Can anyone give me a simple way of making nice round beads please.
I seem to always end up with a doughnut shape?
Rita
Hi Rita, try starting with a larger footprint on your mandrel, then build up until it starts to look round....i feel that's probably not explained very well...although i can see it in my head ;)....
When you have all your glass on the mandrel - give it a good heat - remove from the flame and turn SLOWLY with the mandrel really horizontal (don't be tempted to tilt it and look at it while it's gloopy). Keep turning slowly - this gives the glass time to move around and settle and should also give you nice puckers.
When it's had a chance to firm up - you can have a look at it - if you need to add a little more glass then do so and repeat. Patience is the key.
With white and black it's sometimes easier to see how gloopy it is as it changes colour and you can see the cooling process. Try with these first perhaps. Different colours cool at different rates, but it should be a good starting point for you.
Hope that helps! ;)
Thanks, I will have a go this morning.
I can make perfectly round donuts but was never able to make perfectly round rounds with nice puckers until I got one of the CG beadrollers.
Kazx
I make a small tube a little smaller than the diameter of the bead I want to make. Then I build a disk on each end, about the same size from top to bottom as the tube - think hour glass shape. Aim the flame at the centre of the bead and it will draw the glass together. If you haven't got enough glass when it is melted you can add a little to the sots where it is needed.
Quote from: Kaz on August 18, 2010, 10:10:11 AM
I can make perfectly round donuts but was never able to make perfectly round rounds with nice puckers until I got one of the CG beadrollers.
Kazx
Me too! I have one of Maria Louises Presses for rounds and I use the upper part of it as a beadroller. I always felt my beads were round, but when I measure them to the press I see that they are still more like a doughnut. Now that I have used the press this way for some time I find that my beads become rounder by themselves.
What I do now: I start the bead as I used to and when I think it is round I heat one side of it and use gravity to make it spread to one side - till I think it starts looking like a lemon. When I put the mandrel back to horizontally and re-round the bead I discover that now that I think it is too long it is in fact round. So it is just me and what I feel to be round that is wrong. Using the press (or beadroller) has helped me to SEE rounds as round.
I hope you can understand what I mean, these things are difficult to say in a foreign language for me...
Quote from: Kaz on August 18, 2010, 10:10:11 AM
I can make perfectly round donuts but was never able to make perfectly round rounds with nice puckers until I got one of the CG beadrollers.
Kazx
i love the bead rollers, they're great for rounds
seems like I need to buy a bead roller....any suggestions which?
Everyone seems to rave about the CG beadroller.....i'd go with that!....i don't have one, but i do have maria louisa's marble thingy...love that!! ;D
I make a doughnut, and then marver it into a fat tube, then warm until the top becomes domed again. When you figure out how much to flatten it into a tube, you will get a nice rounded bead at the end.
I found the best way of me turning a donut into a round bead was to melt it to oblivion and then make and "extreme" gravity bead and it will become round naturally due to the rotation and gravity (doh) providing you have enough glass on the mandrel. But then it is far easier to use a cgbeadroller IMHO!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/49405685/fantastic-lampwork-multitool-by (http://www.etsy.com/listing/49405685/fantastic-lampwork-multitool-by)
i have one of these i was thinking bought selling if your interested, i went and bought the cg beadrollers and prefer those! although this works the same way and has 4 different shapes on one
I use three methods, each has is advantages and disadvantages:
1. Use gravity: Get the bead nice and hot. Turn slowly enough to let the glass in the flame begin to droop, gravity will then spread sideways when turned to the top of the bead. - Advantages: Good shape. Disadvantages: Tricky, alot of heat could boil, divitrify or discolour the glass. Can't be done after a pattern is applied.
2. Use a flat marver: Make a dohnut, warm it, rotate it up and down a marver to flatten it a little(same method as making a cylinder). Remelt. Repeat as necessary. Advantages: Easier, good shape and puckers
3. Use a doming block. Make a dohnut, gently press into the dome, rotate and repeat till cooled. Reheat, add glass and repeat. Advantages: Very good spherical result and consistent size. Disadvantges: Can loose puckers easily, takes some practice.
Hope this helps.
Quote from: Shirley on August 18, 2010, 10:10:32 AM
I make a small tube a little smaller than the diameter of the bead I want to make. Then I build a disk on each end, about the same size from top to bottom as the tube - think hour glass shape. Aim the flame at the centre of the bead and it will draw the glass together. If you haven't got enough glass when it is melted you can add a little to the sots where it is needed.
As a beginner I was very frustrated trying to make a bead round like a sphere as opposed to donut and this method has worked for me, so thanks! (At least they look round and at the moment that is good enough for me!)
Quote from: Rosy on July 05, 2011, 04:44:13 PM
Quote from: Shirley on August 18, 2010, 10:10:32 AM
I make a small tube a little smaller than the diameter of the bead I want to make. Then I build a disk on each end, about the same size from top to bottom as the tube - think hour glass shape. Aim the flame at the centre of the bead and it will draw the glass together. If you haven't got enough glass when it is melted you can add a little to the sots where it is needed.
As a beginner I was very frustrated trying to make a bead round like a sphere as opposed to donut and this method has worked for me, so thanks! (At least they look round and at the moment that is good enough for me!)
I agree, tube first and end discs. I always find you need much more on the ends than you would imagine especially if you want good dimples. If I then start with the beadroller it seems to go pear shaped (sometimes literally !)
Hi Rita, we sell a round graphite bead shaper with 8 different sizes of rounds here http://www.pegasuslampworktools.co.uk/userimages/Online-Shop(2373934).htm (http://www.pegasuslampworktools.co.uk/userimages/Online-Shop(2373934).htm)
Quote from: Pegasus on July 05, 2011, 09:03:16 PM
Hi Rita, we sell a round graphite bead shaper with 8 different sizes of rounds here http://www.pegasuslampworktools.co.uk/userimages/Online-Shop(2373934).htm (http://www.pegasuslampworktools.co.uk/userimages/Online-Shop(2373934).htm)
I ordered one yesterday. When it arrives I will let you know how I get on with it :)
Thanks Bev, I am waiting to see what the trial bead marver is, then I may order the plain and ribbed combo.
Rita