stringers

[shelly]

Ok, I have been following tutorials on stringers and still am doing something wrong as they dont seem to soften in the outside bit of flame as explained in one tutorial so i move in and end up in the flame and them dissolving into dots.

Any advice on what i am doing wrong or is it a case of just keep trying as am getting very frustrated with it.

[lampworklover]

Pretty much halfway between the two! Start a long way out, then very gradually move the stringer in until the end is just soft. Try and move the bead, not the stringer. Pretty much one of the harder things to master IMHO, but you will get there with 'PPP'.

[shelly]

Thankyou, will keep trying then, would like to be able to do it.

[flame n fuse]

yes, it's really hard. I can make curls in one direction, but not the other!. I have tried several tutorials but they haven't helped me. Can anyone tell me which tutorial really gave them the break through?

[lampworklover]

Don't think I have ever used a tutorial, but then I'm not one for written instructions (visual learner).

[DementedMagpie]

There's a Laura Sparling video which I find quite helpful.

Otherwise, it's a matter of practice. And one day I will have done enough of it, and my stringer work will be good enough...

[lampworklover]

Otherwise, it's a matter of practice. And one day I will have done enough of it, and my stringer work will be good enough...

LOL, you and me both!

[ARBeads]

Really is a practice thing with additional sacrifices to the Kiln fairies!

Start with a cheap transparent, they're a bit stiffer. Make a base bead of the same transparent and then start practising, each time you go wrong melt in the stringer work and start again.

On some torches you can turn down the flame to a pinpoint others it's all about finding the 'sweet point' which is of to one side. You may find a combination of both works for you.

For straight stringer application (across or around bead) I work directly underneath the flame, bringing both the stringer and the bead up toward the bottom of the flame till the stringer bends around the bead circumference, the stringer should not be glowing.

My problem is I'm inconsistency, one day I can do a full set of Scroll beads the next all I can do is dots!

[flame n fuse]

with straight fine stringer, I find that warming the bead and laying the stringer on the hot bead works quite well, but can't do accuracy, or reliable scrolls.

[DementedMagpie]

I remember the JC Herrell demo at Flame Off: I reckon about half the audience, me included, was thinking something along the lines of "How does she do that? Is that magic?"

[flame n fuse]

I think she says that you need to do 2000 beads before you get one that's perfect

[lampworklover]

I think she says that you need to do 2000 beads before you get one that's perfect

way past that and mine are still rubbish