Harlequin Cab help!

[Purple Cobwebs]

I've carefully followed Manda's tutorial, and made my first two cabs!!! I'm really pleased with them as I faffed about so much that I half expected them to crack in the kiln!!! I  know they are nowhere near the standard of any I've seen on here, but precision never has been my strongpoint!!!

But I'm obviously going wrong towards the end as they are not closing up properly and you can see an inner circle. Any tips?

[MangoBeads]

Firstly I think you have done really well .. Those are coming along nicely
Its the trickiest part and you most likely won't get it right every time ...not even I do that

marver the clear well over the edge of the design and try not closing all in one go ... Heat at the edge and marver and repeat until you can see its going to work onlŷ at that point allow closure ...

But to be honest you could have done the plunging trick with those and you would have been OK ...when you have closed and if you have a little bleeding of your design heat and poke with a pointy tool and cover with clear to produce your bubble and push the bleeding bits back in .

Hope that makes sense ...it really is just practice

Thanks for showing though they are lovely

[Madam Steph]

They are great first timers, Gaynor.
I hope that when I eventually attempt Manda's tute that my firsts turn out half as good

Linda x

[Purple Cobwebs]

Thank you so much Manda. I'm goint to have another attempt this afternoon, so I'll concentrate on those tips.
Thanks Linda. The tutorial is so well written that I'm sure you'll do fine.
x

[chipperpottery]

I have the tut and I have tried, but can't seem to get it right.

[puffin]

These are my first that I did with Manda's tut . When you do the top think encasing an end of a bead you want to angle and move the clear slowly to the middle ..

My trouble is I am getting bigger in front when i want my cabs to be bigger from the sides... Although I do mine free hand with sabines nut and mandrels.. also putting the damn things in the kiln without ruining them ...

i also try and do one of these each time I go and bead... Not one has made the present stage yet

[binty]

Yes, how DO you get it in the kiln, I have a wire rack thingy in mine, so I was wondering where I would stick it (so to speak!)

[puffin]

I balance mine on 2 mandrels!!!! so it sticks out sideways kind of thing. But is top heavy so drops then gets covered in the white furry stuff which ruins it agggrrrrr

[Purple Cobwebs]

Stacey, they are lovely!
That's my plan too. I'll attempt a cab mandrel one and a nut one at every torch session!
I have one of the kiln mandrel racks from tuffnels in my kiln, and it's really easy to balance the mandrels on that.

[puffin]

Never knew they had one of those kiln things ohhh off to spend money !!

[puffin]

bought !!! That was way too quick ... Now do we just place it in the kiln then , moving that white stuff from the bottom to put it in . I have a pinkie kiln so can put it in one end when i am doing these babies . Yes or no ?

[MangoBeads]

It's so lovely to see you all trying so hard ..it's quite the best way to learn th technique doing one or two a session ... You should have seen MTV first few when I was working it out ... Lovely to see what you are all doing with it xx