carnt get my glass to go on mandrel like snail shell,do you know what i mean

[the lady with the lamp]

  just started making beads and having problems getting glass on mandrel tidy,havnt had problem getting it to stick and ive made some really nice round beads but i carnt get glass to go on neatly any advice thanks parin

[lejjewellery]

practice, i have only been doing it for 2 months and they still don't go on like a 'snail shell' but are much better than they used to be 

[noora]

Are you working too hot so that the glass becomes runny? That was one of my early problems. Another was to keep the bead behind the flame but neither too close nor too far away. 

But mostly it's about practice

[the lady with the lamp]

will try that thanks,i know i need to practice,try to a bit every day now regards parin

[Dreams of Glass]

Have you got any reference books, like "Passing The Flame" etc, I found these really helped me. Lots of tips. For me it's melting a blob sized amount of glass, attaching a small footprint of glass to the mandrel and slowly wind round, then keep adding more till you get the required size. PPP . If you are trying to get a disk type bead in a continuous snailshell/swirl, think it depends on your torch, I'm on a hot head and I've never been able to do that.... hope this helps  

[the lady with the lamp]

thanks ill take that on board,ive got a couple off lampwork books there ok,helped me alot,just have to keep practising regards parin

[Redhotsal]

The secret is to keep the bead OUT of the flame and the glass rod IN the flame.
If your bead is too hot (if it's in the flame) it will go floppy and you won't be able to wind the glass on in a fine trail.

[the lady with the lamp]

  thanks will do!

[★★Terri★★]

I work with a hot head and find that with most glasses I get better result if I wind 'one wrap at a time' instead of winding on in a continuous spiral.  Some glasses seem to be too stiff (especially opaques) to melt enough/fast enough to make a continuous spiral.  So I heat a bit and wrap it on, melt a bit more, wrap it on an so on and so on.  Does that make sense?  I've seen quite a few people on You Tube using this technique as well.

Terri

[metaltedgrrl]

Terri, makes perfect sense!  I guess that, at the end of the day, if they look okay then don't worry too much about how they start - I've been lampworking over a year and STILL can't make a nice round bead! I can make a spiral/shell though...
But definitely check out some videos on youtube to look at some different techniques - a couple of lampworkers I know recommend melting up a beads worth of glass at once and winding it straight on in one hit, others favour the add-a-bit, melt-it-in, add-a-bit technique - eventually you'll figure out your own groove! Good luck!

[Pegasus]

Hi Parin, I'm afraid I can't offer any great advice apart from the fact that I manage ok with my 'throw & stick' method..................I just bung some glass on the mandrel (yes I do mean throw the glass on in the most untidy & messy way ever seen) and deal with it once it's on!!! I can't get that lovely snail trail glass for love nor money either. I guess what I'm saying is don't worry it's not that important. 

[metaltedgrrl]

Hi Parin, I'm afraid I can't offer any great advice apart from the fact that I manage ok with my 'throw & stick' method..................I just bung some glass on the mandrel (yes I do mean throw the glass on in the most untidy & messy way ever seen) and deal with it once it's on!!! I can't get that lovely snail trail glass for love nor money either. I guess what I'm saying is don't worry it's not that important. 

And your work is simply amazing!