Possibly a dumb question with an obvious answer. I've searched FH but can't find the answer, but please excuse me if this has already been covered.
I have a blowpipe mandrel from Tuffnell's, the type for blowing hollow beads - one end is closed, with two little holes near the end. What do I do about bead release? Obviously, if I just dunk it in the bead release jar, the holes will bung up, but if I don't use bead release I won't be able to get the bead off.....
Any suggestions? ???
yes, you would definitely need bead release. I have never used one of those, but I would probably just bung the holes with the ends of a cocktail stick before dipping (and remove when still wet).....or, blow like mad when you have just dipped it, to clear the inside of the mandrel and the holes ;D
I'm curious the hear what people who use them do!
Thanks Julie - the cocktail stick idea makes sense. I guess the timing of its removal may be important - if the bead release is too wet, it may gloop back into the pipe, too dry and it may flake more off than needed? Time to experiment!
Once you dip it try using a pin to clear holes.
When I dip mine, I blow very gently during the dip. It can thin the bead release around the holes slightly but your disks will be set well back from this so it doesn't really matter. If the holes block, it can be a bit of a pain as you can't necessarily see where to poke with a pin.
I dip, and either blow after dipping or use cocktail stick, then I slide a mandrel inside it to store the blowpipe in my mandrel stand (which is a tin can containing a mixture of grit and sand) - having the mandrel inside keeps the sand out of the mouthpiece.
Thanks for all the help! I've had success with the cocktail stick idea - waited until bead release was nearly dry, then pulled the stick out with a pair of pliers. Just needed a bit of tidying up, so I'm good to go.
But therein lies another problem. I spent all last week practicing hollow beads, and now I'm hoping to make a large(ish) hollow bead by puffing a little air inside. Problem is, I had a balloon burst in my face when I was a child, and now hate balloons...... I understand that if there are any thinner parts of the bead wall the bead may 'explode'?
they do go into holes (and I have got a few like that), but they don't go 'pop' (in my experience).
It won't explode, but if the side blows out you don't want to breathe in the wispy bits of hot glass (not usually a problem, but take normal care). I was told that you only need to puff a tiny amount of air - "enough to resuscitate a mouse".
Nick
I'm hopeful that I've managed to make what is possibly my biggest bead ever - all was good going into the kiln, fingers crossed for the morning. Nick's mouse-resuscitation tip was helpful!
Please do post a picture :)
I don't use blow pipes to make hollow beads. I just use a ordinary mandrel, make two disks and join them. Be sure that there are no holes. The heating will cause the hollow to gently expand. You may find this way less daunting!