How do YOU encase?

[Redhotsal]

If you've been watching House, no wonder you feel like smooshing!

I second that!

I used to "wrap" encase but now I'm into making a huge gather, dropping it on the top of the base bead and then moving it around the bead with the rod. I can just about get all round now but it does take practise. Two things - it is tedious but you've got to make sure your gather is big enough. You want a gather that is basically the same size as the end bead and so this takes time to form. You also have to apply it really really hot. I get the rod slightly behind the gather and push it around, always having the gather facing  downwards. Then to encourage the glass to flow to the mandrel I heat the bead at the sides (at each hole) rather than in the middle. The glass will flow towards the heat. Don't over heat the ends though or you'll lose the bead shape.

I laterally encase beads sometimes but only if they're barrel/cigar shaped as this makes more sense. But again - get the rod behind the gather and push from the rear, so to speak.

[Kaz]

Unbelievably I have made some of my best encased beads out here in Oz on the hothead with Vetro clear!!! I use the same technique as Caroline too but try to make sure I have a reasonable sized gather to ensure I can circumnavigate the globe without the glass hardening up before I have reached the end. I also check that there are no missed bits and if there are I fill them before heating the encasing fully. I tend to hold the bead slightly under the flame to melt the clear on and this seems to work quite well (at the moment!) - it's slower but tends to avoid some of the trapped bubbles or the smearing from the base bead getting too hot.
Kaz

[garishglobes]

Curiously, I have been wondering about this myself. I do find that if I turn the oxy down on my torch and work a bit cooler, the Vetro is much happier. With a HH being cooler anyway perhaps Vetro just burns at a lower temperature? And by the way, does the same work with the silver glasses? In other words, if you are reducing, its better to do it with oxycon lower (3-3 1/2) while if you want to strike you should go higher (4 1/2 - 5)? The only colour I've ever had out of Luna was with the poor oxycon meter hitting the ceiling!!

[*rowanberry*]

I love the way that we seem to be involving House in a lot of thread now. Woof. 

Anyway, I either do the same as Caroline, or I do a small wrap around each side of the bead by the bead hole, then really heat up the clear until very very drippy and do a big wrap in the middle covering what bead is left, pushing and rocking from side to side to push the bubbles out.

I am really enjoying the thin Lauscha rods from Sally for encasing at the moment! They are FAB for a lovely even encasement! Especially on focals.

[garishglobes]

Ooh, those thin Lauscha rods are just the best.

[*rowanberry*]

Oh I also forgot to say, when heating up after, I firstly focus the heat at each side of the bead, but just trying to heat the encasement layer. Glass will always flow towards the direction of the flame, so you can use this effect to pull the glass over, make neater holes and show less core. Then I heat the whole thing up after that.

I dunno if that makes sense?

[Redhotsal]

Yes, we all need to have neater holes and be showing less core.......

[Caroline]

Yes, we all need to have neater holes and be showing less core.......

speak for yourself

[fionaess]

If you've been watching House, no wonder you feel like smooshing!

She said smooshing not smooching Emma