lampworked earstuds - video tutorial

[jammie]

Thankyou! 

[spexy]

I asked my hubby to solder the crocodile clips to the mandrel. He managed one but the other one wouldn't stick. I went to use the one he managed to do only to find he had managed to solder the clip together! 

[ScarletLeonard]

I have a solution to the wobbly pin syndrome.

Tried using the backs but because of the way the teeth are in the clip they don't sit straight.
Got out the dremmel and carefully filed out a little groove in the front pointed tooth.

result post sits in the groove and the V of the downward tooth, great grip, straight post and no wobbles.

[Madam Steph]

Hope i'm not asking the obvious....but after watching the video a couple of times, can anyone tell me what the 2 bits of thick stringer were for?  they weren't used, was it just an alternative to the glass bits?

I must be the last person in the known beading universe to have read this link.

Lisa...having now watched the video, the lady meant that if you only have large/thick rods of your chosen colour, to just pull a very thick stringer with it and use that for the earring.

Linda x

[tinker]

Yay, my studs arrived today, thank you very much!
So with studs and new bead cube at the ready, I can't wait to get out there and play now :-)

[turnedlight]

Wow, I totally missed this to start with! What a fab idea!

[turnedlight]

boo, tried to buy, but not sure what happened..

[Blue Box Studio]

I have a solution to the wobbly pin syndrome.

Tried using the backs but because of the way the teeth are in the clip they don't sit straight.
Got out the dremmel and carefully filed out a little groove in the front pointed tooth.

result post sits in the groove and the V of the downward tooth, great grip, straight post and no wobbles.

Good tip - will give it another go.  The wobbles were getting the better of me.

[tinker]

boo, tried to buy, but not sure what happened..

If you don't want the full 50 pairs I can send you a pack of 10 or something if you want?

[afina]

Hi everybody!
A very ingenious lady in Germany came up with a very good idea against the wobblieness:
Use lustre terminals, remove the plastic, screw one end on a mandrel and insert the stud in the other end. Screw tight.
Here is a picture to show how she did it.


I tried this, and it works like a charm!

[squirsygirl]

Hi everybody!
A very ingenious lady in Germany came up with a very good idea against the wobblieness:
Use lustre terminals, remove the plastic, screw one end on a mandrel and insert the stud in the other end. Screw tight.
Here is a picture to show how she did it.


I tried this, and it works like a charm!

Now that's clever!

K

[nete]

Just discovered this thread and was wondering - now you bunch have had chance to play, did you get firescaling on these and how did you clean it off? Does the steel stay nice and shiny? I tried this last year with some copper wire and got reasonable results but it was difficult to clean the copper up. Also the "guinea pig" friend that I asked to try them did get a bit of irritation with the copper. These sound perfect but I thought I would check this out before I go spending yet again (My OH has already found me some clips!) Can't wait!

[afina]

Hi! Yes, you get firescaling. The steel turns blueish blackish - like a new mandrel when you stick it in the flame for the first time. I don't clean it off. If a customer asks, I explain that it is not dirt but only a reaction to the heat used.
As for irritation: I had only 1 customer so far who got irritation - but she can only wear platium, not even gold. All the others who always had irritations even with silver can wear them without problems.

[JKC]

I sand mine until the fire-scale is removed. Janet

[nete]

Thank you Afina and Janet. Shall place my order. Can't wait - just deliberating over some new frit while I'm at it...Nete