Lentil Holes - how should they look?

[glasseyeyes]

I cheat especailly when using Ivory glass,

If I'm using ivory I just make two small spacing beads from a stiff glass, (usually clear) just short of the width I actually want, then cover just the outside edge that shows with a tiny bit of stinger of the colour i'm making the bead from to hide the clear, then go ahead and make my lentil, mine is a straight sided lentil.  I have found it does help the holes stay just a little dimpled. I'm hopefully doing some more next few days so I'll post if anyones interested.

Another thing I do is when building up the glass I usually put more glass around the holes instead of the middle until the hole ends are nearly full then add glass to the centre until the press is full just right  Then the glass just sort of pushes out against the holes just a little but stays dimply.  I have to press it a few more times in the process and a bit fiddly, but when I get this just right I get a really good lentil with good holes.  If i'm making florals (which I'm doing next) and want them melted down I can also see  how much glass space I have left in the centre of the bead so I don't go to big and over fill the press once done.

Hope it's of help.  I'm not a pro by any means, but when I get the above right it does work really well.  I don't think it would work with the crush sort though.

Dawn

[silverlemon]

Ack! I have a large lentil press and seem to waste more beads from this than I keep. I'm really mega fussy about my holes (ooo er missus) and can't let lentils go if they're not right. I think I'm going to buy a straight sided one as I can't bear to loose more beadies this way.
My problem is that I pile on the glass and get good puckers before I press, then when I press, the surplus oozes out and makes a thin wrap around the mandrel that is just outside the press. Tjis is of course too thin and looks like a tube and will break and just looks so ack!

If I try and put less on I get the horrible weapon shape, you know, the swirly axe head on a stick that Buffy the Vampire Slayer used to use? Sorry Geek admission here.

So I think I'm about to give up on this and get a straight sided one.

I do have a lentil trio I bought second hand, I think it may be from Maria Louisa, and I can use that one OK.

[Izzybeads]

I like the lentils, both straight (thought they were tabs ) and the more traditional rounded shape.  I always start with two small spacer beads and fill in the middle, making it more bicone shape before pressing.  I also, prefer to do the rounded lentil on a smaller mandrel, that gives a nicer, neater end, really hate it when I mess up and get that 'too much glass' look.

I do have a problem with the straight sided one though, I have a big one 25mm (I think) and they keep cracking, no matter how much I heat through and keep warm, its driving me nuts!  The crack isn't always down the middle either, at least then I can kick myself for not doing it properly!