Ok so I admit it, I have not had a good day today.....too long to go into.
So tonight I thought I would chill out and do beads even though I am totally exhausted.
Wrong decision!! has anyone experienced this please?
Beads kept exploding...nothing was going right, I thought I would use up some of the short ends I have left...My goodness me... I was being aimed at from all directions, can anyone explain this to me?
Nothing was going right...Could it be that the rods that were small and all in a box maybe were cracked or something?
Being a newbie I was a little worried what was going to happen next.
Maybe I should call it a day and go to bed with my Horlicks..
I am so mad at myself...I did manage to get a frog on a bead done, but even he looks sick!!
Not been at this lampwork for long I love it to bits, but maybe tonight I should have just sat down and read my 'Passing the flame' Will try again tomorrow...
I want to do all these beads and nothing was coming to me tonight.
I think the moral of the story is don't do lampworking when your knackered.
Nite all xxx
Are you saying the actual beads were exploding or the shorts you were using to make the beads? I have never heard of beads exploding except when they are left to cool for too long and are put back into the flame?
Yes there was a loud pop and then they fell apart I was working as normal..I don't really understand it to be honest..3 times in a row it happened I was puzzled. :-\
The beads that made a loud pop and fell apart? Maybe they were out of the flame for too long while you were selecting what shorts to use? The only time I have had a bead behave like that was, like Tan said, introducing it back in to the flame when it is too cool.
Yep, the only time I've ener known it happen is when a bead is too cool. The only other thing I can think of (a very long shot!) is the warm but damp weather effecting the bead release?... :-\
Or your propane is on its way out and the beads not hot enough in the radiant heat and therefore cooling whilst on the mandrels?
Kazx
Where is your torch? Might it be a draught?
When I first started I was in the dining room at my old house, and had to work with the patio doors wide open as ventilation. I had a hollow and a couple of discs pretty much do the same 'exploding' thing when the wind blew through if someone opened the other doors. ( I am now lucky enough to have a proper studio with proper ventilation, and it hasn't happened in there).
Ah I think that was it Tina as the window was open to my right behind me blowing the torch flame...it cannot be the propane as I have not had it long I think it was the draft from the window..... thank you
As an after thought what does everyone do with their short?
I put them in a box and promise myself I will get a rod holder . . . one day. :-)
If you melt it onto the end of another rod of the same colour when it gets down to about 3 or 4 inches, you will never end up with lots of shorts. :) :)
Lyn your a GENIUS :-*
I've started making mine into stringer as I need it: I've got some of Maria Louisa's stainless steel chopsticks, so I melt the entirety of the short onto the end of one chopstick in a plug shape, then attach the other chopstick and pull it all out. Leave it for a minute and it'll just fall off the ends of the chopsticks as they cool. Then cut/break it into usable lengths. The ends that were on the chopsticks will have little cup shapes - you can just throw those away as they're utterly miniscule amounts of glass and probably have black stuff on the inside from where they were attached. :)
I save my shorts with the view of one day fusing them :)
I got me one of these excellent gadgets and you end up with short of about 1/2 an inch which I chuck away!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/39026944/graceful-studios-hold-me-tight-rod?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=rod+holder&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title
Kazx
Quote from: Kaz on October 08, 2010, 11:32:19 PM
I got me one of these excellent gadgets and you end up with short of about 1/2 an inch which I chuck away!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/39026944/graceful-studios-hold-me-tight-rod?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=rod+holder&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title
Kazx
oooooh Kaz i've been lusting over one of those for quite a while (for the more expensive glasses) they look much more sturdy than some of the others on the market!
Love the chopstick info Heather. I make mine in to twistie cane.
I have a rod holder and forgot to take the sticker off of the end - not usually a problem when holding it normally but in a rod holder it does tend to burst into flame. :-[ I can't bring myself to throw the tiny end away - I am planning to make some truly evil looking frit one day ;D
I melt my short onto the end of the next rod. If I don't have a rod of the same colour, I use an old 004 clear rod or something similar.
I wait till I've got a good selection, then fuse them into coasters.....
Are they your own shorts, are you sure what coe they are? You couldn't be unintentionally mixing Efftetre and Bullseye for example?