Could somebody give me some help with my new press? I bought a SS Lentil Trio from Maria Louisa at Flame Off, and it is the first lentil press I've ever had problems with. I'm finding that it comes out looking like a normal lentil rather than straight sided, that it gives dimpled holes unless you fill them in which my old straight sided lentil didn't at all, and nor did any of those that I borrowed for a try - I wanted to know if there is a trick I'm missing with this one? Before I give up and sell it!
Picture of duff lentils :(
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7132131123_ae121321ec.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54880518@N08/7132131123/)
Bleugh beads (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54880518@N08/7132131123/) by awrylemming (http://www.flickr.com/people/54880518@N08/), on Flickr
I have the same one Sue, and I have to do the same as you.
The only thing I can think of to achieve straight sides is maybe fill it less, but it will definitely mean filling in the 'slotted' holes still
Linda x
One tip we learned on our course with Claudia at Flame Off is that rather than add more glass to make nice holes, instead try pushing some of the existing glass over with a knife so that you get the glass where you want it.
Seems a bit of a faff, when my Zoozii press didn't have this problem. Hmmm, if there is no way round it, I may have to sell it.
Thanks, Helen
L x
I have the same problem Sue. I end up using a knife to push some glass nearer to the holes and I also end up with a ridge around the edge of the bead which I always have to polish out. Don't know if it's me using too much glass or if it's meant to look like that :D I don't use mine so much as I much prefer my spree press which gives nice straight sides and I don't have to faff about at the holes.
I think this is the first one of Maria Louisa's presses that I haven't been really impressed with. Wonder why this particular shape is a problem? What make was your one?
The ridge around the beads would indicate too much glass
L x
See, I don't have a ridge, what I have is sloped sides, which is what I would expect from a 'normal' lentil press, and which is why I purchased the straight sided. Sigh. And it took me ages to choose this press too. :(
Mine's Maria Louisa's too.
I put my problems down to user error ;D
Linda, I've tried using less glass but I still get the ridge, I can feel the ridge in the manufacture of the press but I do think that it's probably the way I'm doing it! ;D I've seen pics of other peoples SS lentil beads and they look fine, no ridge. Unless they're polishing them out of course :D
I don't have ridges with mine and found it alot easier to use than the normal lentil, I find it 'contains' the glass better and I like the holes. I do find that I can now 'fill in' the holes if I want to (but I don't normally), by heating up the glass near the hole and pressing the press down over that area more (if you get my drift).
I agree, I definitely prefer Maria Louisa's SS lentil to the Zoozii's ordinary lentil. I very rarely use that one now.
I think I just need to practice more and see if I can get rid of my ridge around the circumference of the bead :D
Quote from: BeeBeads on May 01, 2012, 06:35:10 PM
I agree, I definitely prefer Maria Louisa's SS lentil to the Zoozii's ordinary lentil. I very rarely use that one now.
I think I just need to practice more and see if I can get rid of my ridge around the circumference of the bead :D
Lots of gentle bathing in the flame so you don't loose the overall shape. :) (and of course not having too much glass, but I ALWAYS do that! :) )
Thanks Lotti, I'll keep practising! It's a very fine line between just about enough and then whoops! too much glass! :D
So, it seems that it's a fab replacement for the Zoozii lentil press, but not really a particularly good straight sided press?
It's going up for sale then. I don't like 'normal lentils' too much, not sure why though!
Can't work out what the problem is. These beads were made with that press. It is a particularly good S/S lentil press IMHO and I use mine all the time.
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6085/6035181037_e5d42c346b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/6035181037/)
IMG_0488 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/6035181037/) by Kaz ~ CheekyCherubDesigns (http://www.flickr.com/people/cheekycherubdesigns/), on Flickr
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6237/6282262459_c6d654d00b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/6282262459/)
IMG_1149 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekycherubdesigns/6282262459/) by Kaz ~ CheekyCherubDesigns (http://www.flickr.com/people/cheekycherubdesigns/), on Flickr
It's not like a coin press where you get a straight hole; it's intended to be notched.
Kazx
I still think we are using too much glass in them.
Kaz's are lean and crisp.
I will hopefully get some torch time tonight - I'll try less glass
L x
My zoozii straight sided lentil press always gave a straight hole, so I assumed that anything named SS Lentil would give the same shape. Actually, I've tried a couple of other makes, all of which gave a straight hole. I personally dislike the indents, and when I used to buy lentils for jewellery, always avoided them, this has carried through as a beadmaker. I've tried the coin press, but feel that is far too flat, I do like the domed shape of the lentil. I have the same very thin ridge on the lentils I made with them, the zoozii was a deeper edge, which I liked, but too small, so I bought this, thinking I'd get the same shapes and lack of indents, but nice big lentils.
Back to the drawing board. Might try Spheres of Glass. :)
Horses for courses I guess. I sell loads of this shape. I hate straight edges personally ;D
Kazx
I like the shape. My only problem with it is that sometimes when I press I can't get the top part of the press off, it seems to stick which I've never had with another press. Not sure why although I don't think the pins are as graduated as on the zoozii presses which could be a factor. It drives me mad when it happens, the air is blue as I try and prise it off with my razor tool before the beac cracks.
Yep, just a personal taste thing, it's a lovely press, I just thought I was buying a larger version of a press I really liked, and I didn't. Hey ho. And lol, Josephine, I had that too! I was shaking it by the handle faffing and cussing - and I didn't even warm this press, I only stick the bigguns on the kiln ::)
It sticks when the bead is a perfect fit. Instead of wrangling with it, just wait a couple of seconds for the glass to shrink back slightly and then calmly remove the top part! ;D
If your presses get difficult to prise apart use a little candle wax just on the locator pins.
Kazx
Thanks for that Kaz. I nearly threw the thing out of the window the other day!
isn't it interesting what we all like/dont like or find acceptable/unacceptable?
I used to think I liked a normal lentil shape,that was until I realised it is a physical impossibility to have it so that when you look at the face of the bead it is a complete circle, it will always have those little notches, and I dont like 'em! went right off it and sold my non ssl press (my first ever press), thought it was me! didnt buy another press for 2 years or more!
as a jewellery maker I guess as long as the notches are even on both sides, not too big, and not bitey or chipped then its ok. but I still prefer my lentil (or in fact any circular) beads to look circular face on.
What about the cattwalk button?
I have the Cattwalk button and get on very well with it. I don't get the notches on either side so the beads are perfectly circular.
I thought either the Catwalk or the Perlenpresse, both are indentation free. The Catwalk needs a base though, doesn't it?
I have this one too and like the indented ends. But for it sticking I filed the holes slightly that the pins go into and it never stuck again!
Well, I no longer have this one, it's wending it's way to a new home tomorrow. I think I'll be ordering from Perlenpress in the morning. ;)
I spoke to Maria Louise at Flame off about my press 'sticking' after making one or two lentils, she advised lightly filing the top holes. Seems that on the earlier models the tolerance was a bit tight and the presses expand slightly when warm.
There is one thing I dont like about the perlenpresse one though, the one I have, the straight sided 18, 22, 26 mm, they are all 10mm thick, so the little one is chunky, with a wide straight side, and the largest appears proportionally slim, it has a slim straight side. so they dont work together as a set.
really lovely bead shapes though. just not as a set!
I have a Sphere's of Glass oval press I bought second hand and the pins on it sticked. Drove me nuts!! ::) I took them off thinking it would work in the Catt Walk base but it didn't in the end my husband put new pins in the bead press and it is now perfect. I have a lentil press I bought a few years ago from Maria Ruiz?? in the Canary islands, it fits the Catt Walk press base but the only other similar bead press I have is think it's called Pastille which is Catt Walk as well. :).