How do YOU encase?

[Stacy]

I'm trying to practise my encasing at the moment as I'm getting a little bit tired of always having bubbles in mine.
After re-reading PTF I see that corina mentions two different techniques. The first being the wrap around technique and the second being the (for lack of a better word) blob technique.

I've always wrapped before but am finding that I get bubbles trapped between the bead and encasing layer so thought I would give the blob version a go. I can't seem to get this to work at all.
I melt a nice large blob then try to drop it onto the bead as described but find that I get a massive blob on one side of the bead and hardly anything the rest of the way round. This makes it nearly impossible to push the glass up to the edges as she discribes. She does say 'add more glass if needed' but doesn't that contradict the point of this version? I thought that it was the way the wraps of glass joined that caused my problems with the bubbles so wouldn't adding more glass to this cause the same. Now I am obviously doing something wrong because it works fine for her so what am I missing?

Which version do you guys use and has anyone got any pointers on either version to make them bubbleless?
Also does anyone use the lateral encasing where you paint the clear on from hole to hole then force the air out with the flame..?? I've not tried this one yet and would love some feedback.

[Les]

how do I encase ?? ?? ??












BADLY !!!!!


xx

[Stacy]

LOL!!!!!! - Can I join your club Les?

[Les]

xxx

[garishglobes]

Oh... and I was going to say...with clear!  but also very badly. I've tried blobbing, rolling, stripping (frightening the glass into behaving ) and all sorts of unlikely variations. I usually look at the shape and size of the bead and kind of work it out from there - I'd use lateral encasing for long beads and a kind of rolled blob round the middle with more at the ends for rounder ones. It helps to keep the bit you've just rolled on warm when you add the next bit, but usually for me that just ends up with smushed under-design.
I think it must be practice!

[saffie]

Mmmm...I am spectacularly crap at this! I have tried the wind round version and find my flame control is not that fab cos of my shaky hands so my base bead gets warm and then i lose shape and get blurring! I tried to blob technique and find exactly that same problem as you loads glass one side not much the other. you can't let gravity take over cos you lose the shape of the base bead and adding more glass makes a nice size bead into an absolute monster and getting a set the same size is nigh on impossible! I tried the lateral method 2 nights ago and after i had finished PML I completely gave up! useless   I just don't get it. So the thing here is I need help and teaching with encasing!

I am sorry that doesn't help you at all does it. Good luck with your quest and please share any hints! Oh and I tried to follow Sally carver tut in beads and beyond but I was useless at that as well! ho hum...

[turnedlight]

I tend to heat a largish blob, touch the end on and try and quickly push the glass around, with the rod sort of bent back on itself.. hard to describe really, but the pushing part of the rod leaves a sort of 'furrow' in the molten glass. On a round bead I put on a layer as evenly as poss and heat it and marver it, which spreads it thinner and around the edges, like spreading butter about. I don't know if that's very explanatory!

[Caroline]

I go around the world iykwim

[Chameleon]

hmm i think i do the same as Caroline as i think that is a name for what i do  - take 1 cold ish bead (coldish to avoid smudging) take one very hot rod of clear, push the clear onto the bead whilst turning the bead. I hold the bead about 1cm below the flame and my clear in the flame till i'm done and i just keep turning and keep pushing, laying a sort of spiral of clear glass onto the bead, each time overlapping the previous clear slightly. think it is the pushing that avoids the air bubbles ??

[Caroline]

yeah it is Becky and thats exactly how i do it

[Hels4444]

Encasing is sooo hard and remember sometimes little bubbles look nice!!!  I always wrap around, making sure the core bead is back to its orginal colour then melt the clear high in the flame as this causes less bubbles.  Also if i have a few bubbles in the clear glass before i start I remove them before I start on the top of the mandrel.  I also think that some clear glass is much easier to use than others!!  One of my favourites is cim clear glass!!  

I am saving up to have some proper lessons, as I would really love to get really good at it!!

I think the real secret if plenty of practice!!!

Hels

[beadysam]

I do it the same as Caroline and Becky too. I'm not much good at it and always get bubbles, but its getting better.  Encasing is something I've always avoided because of scummy clear, but now I've got some WONDERFUL Lauscha from our Sal, I'm practicing a bit more.  I think it also depends a little on what you are doing - with florals I blob encase over the flowers and add more where needed.

[Stacy]

hmm i think i do the same as Caroline as i think that is a name for what i do  - take 1 cold ish bead (coldish to avoid smudging) take one very hot rod of clear, push the clear onto the bead whilst turning the bead. I hold the bead about 1cm below the flame and my clear in the flame till i'm done and i just keep turning and keep pushing, laying a sort of spiral of clear glass onto the bead, each time overlapping the previous clear slightly. think it is the pushing that avoids the air bubbles ??

Right I'm going to give that a go, it sounds very similar to what I do but I don't really push the glass on I kind of lay it on if that makes any sense? I'm going to do the pushy thing now and see if that helps!!!

I tend to heat a largish blob, touch the end on and try and quickly push the glass around, with the rod sort of bent back on itself.. hard to describe really, but the pushing part of the rod leaves a sort of 'furrow' in the molten glass. On a round bead I put on a layer as evenly as poss and heat it and marver it, which spreads it thinner and around the edges, like spreading butter about. I don't know if that's very explanatory!

I know what you mean!!  

Thanks everyone for your replies... I'll show some piccys of what I end up with if you promise not to laugh.. too much!  

[Stacy]

YEAH!!!!!! I love the smooshing!!! I've still got a few small bubbles but that will no doubt come with practise!!

Thanks so much for your advise ladies it worked a treat. I'll be surprised if this bead lasts though as I made a basic bead encased it with the smooshing and thoght mmm that looks quite good.. ill stick some flowers on it and do it again... now the bead is enormous and I had to stick it in vermy so I bet it will crack... but even if it does its got two layers of encasing and still has only a few tiny bubbles...

I'm over the moon (the red wine and House may have helped with that but at least that explains the rambling!)

Thanks again
Stacy
xxx

[garishglobes]

If you've been watching House, no wonder you feel like smooshing!