Best way to clean beads? Share your secret!

[AVTrout]

So far, all I've got is to soak them in water and then use a diamond reamer.
I read somewhere to soak them in Efferdent overnight. I bought Efferdent but never have the patience to let them alone for a whole night! I also have a little bristly brush I got at Wale Apparatus but that is a painfully slow and long process. When I see everyone's beads, the insides - especially the large hole beads - look so smooth. My beads always look like I scratched the heck out of the insides (diamond reamer). What do YOU do to clean em? Please share!

[NLC Beads]

I wet them down, brush off the bead release on either side of the bead, then soak them in hot soapy water for about 10-15 minutes (or when I remember that I've left them there...)

Then I just use the mandrel to clean them, swish it up and down, pushing against each side, dipping a lot in the soapy water, and it seems to get them fairly clean, even the clear ones.

I've also used pipe cleaners in the past, or the little bristle brush if I want to try a little bit more... But 99% of my beads are fine this way; I'm too afraid of chipping them with a drill/Dremel.

Some people with transparent colors use a bit of floor wax in the center to make the hole more transparent.

Hope this helps!

[Kevan]

I stick them in the sink, twist them off and then ream them with my rotary tool. Or did, the charger died today and it's only a month old.

[Carolyn M]

Dremel with diamond bead reamers from Widget supplies. Removes every last speck of bead release.

[Lorraine Chandler]

Hi, I use very thin watered down release. It is so thin I can see the mandrel through it. I bring the beads in on the mandrels and put them into a jar of hot soapy water and let them soak a day or more...(whenever I get to them them actually) then I rinse to get the soap off..most of the release falls off too, then I remove the beads and then I scrape the mandrels together, one over the other where the release is and the rest of the release comes off pretty easily. If any beads are stuck I just put on rubber gloves and keep twisting the bead in one direction while gently pulling it toward the end of the mandrel until it comes off. This keeps me from bending my mandrels.

Then I put the beads in a bowl of warm water and get out my Dremel and BeadReamers and one or two passes through the holes and I'am done!
Lorraine

[Lee]

Soak 'em in B-Brite for 15 minutes.

[swanseafarm]

I use water and a diamond bit reamer and then a little glass cleaner, like Windex.

[Holly]

http://www.artintheround.com/
Besides my Creation Station, this has been the biggest help in my studio.
It saves me loads of time and the holes come out so perfect.

[Carols Glass]

Since I received the Beadreamers by Art in the Round, cleaning beads is so easy! They come so clean so quickly. Now my routine is to soak them, get the beads off the mandrel, drop them into a bowl of shallow water and clean them under deep water with the Beadreamer and my dremel with the flex attachment. I have the 1/16", the 3/32", and the 1/8" and I'm so glad I purchased them. I highly recommend them.
Before that, I could never get them clean with the Dremel diamond bit I purchased at Lowe's.

[squid]

I can see how the beadreamer works well for some people, but apparently my bead release is thicker than others as the beadreamer is not quite big enough to do what it is supposed to do. I use fosterfire and it is just thicker than what the beadreamer will clean out.

[Anne Ricketts]

Originally Posted by Holly Cooper

http://www.artintheround.com/
Besides my Creation Station, this has been the biggest help in my studio.
It saves me loads of time and the holes come out so perfect.

I just got mine and I wish I would have gotten one sooner! I can't believe how fast it cleans them!! I love mine!

[FourTailsLampwork]

My worry about the Beadreamer ad other things that work witha Dremel--how the devil do you keep from puncturing your fingers? I keep poking mine just with the manual reamer in a pin vise that I got from HF. Blood o bead release isn't pretty. I'm afraid a Dremel, with its heavy power, will run a hole right through my fingers. I'd like to use my old Dremel, but ...

I know someone else when I mentioned this problem elsewhere said that she used a cordless screwdriver. I can't find any that use a pin-vise type chuck rather than the hex chuck. Anyone with any experience there?

[Carols Glass]

The Beadreamer has a blunt end and I can't imagine it would poke a hole in your finger.

[jazz's glass]

Originally Posted by Carolyn M

Dremel with diamond bead reamers from Widget supplies. Removes every last speck of bead release.

This is what I use, too. I've bumped my fingers a few times, but no blood yet, not even a scratch.



Love my dremel . . .

[FourTailsLampwork]

Now that makes more sense. Al the ones I've seen have had pointier ends, but I'll definitely give this one a try, then. Thanks!

[Lorraine Chandler]

I use Foster Fire too. I followed the directions for using the BeaDreamer and I really thin it down..to where I can see through it. I really like how easy it is to use and I never have any problems with it when I am torching. Glass goes right on.

The holes in my beads are not too big for the reamer. I get to clean them right down to the glass. My bead release should last until 2030
at this rate!


I use a small cordless Dremel and I hold the bead between my fingers in a very good grip with the bead at an angle that is comfortable to place the reamer into it from. If you do not trust your grip a pair of rubber gloves or finger cots would work.

I hold a donut shaped spacer between my thumb and forefinger and index finger on my left hand, then I tip my thumb down to about 3 o'clock and my forefinger is at 11 o'clock. Then the dremel and reamer is in my right hand and goes perfectly into the bead. Takes one or two swipes and back into the bowl for a rinse and onto the towel to dry. I could do probably one bead every 5 seconds or so this way.
Lorraine

[squid]

I will have to try thinning mine down then - thanks Lorraine.

[Jaterwunky]

Okay,
I recently read that soaking the beads overnight in coke works well. I did that and OMG it works. Being the inpatient person that I am I have narrowed it down to 1 hour in coke and dremel tools. I recently got the beadreamer. Love it, but I still use coca-cola.
Good luck
Deb

[Lorraine Chandler]

You are very welcome. Some bead releases thin down better than others and mine was a little grainy. The beads come out real smooth inside though.
Lorraine

[ziggys]

Hi, I have used Foster Fire, and some other sturdy as heck, hard to clean bead release.
I switched to KRAG and now it practically washes off with a soak and rinse!
What a nice change. I would love to get the beadreamer and will once I get a Dremal that works!
But for now KRAG is a huge help.
Angela

[Carols Glass]

I checked the end of my beadreamer and it is not really blunt, but it is not really sharp, either. More like the end of a ballpoint pen. Still, I don't think it could possibly puncture you or scrape your skin.

[AVTrout]

Hey Ziggy, where do you get KRAG from?

[Holly]

Originally Posted by MsBeadhaven

...dremel with the flex attachment.

What's this?

[Carols Glass]

Originally Posted by Holly Cooper

What's this?

It is a hose-like attachment that fits on the dremel. Here is a link:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-01&lpage=none

[Carols Glass]

I want to share a tip that Dave at Art in the Round gave me. If you want to dilute your bead release, use something like a pill bottle to put some in and dilute only a portion of your bead release. That way, if you overdilute it, you won't ruin all the bead release you have (which is something I do too frequently).

[Anne Ricketts]

I have the flex shaft also and love it! It's like holding a pen or pencil.

[Sarabella]

Love my dremel (same as Janet's post#14) with diamond reamer after a soaking beads in warmish soapy water, sometimes overnight. Clean as a whistle in no time.

Sals

[FourTailsLampwork]

Lorraine, thanks for the specifics on how you hold your Dremel. That really helps me out, and I'll definitely give it a shot.

When I have some money (aka next month) I'll go see if the hardware store has a FlexShaft that will fit a 25 year old Dremel.

[Holly]

Originally Posted by MsBeadhaven

It is a hose-like attachment that fits on the dremel. Here is a link:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-01&lpage=none

Thanks for the link!
Is it for the electric Dremel? I ask because you could get a mighty shock from using an electric tool in water.

[swanseafarm]

Originally Posted by Holly Cooper

http://www.artintheround.com/
Besides my Creation Station, this has been the biggest help in my studio.
It saves me loads of time and the holes come out so perfect.

This is the reamer I use too.
Love it!