Tricks for keeping bead warm...

[bexrox]

... while working with fragile little decorations like fine dots or lines. When I'm doing this surface work, it takes me long enough that I'm worried my bead has cooled down enough to be at risk of cracking. I stop partway through to give the bead a couple waves through the flame, but I'm never convinced it's warm enough, and I do get a lot, esp. thicker ones, that crack.

If I heat the bead to the point that there is a gentle glow in the core of the bead, I've usually lost most of my surface decorations. Is there a more foolproof way of balancing these parts of the bead?

TIA!
Becky

[Carolyn M]

Heat control really is developed through practice. I roll my bead in the flame frequently while I am doing decorations that take a while. That way you can keep the core warm enough without melting off the surface decorations

[bexrox]

Practice? Oh no, that doesn't sound foolproof! Rats!

But thanks, this is what I had suspected...

Becky

[playswithfire104]

I have issues with this too. I don't know what kind of torch you have but it was suggested to me to turn the flame down when doing the decorations. Then turn it back up to bushy and spin the bead a few times then turn down the flame again to decorate, then up, and repeat as often as necessary. This also takes PPP but has helped me.

[Alison D]

Twirl it in the flame more frequently but for shorter spans of time so that it stays warm but dosen't melt. I find I loose fewer and still keep my surface decorations that way.
It just needs to be put back in the flame so frequently that you will go nuts.I know I am.


Alison D.

[bexrox]

LOL! More nuts, just what I need! Thanks for the advice ladies! I'm ready to give it another shot.

Becky