Mango Bead LinerFrom
http://www.mangobeads.co.ukCurrently unavailable to buy from Mango Beads, and there is a waiting list! Hopefully this will be resolved soon.
This beadliner has been specifically designed with dies to core beads made on a 5mm mandrel, and using specific silver tubing; Rio Grande seamless 4.8mm O/D with an I/D of 4mm:
http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Sterling-Silver-Seamless-Tubing-Hard/100905?Pos=9This means that a consistent result is achieved because the dies are so precisely machined. They have now also produced dies to fit Rashbel 5mm O/D and 4mm I/D tubing as well:
http://www.rashbel.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_19_20_83&product_id=1911There are also plans to produce dies for 6mm, 9mm and 12mm mandrels – and I will update this review once I get to try these out! Mango Beads also produce BHB mandrels which have a narrow handle, making them very lightweight to use.
My first impressions of the Mango Bead Liner was that it had been beautifully made; from the satin-finish on the wooden base to the precision used for the dies. It is unique as it has a clamp type press on the front as well as an arbour press. The clamp is used for the first step and the beads are held horizontally, and this aids getting the bead lined up centrally on the core. Then the arbour press provides the power to finish the coring to a professional standard. The instruction manual supplied is very detailed (far more so than my instructions), and it came with a sample piece of silver tubing (which had been flared out on the clamp), and a finished bead to help the user as guides. What impressed me the most though is that the press can handle my bumpy beads without cracking them. As they say on the website about their dies: “Their unique shape ensures that pressure during this second stage is not applied to the contours of the bead hole which is what causes cracking and chipping. Instead one die flattens the flared silver to the bead whilst at the same time supporting the inside of the tube preventing ‘crinkling’. The Finishing Die 'secures' the silver tube by gently turning the edge of the tube down on the surface of your bead ensuring no pressure is applied in the wrong place.”
As the dies are longer in size than other bead liners, really long beads cannot be accommodated – I think the maximum bead length is around 45mm long.
As with other bead liners you will need to measure your bead. Amanda and David suggest adding 2.8mm to the length of the tubing as a starting point, but stress that different artists have different sized puckers so experimentation with your beads is essential. So I experimented with sizes from 1.8mm to 3.1mm to get the perfect size for my beads. I found that with a normal Troll size bead 2.6mm worked well and for a larger bead 2.8mm was spot on.
Using a good quality pipe cutter is essential, and Mango Beads produce a fabulous set of deburrers, which are the best that I have found!
I also use a block with sandpaper to finish off the outside of the tubing ensuring that the ends stay flat.
You will then need to anneal your tubing and clean.
Step 1
Centre your bead on the tubing within the clamp and turn the handle to get half the amount of flare below, then turn the bead around and repeat – you are aiming for this (but with a bead on!):
The bead should be able to move freely on the core, and there should be a small gap between the tube and bead.
Step 2Take the bead out of the clamp and use then loosely screw in the first set of Delrin dies:
Place the bead on top and VERY gently press. I like to hold onto the bead to ensure it is secure and so that I can ‘feel’ any pressure on the glass. Turn the bead and repeat. Repeat this as required and keep checking the bead to ensure that both sides have been flattened equally. The bead should still be able to be moved around the core.
Step 3Unscrew the top die and replace with the finishing die, which is labelled with a white sticker.
Then use even less pressure when pressing the outer edge of the silver – keep flipping the bead and check your progress until the silver lip has turned towards the bead surface. Hopefully the rivet will not move freely on the bead by the end of this stage – but don’t press too much as you don’t want to break your bead.
Step 4Polish the silver!
For a bumpy bead I did the same as before:
I hope that you enjoyed my review – feedback is welcome!
