Hollow beads?

Kaz · January 15, 2009, 07:51:14 PM

I make the Mike Poole way. I make two little beads about three quarters of an inch apart and then build two biggish disks on them, alternating between the two and keeping both hot by flashing through the flame. When the disks are built up I heat the space between them constantly turning the mandrel and eventually they start to move towards each other and behave like a clam shell - when all joined up I get the whole bead fairly hot and try to balance as best as I can.
When all else fails I let it droop to the bottom, put a ridge in the top and turn it into a hollow heart!
I find with making the two little beads first, I get better ends than just going straight for disks!
Kaz

SueP · January 15, 2009, 10:45:05 PM

I'm still practising the 2 disc method - got a pair of those hollow mandrels with the little holes from Martin at the Brighton gem and bead fair

These are my first tries - not perfect but thinking with some embellishment I have next years tree baubles

Dragonfire Glass · January 15, 2009, 11:20:36 PM

good hollows!

I have one of those mandrels too, but the one of the holes got blocked so I haven't used it for a while. I did find you need to keep the glass even before blowing - you end up with a wonky bead otherwise!

SueP · January 16, 2009, 02:12:47 PM

Yes As you can see mine aren't perfect so you still have to havean even thick hollow before blowing

kerensky · January 16, 2009, 08:09:15 PM

Okay folks , what is the score with bead release when making these, I have been sort of ok so far but two attempts have had the release crack on me, why is this, am I applying too much pressure when decorating perhaps? Please advise, as I can only decorate so many potted plants with beads stuck on mandrels.......

Cheers

Kerensky

Magpie · January 17, 2009, 02:49:32 PM

Is this when you're decorating a hollow or getting the 2 discs to join up?
If it's when getting the discs to join are you putting too much pressure on them and forcing them together before they're molten enough, this would cause them to move on the mandrel and crack the bead release (been there, done that, got the t-shirt, or at least the stuck beads

)
If it's after you've made the hollow bead and are decorating it, I have no idea, unless you've got small cracks and not noticed while you've been making it and keeping it in the flame has caused it to get worse.

Helen

kerensky · January 17, 2009, 03:13:25 PM

Thanks Helen, I think that it is a bit of both and I am not heating the glass up enough - when making the hollow and when decorating, I have been having a go at hollow fish and think I may have applied too much pressure when trying to shape the fins.

Thanks for the help

Kerensky

Trudi · January 22, 2009, 02:00:44 PM

Quote from: SueP on January 15, 2009, 10:45:05 PM
I'm still practising the 2 disc method - got a pair of those hollow mandrels with the little holes from Martin at the Brighton gem and bead fair These are my first tries - not perfect but thinking with some embellishment I have next years tree baubles

Nice hollows - I've got one of those mandrels with the holes in too! You can get really big hollows with these - great for tree decorations or larger focals!