Tools - what are the essentials ?

[jobead]

I have a very limited array of tools and am wondering what long term beaders would consider essentials.

I have a marver but not attached to my torch which means sometimes my beads cool a bit too much and everything else I do with a pick and some tweezery things (no idea of official name  . I have just treated myself to some small mashers ( these are great, if it won't go round squash the b***er )

All advice gratefully received, before I go to the Flame Off and bankrupt myself 

Ta
Jo

[Les]

some of my essential tools are a marver.... masher... tweezers, and a tungsten tipped rake tool

[Shirley]

Beadysam's proddy pokey tools, a cheap pair of pliers, torch top marver (not just for marvering, for warming up petals and murrini), tungsten rake, aluminium marver (for frit, leaf and foil)

[jobead]

Thanks Les and Shirley , that was quick didn't even get chance to make a brew ! Doesn't sound like I need much else for now 'cept maybe a marver to attach to my HH , practice and lots more glass !

What is the advantage of tungsten over steel and is a rake different to a pick ?


Jo

[Shirley]

Practice and glass are essential!

A rake and a pick are the same thing, really. Tungsten is less sticky if it gets hot and is stronger too. I like the brass tools because they are much less likely to stick.

Have a good nosey at the Flame Off and try as much kit as you can. I think there will be plenty there!

[Amber]

I have just treated myself to some small mashers ( these are great, if it won't go round squash the b***er

Hee hee...my way of thinking exactly! 

I'll second Sam's pushy pokey proddy brass tools - wouldn't be without them!

[Kaz]

Other than the things already mentioned, I have a graphite square block which I find useful for marvering, applying frit and foil. My favourite tool is a cheap kitchen knife - great for burnishing silver foil, tucking in ends on encased beads, poking out big bubbles, making lines, dragging lines through patterns, knocking any loose bits of bead release off the mandrel and away from the bead - all of about 89p from ASDA. I also quite like to sprinkle my frit rather than roll in it, so I have a small glass bowl and a melon baller. I got a fab thin pokey tool from the PMC site which was about £2 and is perfect for plunged dots (as are used bead reamers!)
Kazx

[Steampunkglass]

Personally I wouldn't worry about a marver to fit the torch, I had one for a few weeks and hated it, but I guess that's more personal choice (and a tendancy to leave things on it and bash into, leaving sharp bits of rods stuck in me!   ) I quite like graphite paddles instead. Sandy's bead spear is great, and a rake is well worth it, but you can probably find lots of household things to make do with. I have various lumps of metal as marvers, a pair of old scissors, old surgical tweezers, (ok, so my household is a little odd), even a pair of retracting sugar cube tongs. I am tempted to invest in some proper tools like real hot fingers and Sam's poley tools eventually too!

[jobead]

Thanks again, I've taken a look at the pushy pokey proddy tools and they look like great value. Some of the techniques mentioned I don't understand yet I love the idea of collecting odd items from around the house and it must be green too?

I have to take deep breaths when I think of the Flame Off because the anticipation is killing me !! at least here I am amongst those who understand everyone else thinks I have joined a cult LOL

Ta everyone
Jo

[Kaz]

Oh, didn't anyone mention that
Kaz

[Steampunkglass]

everyone else thinks I have joined a cult LOL

No if this glass thing was a cult you'd end up doing odd bizzare rituals, like.... wandering around with hundreds of other followers in a race course whilst wearing odd tinted goggles that have been sold to you by one of the high preists of glass while everyone chanted ''''oooooo'''' and ''aaahhh!!!!'' and nodding saying things like ''huumm, CIM''

[Kaz]

 

[jobead]

 

Well when you put it like that !!

I will start to worry when I wear the goggles and I haven't got the torch on.


Jo

[ejralph]

I use very few essential tools. Excluding things like bead presses, I really only tend to use a graphite marver, tweezers and some bent-nosed pliers and stainless wax carvers that I sell - nicked them from the EJR Beads stock room! One of the tools in the wax carvers is fantastic for pushing encasing glass around.

Apart from that, just gravity and heat I suppose.

I have a HUGE list of tools that I DON'T ever seem to use though. Must flog them off one of these days!

Emma

[Pat from Canvey]

Try rolling a bead along the bowl of a teaspoon to get a great shape.