Rice

[GoodMonkey]

In a container put rice about 10cm deep its great as a stand for newly coated mandrels - it keeps em upright and holds them really well.

I didn't get a mandrel stand with my starter kit so improvised with a container and a 29p bag of rice.

[Phoenix*]

that's a good tip!

I have a couple of flower oasis blocks (still in their cellophane) wedged into a roasting tin  I bung all mine in there 

[glassworks]

we use old clay flower pots filled with vermiculite, which we can then just flip the bead into at the same time... just gotta make sure you don't grab the wrong end of a used mandrel!!



like the rice idea - bloody useful!!!

[kaatje]

That's a good idea! I've made wooden blocks and drilled holes into it. For my 5mm mandrels I use an upside-down-kitchentools-holder (is this an english word?) from Ikea which has perfectly sized holes!

[Buzzybead]

Gosh - aren't we all inventive! I love hearing about all these tips: money saved on the incidentals is money to be spent on glassy combustibles...

[kaatje]

Since I'm into the bead-business, no hardware store is safe for me!!! Always on the lookout for handy tools!

[GoodMonkey]

My tools include a wallpaper scraper which I use as an emergncey marver and our potato peeler!!! (No longer used for peeling potatoes)

[Carol]

I keep my coated mandrels in a jar filled with washing powder - it does the trick & smells nice too! 

[littlegiggles]

lol... me likes

[Vicki]

I did the drilling thing with the wood, only my drilling is rubbish & if you fill it alot of the mandrels stick to each other...so my husband made one, he used a fence post, or at least a bit of one, but the holes are so far apart & it takes up loads of room...next time I'm in the right place i'm going to treat myself to a decent bit of wood & do it again 

[astringofbeads]

I know what you mean Vicki! My hubby drilled me a bit of wood, but i can only use half the holes as they are not straight! I bought a bag of sand back from our fav beach whilst on hols, and now use that in old mugs Nice reminder of our fav place

[Bumpy Beads]

My hubby drilled me a bit of wood, but i can only use half the holes as they are not straight!

My hubby did the same! I can use about every third hole because otherwise they all touch, especially the long ones.. hehe..

Of course, I couldn't say anything when he'd gone to so much trouble.  A container of rice sounds perfect, but at the risk of offending said husband I shall perservere with the wooden block; for as long as it takes him to forget he ever made it anyway...... 

[BlueMoon]

We used rice in quart paint cans until the mice found it.....lol.....had to change it out with art sand now. It works well and we got all different colors.

[Trudi]

Love the rice idea!!

I had pinced a cupful of sand from a play area and used that - but it's not enough. So I found a polystyrene half cup (like you'd get sauce in from the Chinky) and punched holes in - rested this inside a larger yoghurt pot and bob' your uncle - but the rice would probably be better!

[beadysam]

My hubby drilled me a bit of wood, but i can only use half the holes as they are not straight!

My hubby did the same! I can use about every third hole because otherwise they all touch, especially the long ones.. hehe..

Of course, I couldn't say anything when he'd gone to so much trouble.  A container of rice sounds perfect, but at the risk of offending said husband I shall perservere with the wooden block; for as long as it takes him to forget he ever made it anyway...... 

tell him its your fault cos your mandrels are bent - they believe anything....