Pick help please

[Niki Gough]

Hi all,

Now that I am finally building up the courage to experiment and play with my beads I have discovered that a pick of some sort. I have tried to look through to see if I can find anywhere that people have discussed pick's but can't find anywhere. I would be grateful if anyone could give me some advice on what I am actually looking for and where to but one would be great.

Thanks for reading x

[helbels]

Depends what you want it for really.. if you are going to do a lot of fine detailed work then a lot of people use dental picks, which you can pick up off Ebay for cheap as chips... alternatively, Tuffnells will sell bog standard ones.  Tungsten are the best, but they aren't cheap - check out Mangobeads.

[ARBeads]

For tiny picks a sewing needle caught in a pin vice or the end of a glass rod is great. For dragging I'm using stringers of various diameters - just remember 'cold tool, hot working glass'.
B&Q do model makers sets that are also useful.

[Jennie Lamb]

I would get one of Mandas she has a couple of designs I have both one for swirling and one for dragging and I love them both!

[Dragonfire Glass]

I have both a straight and a bent tungsten pick from Tuffnells.

[Nikki]

http://off-mandrel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=115_117&products_id=815 These are good 

[DementedMagpie]

Until I got a pick in the Tuffnell's starter kit, I used an awl (had it already, it lives in my sewing box), and it worked pretty well. Still my weapon of choice for doing plunged dots and such - seems that I can aim it better than a bent pick when I need to poke things vertically as opposed to dragging them across the surface.

[Pauline]

we got a sneak preview this weekend(on Gay's course)of some tungsten tools thast Tufnells should have at flame off

[Pat from Canvey]

At the risk of being laughed at by all, you've heard that I have to inject my cat with insulin so have an inexhaustible supply of used needles that usually go in my sharps bin. I wondered how the needle would "do" as a very fine pick so bent the end with pliers. Provided I keep the end cool by dipping in water after each drag, the needle works fine. If I don't dip, the needle melts. I've also used a sewing needle stuck into the end of a glass rod in the past but prefer a bent tip so I can better see what I'm doing.

[GaysieMay]

I'm treating myself to a tungsten pick from Tuffnells at FO. Having used them this weekend I really liked them. 

[Niki Gough]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for all the help and advice.

I have ordered some dental tools for now just to see how I get on and then I think if I think it is something I will use a lot then I will probably save up for a tungsten pick at a later date.

Thanks again
Niki x

[babyshoes]

Sounds like a sensible plan. Dental picks seem a bit thinner than the 'proper' ones so if you are finding you want something a bit chunkier than the dental ones, then a tungsten one will be about right.

[Gordon]

I use a cut off from the end of a 1.2mm mandrel sharpened up and held in the bead reamer from Martin's starter kit ( like a pin vice ). I had to cut a couple of mandrels down as I wanted to use then to batch anneal beads and it was easier to thread them onto the cut down mandrel, by the way they were well used mandrels.

[SueP]

Having shelled out for a tungsten pick DH told me that the "tip" in his welding torch is tungsten so I am going to experiment with that 

[Pat from Canvey]

Dental picks seem a bit thinner than the 'proper' ones so if you are finding you want something a bit chunkier than the dental ones, then a tungsten one will be about right.

I don't like chunky picks at all. If I use one, they drag too much glass. I've had my best results using very fine picks.