Mandrels - home made

squirsygirl · October 05, 2009, 05:45:47 PM

Quote from: LittleHen on October 05, 2009, 01:21:43 PM
Mmmm I have 3M lengths of rod waiting for me to get cutting, they're 3mm, 4mm and 5 mm but I think I'll be lucky if I get round to it this side of Xmas and then I'll be way to fat and pregnant to cut them without doing some damage!!
Still with a small baby 2 kids and no studio I'm sure I'll get round to it at some point... $:-\$
I might look into a sawing blade for my dremel to see if I can at least make them into 1M lengths
You should never buy long lengths of metal rod on impulse...
Jessie

where did you manage to find them?

K

squirsygirl · October 05, 2009, 05:46:42 PM

Quote from: squirsygirl on October 05, 2009, 05:45:47 PM
Quote from: LittleHen on October 05, 2009, 01:21:43 PM
Mmmm I have 3M lengths of rod waiting for me to get cutting, they're 3mm, 4mm and 5 mm but I think I'll be lucky if I get round to it this side of Xmas and then I'll be way to fat and pregnant to cut them without doing some damage!!
Still with a small baby 2 kids and no studio I'm sure I'll get round to it at some point... $:-\$
I might look into a sawing blade for my dremel to see if I can at least make them into 1M lengths
You should never buy long lengths of metal rod on impulse...
Jessie

where did you manage to find them?

K

the steel rods, not the kiddywinks. Sorry 'bout that.

K

Krysia@No98 · October 05, 2009, 08:41:41 PM

So I now have these hundred rods and, well, they are so lovely and tactile I can't bring myself to cut them up...

(how daft am I?)

Scubeadoo · October 06, 2009, 08:13:31 PM

Quote from: Krysia on October 05, 2009, 12:40:36 PM
Ha ha, when I got divorced there wasn't even a discussion as to who as getting the power tools. That boy wouldn't have known the business end of a drill unless I shoved it up his @### - ON!!

Anyhoo talkin of long pointy things

My 'mandrels-to-be' turned up this morning. The post man rang at about 7.55. I went running out in my pink PJs (looking as girlie as can me, and I'm not usually a pink girl) big grin on my face saying, yay - my welding rods have arrived!! It made the postman laugh.

ROFL

Krysia@No98 · October 06, 2009, 08:35:02 PM

all the rods are now topped and tailed. I am going to chop them in to thirds in front of the TV. And what ever I have left I am going to 'show' to Richard and hopefully Bob tomorrow and then challenge them to an 'manly' test

Krysia@No98 · October 11, 2009, 06:44:48 PM

Much to my pride I manage to do them all myself!!!

Here is the before

And these are the after

(I wasn't being anal about the lengths - honest $:-\$ )

Any ideas as to what I can do with these?

I will say that after doing them all. this is not something that I would want to do on a comertical basis. I also recognise that I will not be able to do the 2.4mm rods.

Thank you everyone for your help and the exact instructions on whereto et stuff and which exact thing to get.

Zia · October 11, 2009, 07:32:53 PM

wow Krysia, you going to need a load of bead release for those ;-))

as for the bits......I know on here somewhere someone used something like that to make bead stands.....basically you melt a blob of glass at the end (no bead release!) and flatten it so it will stand....let it cool and voila.....a nice lil glassy stand for your pretty beadies....

xxx

Krysia@No98 · October 11, 2009, 08:32:55 PM

Fab idea!!!

So that's 200 bead stands to go with the 300 mandrels

Pat from Canvey · October 13, 2009, 08:26:04 AM

Or get a pin vice and use it to hold an end, dip in release and bead away.

glassworks · October 13, 2009, 08:51:35 AM

reading this cracks me up because i can fell everyone's pain!...

i generally use a metal chop saw to cut the bundles (i cut 10kg of each size when i make mandrels) and then use a belt sander to smooth the edges of each mandrel... takes quite a long time, and i end up with a pile of the "shorts" too... tempted to try use them to make little space martians like di east made for us in murano!.. she must have a pic of them somewhere?... and they go in the kiln no probs to do an annealing programme too...

Hamilton Taylor · October 13, 2009, 09:07:04 AM

We use a similar technique as Q, and the ends get used to make 'pot-stick marbles', for decorating plant pots or the ends of garden canes...
eventually.....
Sean

Krysia@No98 · October 13, 2009, 10:51:02 AM

I have had a request from some one (who I shall keep nameless unless they want to change that) asking me if they can buy them from me!!!

Quote from: Pat from Canvey on October 13, 2009, 08:26:04 AM
Or get a pin vice and use it to hold an end, dip in release and bead away.

They are only 8 cm long.

Quote from: Hamilton Taylor on October 13, 2009, 09:07:04 AM
We use a similar technique as Q, and the ends get used to make 'pot-stick marbles', for decorating plant pots or the ends of garden canes...
eventually.....
Sean

Pictures!!!

Quote from: glassworks on October 13, 2009, 08:51:35 AM
tempted to try use them to make little space martians like di east made for us in murano!..

Definately pictures of those!!!

Yellow friend · October 13, 2009, 01:09:56 PM

Krysia,

Going back to the beginning of this thread where you mentioned about strong men getting your beads off - have you tried soaking them in Cillit Bang (tip from RH Sal I think) I've had some which I thought were going to be added to my pot plant collection but with an overnight soak - came off (with a lttle encouragement). I generally hold the bead in a piece of kitchen towel and use a pair of toothless pliers and give them a good yank - usually works.

PS have you heard anything from Baked Beans

Shelia

Pat from Canvey · October 13, 2009, 01:24:55 PM

"They are only 8 cm long." that's plenty long enough for a bead. How many of your beads are longer than 8 cm?

Krysia@No98 · October 13, 2009, 01:31:49 PM

Funny you should say that. I had a go at a button the other day. 'Course you can't twist those to get them off. I Cillit banged it and off it came. Though I will say - check your hands for cuts before going near a mandrel dripping in cillit bang. Ouch, ouch ooouch!!! I didn't even know I had a paper cut before

Sometimes the pliers, the bang and my lack of muscles just don't work and Bob is the only solution!! I think secretly he like to be given beads to take off. (Gives me an excuse to give him, hem hem, 'special' attention)

I haven't heard anything from Baked Beans since we all met up in London. I went to the Kempton bead fair and didn't see anyone there. Had serious problems with the trains though so got there over an hour later then I wanted to

Quote from: Pat from Canvey on October 13, 2009, 01:24:55 PM
"They are only 8 cm long." that's plenty long enough for a bead. How many of your beads are longer than 8 cm?

All of them !!!! Those Elephants I made were life size