cleaning my first hollow bead help

[jammie]

This is a pic of my first hollow bead, it is actually light amber...I dont know how to clean the inside, I usually use a mandrel and grit and I have tried this and blown through it and ran water but the middle bit stays the same. Is this how it should be, do you think this is bead release and not a core of the bead, I did think I had made it properly hollow....can someone help  please...

[julieHB]

It might help to leave it to soak for a while. I have had very stubborn bead release inside hollows, but normally manage to poke the sides of it so it breaks - have you tried with a thin mandrel so you can move the point inside the bead. When you have broken it it's a matter of filling up with water and blow - again and again.

[stuwaudby]

Take the mandrel out first

Break up the bits inside with some wire or a smaller mandrel, Fill it and soak it. Hold it to the tap and get a good jet of water through it, it will clear eventually.

[Hamilton Taylor]

Once it's off the mandrel, hold it under water, and squirt a syringe full of water through it. Repeat until all the release bits are swept out the other hole. This works fab for me.   

Sean

[Amber]

I've just seen on LE that canned air is great for getting the stubborn bits out! 

[Pixiedebs]

I use bicarbonate of soda and white spirit vinegar to start my cleaning process but I've never used it on hollows!!!

If you want to try first I take the bead off the mandrel, put into a plastic jug (or similar) put a good amount of bicarb in and gently shake the bead about so that it gets everywhere and then I add the vinegar....frothy volcano ensues and then I leave for 5 to 10 mins then rinse under a running tap whilst gently rubbing with a pipe cleaner.....

it's cheap to try and no harsh chemicals are used...but again I have never used this on a hollow??

Debx

[flaming beads]

I love making hollows, but the cleaning can take a bit longer than normal beads....i clean it first with my reamer, like you would do with a normal bead and then run water from a height,(my sink is deep) through the hole and try and flush it out that way...if there's some stubborn bits i get them centred to the hole and poke the reamer through it and then do the water again....sometimes this is fairly quick and sometimes it can take a lot longer...don't give up though, you'll find your own little knack that works for you

[jammie]

Well having soaked it and poked it and blown it and rushed water through it, I'm not sure what else to do. Need to get a syringe to try that out though.  But having made another couple but with rubbish ends, I decided to smash one and see what was inside as my OH was sure it was a glass core like in usual beads, not bead release, so having done tha to one, it does look like there is glass and not just the bead release, but when I am making them, they havent collapsed and I have gone round and round both sides until they join so9 cant see how glass is then along the mandrel. I am baffled, can anyone see from the pic if yhis is maybe glass or bead release or is it impossible to tell without breaking it. I managed to chip the end on the "good"one trying to poke the middle. 

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

I'm afraid it looks to me like that is not hollow. You can usually see a bubble inside the bead but I can't see that in this bead  

[Dragonfire Glass]

it doesn't look hollow to me - if it collapses it may just go back to normal bead, but also when my hollows have collapsed I've had a large air bubble instead, and I can't see one of those either.

[jammie]

Hmm so I haven't made a hollow after all  
I did the 2 end beads then wrapped around till they met but I think  when I have been heating it it must have moved down onto the mandrel, does this sound likely? No there is no air bubble inside it either.

[Dragonfire Glass]

watch this

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=393718636859

you may need to be friends with Ray Skene to watch - but as he's the king of hollows ...

[jammie]

I am friends with ray Skene, how do I get to the video ....s okay I found it thanks for  your help.....

[fionaess]

That is one of the best hollow vids I've seen - is it in a sticky?

[flaming beads]

I've never seen this video..is it really good and how can you get to see it...do you have to buy it?