Posts: 855
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by SGA
Hmmm. Instead of going straight from flame to kiln, you have to pop it off the mandrel? That's introducing thermal cracks IMO.
|
You aren't cooling it down. Just getting the glow off. I don't put molten beads in my kiln. When I make off mandrel things I follow almost the same procedure.
|
2013-08-15, 11:19am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 31, 2008
Posts: 187
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by PattyK
These look really interesting. If they come out with a version with the tungsten in the middle of the mandrel instead of on the end I'll be ordering.
|
If the tungsten was in the middle, you wouldn't be able to get the bead off the mandrel as there is a slight bulge where the two metals are joined
Darrell
|
2013-08-15, 12:06pm
|
Super Duper
|
|
Join Date: Oct 30, 2005
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 541
|
|
The idea seems neat but I wouldn't want to punty onto the bead to pull it off. Seems like getting the punty off then smoothing over the join would be a huge waste of time.
Using hot fingers or even tweezers with loops on the end would be very convenient though, and I'd imagine the holes left by this method would be perfectly smooth which would be nice.
__________________
GTT Mirage, GTT Lynx, Smith's Little Torch
|
2013-08-15, 12:21pm
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 09, 2005
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 6,802
|
|
Very true Darrell .. I hadn't noticed that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dwgrant
If the tungsten was in the middle, you wouldn't be able to get the bead off the mandrel as there is a slight bulge where the two metals are joined
Darrell
|
|
2013-08-15, 1:59pm
|
Alaska Boro
|
|
Join Date: Dec 10, 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 1,065
|
|
With SS mandrels there is a tenancy for a wear spot to develop over time resulting in a dip (smaller OD) where the beads are made. If this should occur with tungsten it would then be an issue of bead removal.
A long term test would clarify this point.....
|
2013-08-19, 1:56am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 11, 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 575
|
|
I've seen tungsten mandrel used years ago and tried myself and there wasn't any need to touch the bead, just tilting the mandrel was enough for the bead to slide off.
__________________
Anne
Sea Rocks Tutorial To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Ebook To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Follow me on To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - My To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. shop
|
2013-08-19, 8:27am
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 27, 2008
Location: Albion NY
Posts: 517
|
|
Local welding shops should have the green tungsten rods about 7" long.
A pin vice or something may provide enough grip to work with.
The green tungsten is comercialy pure and used almost exclusively for tig welding aluminum.
It tends to be brittle and may break if it rolls of the bench.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
|
2013-08-22, 10:51am
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 05, 2005
Location: Northern Colorado foothills
Posts: 883
|
|
Hi! Well the prospect of not having to clean beads was so tempting that I immediately ordered one of each! They arrived and I spent a ton of time trying to get the beads too come off, but I was only successful one time. I have no clue how I did it LOL!
Is there a video somewhere I can watch that will show me how to do this?
Thanks!
__________________
Patti G.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Scorpion with 2 Regalia's on NG
|
2013-08-22, 11:18am
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: May 05, 2013
Location: NW Louisiana, for now...
Posts: 61
|
|
Lol, it dawned on me as I was reading that the level of knowledge and constructive debate in this thread alone (nevermind the rest of the forum) is mind-boggling, and even kind of intimidating! I have so much to learn about this stuff!
__________________
~Lisa~
"Good judgment comes from experience.. Which, unfortunately, comes from bad judgment."
“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”
|
2013-08-22, 1:13pm
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 03, 2010
Location: Manhattan, KS
Posts: 1,267
|
|
Beau Anderson developed this technique and he has taught it at the Gathering and in part of the Master Class he did at B&B. the trick to getting it off is to heat each side of the bead - about 3 seconds on each side until the bead loosens. I've always puntied it, but I would imagine marble holders would work. Once the bead is off the mandrel, you can poke the holes with the mandrel to help with the puckers. It's a neat technique, especially making disks. I'd start with that. Even Beau says he hasn't been able to do long beads on it yet. He does do hollows, which I tried, but didn't have success with.
As to safety, pure tungsten should be fine, but even Beau says don't heat the tungsten for more than 3 seconds at a time. And good ventilation is always important!
|
2013-08-24, 5:40am
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 11, 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 575
|
|
Beau figured out this technique a few years ago but it existed before that. I'd seen it used in the UK at least 5 years prior to that. I guess good ideas can develop in different places at the same time !
First time I heard about it was I think in 2004 (2005 ?) in Stourbridge, UK. I was taking a class with Shane Ferro and one of the guys in our class showed us that technique. Diana East was there too, she might remember.
__________________
Anne
Sea Rocks Tutorial To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Ebook To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - Follow me on To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - My To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. shop
|
2013-08-24, 6:08am
|
|
I'm the 1000th poster!!
|
|
Join Date: Sep 22, 2005
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 6,259
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by peggy593
Beau Anderson developed this technique and he has taught it at the Gathering and in part of the Master Class he did at B&B. the trick to getting it off is to heat each side of the bead - about 3 seconds on each side until the bead loosens. I've always puntied it, but I would imagine marble holders would work. Once the bead is off the mandrel, you can poke the holes with the mandrel to help with the puckers. It's a neat technique, especially making disks. I'd start with that. Even Beau says he hasn't been able to do long beads on it yet. He does do hollows, which I tried, but didn't have success with.
As to safety, pure tungsten should be fine, but even Beau says don't heat the tungsten for more than 3 seconds at a time. And good ventilation is always important!
|
The fact that I have compromised lungs with COPD would keep me from ever trying it or even being in the room with someone who was doing it.
I feel like my time is already probably limited and I will have to stop torching someday, why rush it? Even if it is a slim chance.
__________________
Debbie P
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
|
2013-08-24, 7:21am
|
|
I fart diamonds
|
|
Join Date: Jun 14, 2005
Location: Altamonte Springs, FL
Posts: 3,893
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pierces*designs
The fact that I have compromised lungs with COPD would keep me from ever trying it or even being in the room with someone who was doing it.
I feel like my time is already probably limited and I will have to stop torching someday, why rush it? Even if it is a slim chance.
|
Debbie, pure tungsten won't fume and can be heated for longer than 3 seconds. It's the best way to poke a clean hole for pendant bales.
I totally understand you being cautious, though. If you want to make sure you get the safe stuff, buy the pure ones locally at a welding shop. (That's what I do.)
__________________
-Shawnette the original "everybody get a grip" girl
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:49pm.
|