Silver cored beads using the Impress bead liner - updated!

[Veebee]

What a brilliant thread, thank you Charlotte and everyone else who has added tips!

I'm still having problems with my bead liner too. Where do you get your silver tube from Lush?

I would like to know too, I've ordered 0.3mm from Rashbels, is that thin enough?

Hopefully I'll be able to comment on Maria-Louisa's beadliner soon too........   

[theflyingbedstead]

What a brilliant thread, thank you Charlotte and everyone else who has added tips!

I'm still having problems with my bead liner too. Where do you get your silver tube from Lush?

I would like to know too, I've ordered 0.3mm from Rashbels, is that thin enough?

Hopefully I'll be able to comment on Maria-Louisa's beadliner soon too........   

Maybe we could have a beadlining 'meet' to see if we can crack these problems...and I'd love to check out some new toys too! 

[Veebee]

Great idea!

Now, I seriously need to make some decent BHB's lol!

[theflyingbedstead]

Great idea!

Now, I seriously need to make some decent BHB's lol!

I am trying to make some for the BHB swap...and me mojo's gone awol 

[Lush!]

I'm still having problems with my bead liner too. Where do you get your silver tube from Lush?

Its the same one that Kirsty mentions here 

http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=20317.0;topicseen

[Pandanimal]

That is where I got mine from.
I tried again yesterday and made the silver go cherry red after I cut it. It was loads better. I'm just a bit nervous about the tapping it down tight bit.
The Idea of a silver lining meet sounds good. Every cloud and all that!
I would be more than happy to have it at my place in Wiltshire? If anyone can get here?

[theflyingbedstead]

That is where I got mine from.
I tried again yesterday and made the silver go cherry red after I cut it. It was loads better. I'm just a bit nervous about the tapping it down tight bit.
The Idea of a silver lining meet sounds good. Every cloud and all that!
I would be more than happy to have it at my place in Wiltshire? If anyone can get here?

That is very lovely of you to offer - I am in Oxfordshire, so not too far away.  I am happy to meet at yours or vice versa!

The cherry red is the colour to go for - and I'm glad that's working better for you. If your silver glows bright orange then you will have heated it WAY too far!

The tapping it down tight is the scary part, and I find that using the thinner walled tubing, and allowing enough length in the tube so that it curls over a bit at each end means that the curled bit can take a bit more strain when using the beadliner - and I have found I don't need to tighten it further to using a planishing hammer at all. This also removes the need for removing any hammer marks too 

[Veebee]

My Maria-Louisa bead liner has arrived, it looks fab!! I have tubing on the way from Rashbels, so I guess I'll be makikng some BHB's this weekend 
I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I've given it a go!!

[theflyingbedstead]

My Maria-Louisa bead liner has arrived, it looks fab!! I have tubing on the way from Rashbels, so I guess I'll be makikng some BHB's this weekend 
I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I've given it a go!!

Ohhhhh - you lucky thing - I have tool envy. 

I hope you have a very happy time PLAYING this weekend!!!!! 

[Trudi]

nice one!!

I have a question to ask - If I anneal my silver, can I quench it to cool down or does it need to be cooled naturally. Also - do you need to clean it with anything special afterwards?

Thanks
Trudi x

[julieHB]

nice one!!

I have a question to ask - If I anneal my silver, can I quench it to cool down or does it need to be cooled naturally. Also - do you need to clean it with anything special afterwards?

Thanks
Trudi x

You need to quench it. I just plonk it in a cup of water as soon as it loses its glow. It is supposed to be below about 500 deg C before you quench it, otherwise it can go brittle (was it brittle, or some other horrible desease?...hmm, long time since I read those data sheet). Afterwards it strictly speaking needs pickling, although it tends to go shiny with the polishing you do to finish it. There's a thread around here with  natural safe pickles with ingredients you can find in any home, otherwise you can buy safety pickle from the normal silver suppliers. I have a great recipe using citric acid and water, which you can put your hand into with no probs, but the local pharmacy won't sell me any! Anyway, i just keep my safety pickle in a jam jar, and if i am in a hurry I heat it up by sitting it in a small casserole of boiling water. After pickling it looks greyish, but polishes up easily. Ah, just remembered, redhotsal uses cillit bang to remove fire scale 

HTH x

[Pandanimal]

So you do all of that, pickling and so forth before you try to core with it? It doesn't make it unannealed again?

[julieHB]

So you do all of that, pickling and so forth before you try to core with it? It doesn't make it unannealed again?

It's really not all that much, it's just me waffling.  The pickling does not un-anneal it, but you mustn't work it much (i.e. polish, tumble etc.) before you core with it. I have polished the outside carefully before coring very transparent beads, but normally I don't polish before I'm finished coring.

Erm, I am not an expert, please correct me someone if I am giving the incorrect info!

[mizgeorge]

Absolutely right Julie. Pickling does not harden the metal, it simply removes the oxide layer that forms when it's annealed.

There are lots of alternatives to jeweller's pickle, including alum, citric acid, vinegar and salt, coca cola (not diet) and good old cillit bang

[fionaess]

nice one!!

I have a great recipe using citric acid and water, which you can put your hand into with no probs, but the local pharmacy won't sell me any!

HTH x

Your local pharmacy may not sell you citric acid, but your local 'home brew' shop will