encasing?

[bubblefizz]

Can anyone relate to this when encasing....
when i start off i end up with a thick stripe and ends in a very thin stripe, and then when i try to cover the thin stripe to make it the same width i end up with joining marks (if you know what i mean) you can see where i added more clear  i would have thought it would just join and blend in with the rest but it doesnt 
any ideas what im doing wrong here?

[Billie]

Maybe it's trapped air...?  Someone else will have the answer off the top of their head, but I'll have to consult my books!!!!  If you've not had an answer by the time I get my daughters back from their swimming lessons I'll have a flick through 

How's it going otherwise?

[bubblefizz]

Thanks 

Yea im doing well, im just waiting for my kiln to arrive  so exiting.
and my raised flowers have come on a treat since my creation station!
im just having big probs with encasing, its so annoying lol

how are you doing??

[Billie]

Not getting much than an hour or so on the torch at the moment per week, but I'm having a play around when I can.  I need to get our camera sorted and post some pictures.  Finding any work with transparents slow and arduous on the hothead... I get so frustrated by the time I've done one, I then do some twisties to unwind and I'm then ready for bed 

Going to have a go with the March/April challenges and tutorial. The in-laws are here this weekend so I'm hoping they take the girls for a few hours during the day so I can get a go on the torch while I'm still alert rather than waiting until the girls are in bed.

[bubblefizz]

Did you buy the minnow Billie?

[Billie]

Yep, got one from Q.  Hoping to have an oxycon in the next few months.  Our car keeps breaking down, which isn't so good when you've 2 pre-schoolers in the back, so my oxycon and kiln are on hold... again, while we try and replace the car!  James has promised me an oxycon by the summer so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  I'm looking into getting a weekend job if it means getting myself sorted but I don't think he wants to be left looking after Daisy and Ruby all weekend 

[Mary]

You have to have the base bead nice and cool, and the clear nice and hot. If your core is too soft you might be deforming it. If the clear is too stiff it might be bubbles, like Billie suggests, or else the core peeking through. Make sure it's soft, and squish it right up to the previous stripe, pushing out air and covering all the core. Hope that makes sense!

[bubblefizz]

So Mary, when i start to encase do i push it on WITHOUT distorting the bead?
when i start i end up with a thick bit LOL and i want to get a thin layer of encasing.

[Mary]

Yes, the core should be firm enough not to move, really quite cool, and the clear should be soft enough that you can squish it. Hold the core under or beside the flame not in it.

[bubblefizz]

ok Mary i will try again 

[Trudi]

Hi

I don't seem to manage to get any decent encasing done - I try to cool the centre part - but as I'm warming up the clear (I try and only heat the edge but it doesn't seem to melt) and they all seem to melt together.

I have also tried the method of putting a clear stripe around the middle and melting in - but this doesn't work either.

Any advice appreciated - I'm on a HH - bulk and at the moment using effetre glass!

Thanks

Trudi

[Revontulet]

Hi - I'm new to beadmaking too, & struggled with encasing - one way I found to get an even coating was by using a thick stringer of clear & winding around the bead in a spiral, then heating to melt the surface. You have to be careful not to leave any gaps or the underneath will bleed through, but I found this worked quite well.
(I did see a tutorial on this somewhere - if I find it I'll let you know)

Having said that I've since tried the other methods & seem to be managing those Ok now - must be that it does come with practice! (& getting the temperature of the base bead right)

Good Luck!

[bubblefizz]

Hey Dawn i never thought of using a stringer, im gonna try it 

[Shirley]

I've had more success since using a thick stringer, although I get the occasional bleed through where I miss, and I can't get the ends right at all 

[Revontulet]

Lots of opinions on encasing here:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-327646.html