BHB - wobbly footprints

[DellaUK]

Hi Everyone,

I've been trying to make my first 5mm mandrel beads.  I don't have a very steady hand, and have tried both touching down, lifting and winding, and also pressing the glass on for the footprint, and always get a wonky edge, even when I try to use a beadroller to straighten up.  I seem to remember Redhotsal describing this as something to do with y-fronts or underpants!!

Does anyone have advice as to what is a more foolproof method, or is it good old P, P, P?

Thanks in advance,

Della

[MangoBeads]

It really is practice Della but try making a smaller footprint as in narrower don't give up ! maybe tray 4mm mandrel its actually quite a lot easier .

[Lush!]

Yep, I agree with Manda - as narrow a footprint as you can get, and I try to start with a gather just about big enough to get right round the mandrel, stick the very tip of the gather on to the mandrel and pull it round so you avoid a blobby start.

I don't know if this is the same thing as "touching down, lifting and winding" 

[ARBeads]

Oh I so want to know Sal's Y front and underpant description   

When I first started making BHB's I had the same problem and found that by adding more glass I made super large pendant beads, it's something to do with the way the glass flows and the rules on mandrel size to diameter of beads. Most of the commercial mass produced beads are so skinny they should break if they're sneezed on 

I'm with Julie and Manda  - the smaller and narrower the footprint the easier it is to get the nice dimple and straight sides.
PPP as always and look at the size of other handmade beads, don't try to replicate the truly skimpy commercial ones - there boring and have no staying power compared to the gutsy babes found on here!

Ruth x

[jammie]

Will give this a try too as I'm still struggling with bhbeads.