Okay, I know I'm daft but I got distracted and put too much water in my bead release. Any ideas how I can dry it out quickly - I've only got about 20 dipped mandrels at the moment and that won't even last an afternoon! I don't think I have any other bead release, powders or kiln wash in the house either. I've tried standing the bottle in hot water with the lid off to warm up the solution a bit and help it evaporate. Any other ideas? ???
You could experiment of mandrel while your bead release sorts itself out ;D
Will it not stick to the mandrel and then dry out in the torch?
Everything I think of - flour, arrowroot, thickening granules - would probably cook in the flame and make things worse.
Not got another dried out tub somewhere where you could just add a bit of this release and shake like mad to get the old stuff off the walls of the tub.
Mercy dash from/to another local lampworker - I know local in the UK can mean several hundred miles!
Stumped otherwise???
Kaz
Sam
If you want to head out in the Mold direction I bought two lots of bead release from Martin at Nantwich not realising they were in packs of three! Its not the fancy stuff though. Let me know if I can help.
Edited to add that I'm about tonight but not tomorrow
simmer it in a pan :D
Take some out of the pot, put in a bowl and microwave it, maybe, or put it in a normal oven for a bit so it dries to powder, then stir it back in really well.
You lot are brilliant! ;D I'm going to start with a bit in the microwave I think and see how I go from there. I was talking and instead of dripping water in and I went on auto pilot and turned the tap up like I was filling a kettle.... :-[
All I get when I dip a mandrel is a thin layer of grey - so thin you can see the powder granules!!!
Off mandrel also sounds like a good idea ;), Becky, if I get stuck I'll give you a shout hun - thank you. :-*
I did the same last week and tried to use it, but the release kept breaking off as I was trying to wind the glass. Not a good idea.
Let us know how you get on so I know for next time! 8)
Watch how hot you cook it, cooked bead release is no use!
I'd leave it in the airing cupboard with the lid off..
If you "spread it out" it would air dry out really quickly - what about pouring it onto a large dinner plate, or a baking tray? If it's not too runny, you could put it on a sheet of flexible plastic then it would be easier to get the liquid back in the tub. Then scrape it back in when it's beginning to set - it would only take about 15 mins or so I'd think, given normal bead release dries so quickly.
Let the solids settle and then pour off the excess water? I thinned down my release with a bit too much water but found that it provided a thin coat on the mandrels which made cleaning the release out of the made bead so much easier. I also put a fugly bead in the release pot to make mixing before use that much easier. From a tip on here, I forget whom.