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

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  #1  
Old 2010-11-09, 11:58am
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GinnyHampton GinnyHampton is offline
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Default Etching large hollows

I took a class with Barbara Becker Simon recently and have been on a kick of making these big 'ol hollow beads.

I have a few that I want to etch . . . but . . . I'm wondering how could I plug up the holes so that the entire hollow bead doesn't get filled with etching solution? I don't think it would do any harm, but I prefer to just etch the outside and not have to worry with how I'll get the inside thoroughly cleaned out/rinsed out if it's been full of etching liquid.

I realize now I could have left the bead on the mandrel and etched it that way, but I have several loose beads that I'd like to etch.

So whacha think? What could I use to temporarily plug the holes?
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  #2  
Old 2010-11-09, 12:08pm
Firebrand Beads Firebrand Beads is offline
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teeny rubber stoppers? Twee little corks? the butt ends of birthday candles?
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  #3  
Old 2010-11-09, 12:09pm
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Some kind of clay maybe? Bluetac? the crayola product model magic might be good, it kind of squishes and expands again once dry so might provide a better seal. Or maybe those foam earplugs that you squish & they expand cut up.
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  #4  
Old 2010-11-09, 12:18pm
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I would use corks or something like silly putty. Otherwise, you're good to go with the etch on the mandrel idea for the future beads.
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  #5  
Old 2010-11-09, 12:22pm
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I vote for the corks myself. Earplugs or similar material might get all melty and gooey - eeewwww!
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  #6  
Old 2010-11-09, 12:45pm
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I would use clear finger nail polish, and then swab with remover, or zip with my dremel.
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  #7  
Old 2010-11-09, 1:32pm
philomena philomena is offline
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I usually put my hollows on a small shashlik spit. This closes the holes.

Kathrin
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  #8  
Old 2010-11-09, 1:54pm
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Great ideas everyone, thank you!!!

Where would I get tiny corks? They're mostly on 3/32 mandrels, but some were made on 1/8" mandrels.

The nailpolish idea is interesting . . . you'd have to figure out a way to 'paint' over the hole and fully seal it. Hmmmm.


Kathrin, what is a shashlik spit? A metal rod of some sort? That sounds interesting too.
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  #9  
Old 2010-11-09, 2:04pm
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Send an email to Barbara Becker Simon and ask. . .she should offer assistance since you just took a class from her. Will send PM to you.

Yvonne
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  #10  
Old 2010-11-09, 2:52pm
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Has anyone tried wax? One could use candle/cannin/paraffin wax which is rather hard or the softer bees wax. Then just heat gently to remove.
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  #11  
Old 2010-11-09, 3:12pm
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the clear nail polish idea is interesting - y not stick the mandrel back in and use nail polish to 'glue' it back on? dip etch & then use qtip w/ nail polish remover to clean up...
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  #12  
Old 2010-11-09, 3:20pm
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Oh hello! My brain was off. I did not read the hollows part. I think nail polish would be a PITA on hollows.
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  #13  
Old 2010-11-09, 4:22pm
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fimo clay shaped as stoppers?
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  #14  
Old 2010-11-09, 5:12pm
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How about pipe cleaners, Ginny, for the ones with 3/32" holes? I etch my big hollows made on 1/8" mandrel without plugging the holes - the solution drains out easily by tilting the hole with gloved fingers.
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  #15  
Old 2010-11-09, 6:22pm
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what about bamboo skewers? Seems they might be about the right size. Just off the top of my head.
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Old 2010-11-09, 6:23pm
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Ditto on Hayley's suggestion- I usually just tilt the bead and gently agitate it to let the solution out. Since I usually have baking soda inside the bead after neutralizing the etching solution, a waterpik gets the insides cleaned lickety-split. I go through A LOT of baking soda
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  #17  
Old 2010-11-09, 6:29pm
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I thought you had to put the etching solution into a plastic container because the acid would eat metal. If that's true, does metal contaminate the solution when you put it into the solution while you etch the bead? Or do you throw away your solution after etching? I reuse mine.

Or am I completely wrong about this? It was just an assumption on my part but now I'm curious.
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  #18  
Old 2010-11-09, 6:51pm
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I hang my on copper wire. If any gets in it isn't much.
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  #19  
Old 2010-11-09, 6:52pm
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Jennifer, I've used the same mandrels over and over in my solution and it hasn't harmed them at all. The solution naturally gets darker over time so I just toss it when it gets black... so I only switch out about once every 6 months - and i etch a lot!
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  #20  
Old 2010-11-10, 7:30am
philomena philomena is offline
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Oh Ginny, sorry, the shashlik spit is a wooden pick, like a tooth pik just bigger.
You usually use it to make shish kebab? Don't know if this is just a european thing.
It's round about 2mm diameter and it is perfect to put on beads for etching. Looks like a bead on the mandrel .

Kathrin
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  #21  
Old 2010-11-10, 11:06am
sallygg sallygg is offline
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Default brush on cream

I used to have a jar of etching cream, it was real thick, and I could just brush it on the surface of a bead, never dunking it in, you could see if that's still available.
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  #22  
Old 2010-11-10, 11:16am
harperdesigns harperdesigns is offline
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Pipe cleaners work great with the paste. Not sure with the liquid...never trusted myself with that stuff.
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  #23  
Old 2010-11-10, 11:35am
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Dip a mandrel and slide the bead back on. When dry, gently remove any bead release around the hole with a damp q-tip or the like. (This is theory only, I have not tried it.)
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  #24  
Old 2010-11-10, 8:05pm
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you could use the cream etch.
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  #25  
Old 2010-11-10, 10:58pm
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Insert half of a round toothpick in one side of the hole leaving a bit sticking out as a foot so the bead doesn't rest on the bottom of the bottle. Insert a whole toothpick in the other end which should give a decent sized handle. Then use a little bit of fabric paint where the toothpick meets the bead to seal off the hole completely. Allow to dry and etch. The fabric paint works as a great resist in etch, so it should work for this purpose too.
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  #26  
Old 2010-11-11, 7:06am
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Thanks again everyone!!
We actually have toothpicks, I think I'll try that
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