Out of interest (and not because I typically spend 30 mins shaping one small bead), how long do you spend shaping a bead (without a roller/press)?
I'm finding that getting symmetry on mashed beads in particular is really time-consuming!
About 3 - 5 minutes I think. I generally make a tube bead to mash, and then put a couple of rounds of glass in the centre to get a bicone-ish shape, and then mash it. It should be about right and not need any faffing after.