Tear drop shaped beads...dam it they are suppose to be round :(

[Chelly77]

Morning Ladies and Gents,

I have this afternoon off to have a play and try and figure out where I am going wrong.  I am now actually producing round beads, however when you look at their side profile you can see that they have have a slight tear drop shap to them.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?  Is my first layer of glass not even enough, am I not spending enough time shaping the bead?

Its driving me nuts

Any help would be brill

[Soozintheshed]

Sounds like your mandrel is slightly off horizontal when you are shaping?

[Les]

yep... what Sooz said.
Try drawing a horizontal line just behind your torch to act as a guide when you are shaping

[clasicat]

yep... what Sooz said.
Try drawing a horizontal line just behind your torch to act as a guide when you are shaping

What a good tip Les am gonna try that cos I am pants at making round beads 

[Chelly77]

So its not so important when I am applying the glass, only when I am shaping it?

[Soozintheshed]

A lot of people shape as they go, I just blob lumps on and shape later 

[dinah46]

...I just blob lumps on and shape later 

too much technical speak on this forum

All my beads used to have a lovely dimple on one end and grotty hole on the other   I just learned to keep an eye on the angle I was holding the mandrel

[sarah t]

when i spent my day with julie ...my beads were not a bad shape till i tried to check what shape they were  .......maybe a mirror to check rather than moving the mandrel ...but i guess really  its just practise and knowing glass better

and using a marver to make it look deliberate !!!

i quiet like lemon pip shaped beads if its any concellation lol