2 on one?

[Anne Ricketts]

So.....I'm finding out that you can't make 2 beads on 1 mandrel! Well maybe you folks that work in boro can, but I'm just learning pretty much! This stuff is a whole different ballgame compared to moretti!

[MikeAurelius]

Sure you can! It just takes practice!!!!!!!

[sleekbeads]

lol, I'm with you, Anne... I'm still practicing getting the ONE bead on the mandrel. I like off-mandrel stuff much better!

[Karen Hardy]

You can't make two BIG-honkin beads on a mandrel
but you can sure make a bunch of smaller ones!
Try practicing with spacers and work your way up.

Margaret Zinser taught me a trick that might work for you.
She basically told me to ignore the other beads and just
make the new ones. So instead of flashing all the beads in and
out, I just made one bead and went to the next, and so on and so
on. I got Six on the mandrel and then I popped it into the kiln.
They annealed fine and are still intact on a bracelet over a year now.

[Anne Ricketts]

I managed to make a very small set (5) and I did get 2 small spacers on it but no decorations on those! I was trying to made 2 on one with a twisted design on them and they just weren't gonna play right! If they survive I'll put them in the boro showcase tomorrow! Back to the torch!

[MikeAurelius]

Get the Doug Remschneider Boro Bead Magic video -- he shows making multiple boro beads on one madrel, I think two or three at a time.

The trick is keeping your heat base even on all the beads. Takes a lot of patience and a lot of practice.

More importantly though, is it worth it? That depends on your kiln space. If you have a small kiln or limited space for stacking mandrels, then yes. But if you have plenty of space, why not make a single bead per mandrel and spend the time needed on that bead and give it your full attention.

[LeahBeads]

I watched the Doug DVD and he puts three beads on his mandrel, but I just couldn't do it. So I put only 2 beads on my mandrel. For me, it works out really well. Anne, don't worry about the heat for the bead you're not working on. The radiant heat will keep the bead cozy and make flame annealing easier, too. Try that and see if it helps!

Leah

[Anne Ricketts]

Mike the reason I wanted to do 2 on a mandrel is so that they will match, hopefully! I need to get some sunblock when I work that stuff! Dayum!!!

[MikeAurelius]

Ahhhhhhh........ ok....

here's a couple of ideas for you.

If you are concerned about matching sizes (width/diameter), get a piece of sheet metal and mark either millimeters or fractional inches on it for as large as you normally work.

For example, a zero index mark, then 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 etc up to 1". Then use that as a guide to size your bead as your work.

[Sue in Maine]

Uh oh, Anne, I think boro may have you hook, line and sinker!

You're in good company!

Sue

[Cosmo]

Honestly, I have found that the best way to make matching sized beads is to make twice as many as you want. If I need two, I make four. If I need five, I make ten. Chances are there will be enough in there to make up the set I need, and the rest go in a box for future use when I only need one or don't need matching beads.

[Venbead]

I'm with Cosmo make more beads and match them up later the rest will make some really fine bracelet beads

[Over the Moon]

...

[Over the Moon]

Too funny Paula - we posted at virtually the same time - and said such opposite things!! Oh well - that's what makes life go 'round..."chacun a son gout" as we say here in Quebec...everyone has their own thing that works best for them...

[Over the Moon]

...

[Karen Hardy]

Originally Posted by Anne Ricketts

Mike the reason I wanted to do 2 on a mandrel is so that they will match, hopefully! I need to get some sunblock when I work that stuff! Dayum!!!

Yah, well - that theory, while it holds salt for soft glass - doesn't work
well for boro. The reason being that boro color is directly affected by
the heat, so if you make 4 beads on the same mandrel, they may all be
the same SIZE, but they will probably not be the same color.

...now this is just my own experience talking here, but since bead "A"
is being struck multiple times in the effort to keep it warm, Bead
"B" will receive (about) 20% less striking, bead "C" about 40% less
and so on (I'm kind of pulling the %'s out of my butt here - but you get the
idea).

SO, what this has resulted in for me has been sets of beads that are
the same size but are graduated in color - from dark to light - based on the
amount of flame striking they have each received. A cool concept - but not
what your looking for if you want a matched set.

I get a better matched set by doing what the other gurus here recommend
(if you need 2, make 4 - although in my case it's more like if you need 2 make 10).

[e. mort]

Anne, why don't you come over and play? I have a bunch of mandrels ready to go, as I don't use them much. Also, I have the remscheider boro beads video if you want to borrow it....

Eric

[Anne Ricketts]

Ooooo tempting but I don't have a VCR anymore! LOL! I really do want time to just play, maybe I can get over there soon!!

[ddossett]

Hi
Reading about the sizing comments above, here's a little tool I came up with and put on my torch:




It's a screen, four squares to the inch. I can put the bead fresh from the flame right next to it and it helps me size beads, as well as helps with some design. Not too good for smaller stuff like spacers, though.

I was going to mass manufacture them and sell them for ten bucks apiece, but then figured the market was glutted with sizing devices (kidding on all counts here).

Doug

[Leanne]

really? I generally make up to 4 boro beads on one mandrel with no problems...Occasionally one cracks but I just heal it right back up in the flame. i find it is good because by the time you melt the encasing in on the last one the first one is ready to be flame struck...This is just for simple beads made with a pre-pulled cane of cherrywood and el yellow...

[Over the Moon]

Originally Posted by e. mort

Anne, why don't you come over and play? I have a bunch of mandrels ready to go, as I don't use them much. Also, I have the remscheider boro beads video if you want to borrow it....

Eric

Wow! What a truly sweet gesture that is, Eric!

[e. mort]

Originally Posted by Anne Ricketts

Ooooo tempting but I don't have a VCR anymore! LOL! I really do want time to just play, maybe I can get over there soon!!

Mine is a DVD. Do you have a DVD player? I think you can watch it on your computer as well.

[Anne Ricketts]

Oooo cool! I have a dvd that is acting up right now but better yet I could play it on my laptop!

[Anne Ricketts]

Well here is the set I was talking about, I don't think it's good enough to put in the showcase so I'm sticking it here. I like the focal!

[Lisi]

Originally Posted by Cosmo

Honestly, I have found that the best way to make matching sized beads is to make twice as many as you want. If I need two, I make four. If I need five, I make ten. Chances are there will be enough in there to make up the set I need, and the rest go in a box for future use when I only need one or don't need matching beads.

Yep, that's what I do and I work with just soft glass at the moment. I save a whole bunch of those up and put them on ebay as "orphans" in sets of 50-100. They sell pretty darn good and I get some really high bids sometimes!

[Lisi]

Originally Posted by Karen Hardy

Yah, well - that theory, while it holds salt for soft glass - doesn't work
well for boro. The reason being that boro color is directly affected by
the heat, so if you make 4 beads on the same mandrel, they may all be
the same SIZE, but they will probably not be the same color.

...now this is just my own experience talking here, but since bead "A"
is being struck multiple times in the effort to keep it warm, Bead
"B" will receive (about) 20% less striking, bead "C" about 40% less
and so on (I'm kind of pulling the %'s out of my butt here - but you get the
idea).

SO, what this has resulted in for me has been sets of beads that are
the same size but are graduated in color - from dark to light - based on the
amount of flame striking they have each received. A cool concept - but not
what you're looking for if you want a matched set.

I get a better matched set by doing what the other gurus here recommend
(if you need 2, make 4 - although in my case it's more like if you need 2 make 10).

I haven't worked much with borocolor, but what Karen is saying here makes sense to me. Being that boro is a whole different animal than soft glass, the colors are much more sensitive to heat in the flame and annealing temp. From what I've been reading, like forever it seems!

So for me (whenever I finally get into this) I will make just one at a time, and yeah, probably 10 for every 2 that I need! LOL! Nah, I really don't expect my boro beads to match like I get the soft glass beads to...and in fact, I wouldn't really want them to. The color variations and the surprises are what makes this type of glass so appealing!

I can't wait to get started!!! The other day I got some clear and a bag of shorts from Moretti and More!

[margaretz]

anne, I make lots and lots of spacers, many at a time... the way karen mentioned works for me sometimes, but usually I just get a good rhythm down: make bead, let cool so firm, make second bead, let cool so solid while flashing first bead in the flame, make third bead, let cool and flash 1 and 2, etc...
I make all of my accent beads and sets this way... up to 15 at a time for solids, and up to 7 or 8 if they're decorated. It took a lot of practice, but making them many at a time saves a lot of time and does help with size matching.... have fun!!!

[PaulaD]

I watched Margaret do this at class this weekend. We were all just kind of standing there with our jaws dropped!

Paula

[Emily]

Originally Posted by Fireflyartglass

really? I generally make up to 4 boro beads on one mandrel with no problems...Occasionally one cracks but I just heal it right back up in the flame. i find it is good because by the time you melt the encasing in on the last one the first one is ready to be flame struck...This is just for simple beads made with a pre-pulled cane of cherrywood and el yellow...

Anne, this is what one of my bead buddies does routinely, although she does 2 beads at a time, not 4. They're basic Dougie-style beads, made with a wrap or two of a pre-made colored cane, a twist or two or some clear dots to manipulate the color, then a little encasing. She says the same thing -- by the time the encasing on the second one is melted down, the first one is ready to be struck. (She's using a Lynx, by the way.)

[Karen Hardy]

Originally Posted by e. mort

Anne, why don't you come over and play? I have a bunch of mandrels ready to go, as I don't use them much. Also, I have the remscheider boro beads video if you want to borrow it....

Eric

I wanna come over and play, Eric!!!!