Encasing!! problem with sides?

[angie]

Is there a technique for just normal encasing, i cant seem to get the clear around to the sides even when i apply it thickly

[squid]

I had the same problem until I started heating the ends before the middle and tilting it in the direction I wanted the clear to travel. Aim at the corner of the bead, hitting the encasing on the edge also.

Disclaimer - I am a newbie and this is how I solved my problem. Someone will likely have a better solution

[angie]

If it worked for you its good enough for me )
will give it another go!

[Kikki]

Spot heat the clear, and only the clear, and use a tool to push the glass down towards the mandrel. It usually takes me 5-6 heat-push glass on each side of the bead.

[Tannise]

The glass will flow to where the heat is directed. So if you keep your flame focused on the center of the bead - that's where the glass will stay.

I know there are lots of methods of encasing. What works best for me is to focus the heat on the clear wrap near the ends first - then work towards the center, finishing by working back out towards the ends.

My lightbulb moment for encasing was - if your design disappears, you've gotten the base bead too hot.

[squid]

Originally Posted by Kikki

Spot heat the clear, and only the clear, and use a tool to push the glass down towards the mandrel. It usually takes me 5-6 heat-push glass on each side of the bead.

OOh - excellent idea. I will have to try that.

[angie]

ok just tried again
this is a pic of the same bead

[angie]

Originally Posted by Kikki

Spot heat the clear, and only the clear, and use a tool to push the glass down towards the mandrel. It usually takes me 5-6 heat-push glass on each side of the bead.

Shall try it again

[Kikki]

Only the clear! LOL

It's not my idea BTW! I learned this from Corina's Passing the Flame and I'm sure she picked it up somewhere else.

[Heather/Ericaceae]

I've been working on this lately, since I'm starting to make more small round beads to complement my large encased focals. (It's a completely different process!)

What works best for me so far for encasing round/donut beads is to flatten the base a bit into a TINY cylinder (3-4mm). Then decorate and gently marver it again to get it flat. Then add a fat, broad wrap or two around the bead. THEN, add smaller wraps of clear on either side of the first wrap - connected to the clear only, not actually touching the base bead yet. Some people call these wraps "turtle-necks". THEN, hold the bead above the flame so that only the clear is "dipping" into the fire. Once it's hot, give the bead a quarter turn and quickly and gently spread the molten clear towards the holes with a flat tool. Meanwhile, a new quarter is heating - once it's molten, turn again and shape the new molten area; repeat until done. If you see a section that obviously doesn't have as much clear as it should, add a small dab more and marver it flat while it's still molten. Once the clear is evenly spread, heat the whole bead, marver the whole thing to widen it, then heat it again to get a round shape back. Don't overheat or any exposed opaque by the holes will start to spread out.

My next goal is to get much faster and more efficient at this. I usually do two to four at once. -Heather

[angie]

grrrrrrrrrr ive tried again and still cant LOL
ok ........do you start with a TINY base bead 2-3mm?
i first started on a spacer size bead and i found it harder to encase, now ive just tried it again but with a tiny base, and the encasing went on a bit better, also i find it hard to just heat the clear, my hole bead ends up in the flame!

[Heather/Ericaceae]

If I want a 7-10mm final bead size I start with a 2-3 mm base, yep. You need a 2-to-1 ratio, minimum, of clear to base if you want a full encasing. So if you do 1 wrap of your base colour, you'll need at least 2 wraps of clear to get good coverage. It will stretch your base bead wider as it melts. That's another reason to start with a tiny cylinder - if your decorations are already on a fairly wide base (like, 4mm), they won't distort as much when your clear is melted later.

Heating just the clear takes some practice getting to know the flame and being able to judge the heat level of the glass. But basically what you want to do is think of the flame as a surface, like a jet of water, that you can dip things into partly or completely. Hold your mandrel horizontal and perpendicular to the flame, then just touch the bottom of your bead to the top of the flame, and watch - it'll go molten in that one spot, but the base should stay stiff. This lets you spread the hot clear over the base like frosting, without distorting your decorations. It definitely takes practice - don't give up!

Here's an example of my encased rounds. These are 10mm from hole to hole and 13mm in diameter. They're encased twice, so the starting base was VERY tiny!

-Heather

[angie]

Thanks Heather that makes sense!

[angie]

i didnt know you had to encase twice, ive only been doing it once LOL
and i didnt know the base had to be tiny either, you guys are GREAT

Heather gorgeous beads, im just practising using just a plain bead at moment then i can think about floral encasing OUCH lol

[Emily]

You don't have to encase twice, but sometimes you want to have your design elements separated by a layer of clear. For example, you may make your base bead and put a green vine on it, then encase it, then put a flower on that layer and encase that, so the flower is floating over the layer with the vine. The more layers you want to do, the smaller you'd better start, or you're going to end up with a real honker.

[lenora]

This is really great info. I avoid encasing at all costs, but i must get past my fear.

[angie]

Originally Posted by Emily

You don't have to encase twice, but sometimes you want to have your design elements separated by a layer of clear. For example, you may make your base bead and put a green vine on it, then encase it, then put a flower on that layer and encase that, so the flower is floating over the layer with the vine. The more layers you want to do, the smaller you'd better start, or you're going to end up with a real honker.

Ahhhh so thats how they do the vines and flowers always wondered how they did it

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Originally Posted by angie

Heather gorgeous beads, im just practising using just a plain bead at moment then i can think about floral encasing OUCH lol

Practicing on plain beads is a sensible approach. And "whiteheart" beads like the ones you're making are classic, and look beautiful etched! Floral encasing use the same principles, so by practicing basic encasing you're on your way!

[angie]

Whooo well Heather i DID it!!!!
i made one with vines and flowers and encased!!!!

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Wow - That was fast! We want pictures, woman!

[angie]

Hey its not as good as yours....but still i did it LOL
will post a pic!

[angie]

Told ya!!!
what ya think encasing..... ignore the flowers and apart from the bubbles
im not even sure about starting with a white core, it looks like bead release!

[squid]

great job!

[Carolyn M]

I am making a lot of white core beads right now. I start with a small white bead, wait until it is cool then wrap in transparent. Make an extra wrap on each edge of the bead, then use a stump shaper to push the glass to within a mm of the mandrel.
You can see I didn't push it quite far enough on one bead

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Angie, that encasing is great! Congratulations!!!