why are my disc beads breaking?

Angie Beadz · May 10, 2012, 08:50:04 PM

Hi any disc experts out there?
Ive been trying to make some disc beads but no matter what...they just break

can anyone please help?

Les · May 10, 2012, 09:04:21 PM

Are they breaking clean in two ? If the break is pretty clean and straight, then it sounds like they're getting too cool ... if you are mixing glass colours and are getting a 'crazy paving' type of cracking, then it's incompatability between two different glass colours

HTH

Angie Beadz · May 10, 2012, 09:07:19 PM

they just break off on the outter edges les, they dont split in half $:-\$
i was wondering if the glass is to thin??

helenfc · May 10, 2012, 10:14:18 PM

It sounds like it might be a wee bit thin Angie, I think the edges crack off when they are not fused properly to the layer below and get too cool. Hope that makes sense, if you try and keep an even heat all the way round, it should hopefully help!

x

Angie Beadz · May 11, 2012, 12:00:21 AM

thanks helen will try a bit thicker

Bubblebeads · May 11, 2012, 07:36:33 AM

I am having the same problem but not with disc beads my problem is with a the lentil beads I have about 7 or 8 of them 4 of them alright then the other when they come out of the annealing bubbles then go to take them off the mandrel they break in half it is a clean break down the middle

sarah t · May 11, 2012, 07:41:01 AM

bubble ....thats thermal shock ,uneven cooling before putting into the bubbles ,give them a blast through before putting into the bubbles but it is a problem with bigger beads not going into the kiln

Bubblebeads · May 11, 2012, 07:45:17 AM

Thank you for the reply I said to other half that it could be because it not going straight into the kiln I only have a Prometheus pro 1 kiln and do batch annealing

sarah t · May 11, 2012, 08:30:07 AM

if you know you are going to have a session combine the two,slow ramp up for the batch annelling beads with a longer hold then make beads you can put staight into the kiln,then ramp down as normal ....i dont know the programme schedule but there will be one here some where

lampworklover · May 11, 2012, 08:47:34 AM

Quote from: Bubblebeads on May 11, 2012, 07:45:17 AM
Thank you for the reply I said to other half that it could be because it not going straight into the kiln I only have a Prometheus pro 1 kiln and do batch annealing

Don't worry, it's perfectly possible to have lentils and batch anneal; I did it for three years

. Once you have made your bead and you're happy with it, make sure you flame anneal it before putting into the cooling bubbles. Basically whilst you've been making and pressing the lentil different bits of it will have cooled quicker than others. Bring it back into the flame to even out the heat (but not change the shape), allow it to cool a bit, then waft it back through the flame a few times before doing your 'count to 5' ritual (or whatever you do) and putting into the bubbles. With practise you should be able to get them to stay in one piece until you are able to batch anneal them. Hope this helps.

Bubblebeads · May 11, 2012, 05:04:21 PM

thank you I will have a go at doing that and I wil let you know how I get on

GaysieMay · May 12, 2012, 06:59:43 AM

With the discs, I think that what you are doing is getting the disc too cool as you apply another layer, its a bit like when you are applying stringer if the base bead is too cool and you apply your stringer, all seems well but then at some point it will fall off. Try keeping a little more heat in the disc as you apply the glass.