Grrrr ... Naughty Press

[Shirley]

I get this sometimes on my Zoozii tab too. Never so strong that I can't open the press but there's a bit of a tug.

[Vicki]

I like it when that happens, it makes a vacuum & it means you have pressed well my friend, its a bit pants if you can't open the press though

[UCBYCINDY]

Wow, this is really frustrating...I am a press girl ( love them) so I know what  you are talking about.  What you need to do, is not have the glass glowing when you get your bead to press.  On my presses, I find this is only a problem with straight sided shapes...a nice prefect fit and a dead bead:S!  Give it a try with out your glass being super hot...works for me. 

As for the lentil...I have no explanation...whose lentil press is it?

[Lush!]

Well, I had a looooooong torchy session last night and I made about 20 lentils. I took my time and was careful not to press too hot, and I'm pleased to report I only lost one lentil to the naughty-clampy-grippy-syndrome 

The tile press is not quite so easy to use so I didn't lose any tiles at all, although I did feel the press catch on a couple of them that had some perfect corners.

Cindy, these presses are from Maria Louisa and they really are lovely presses.  The lentil is just so easy to use and the shape is perfect - I'm sure this problem is more to do with operator error than manufacturer! 

[sparrow]

It's really funny - I've got the same lentil press and never had that probl;em......I'm obviously not good enough to get the glass right  Guess there can be advantages to being less-than-perfect 

[Maria Louisa]

Julie,
I'm pleased to hear it went better last night.
If there is anything I can do let me know.

[UCBYCINDY]

It is true that it does take a while to figure out a press...but when you get it working...they are so easy.  I am glad pressing cooler helped...I find I always have issued with any straight sided press when the glass is too warm.

[♥♥Tan♥♥]

It's really funny - I've got the same lentil press and never had that probl;em......I'm obviously not good enough to get the glass right  Guess there can be advantages to being less-than-perfect 

I love this comment, its how I think too

[Ilona]

I have found that there is a knack with most of the presses.

What I do with most of them is make the glass on your mandrel slightly less in length than the size of the bead shape you are going to press, but then add another wrap or two to the centre of the bead. I then marver the bead into a cube shape, as you squash the bead, this makes lovely puckered bead holes and fills out the bead to the desired size. Then I warm the cube let it cool slightly and press. This is what I have found works for me and you don't end up with sharp holes.

I hope you can follow this

[jammie]

I have just bought the ssided lentil press from Maria Louisa and I really like it, but I am having the stick problem exactly the same as  Julie describes here. Just wondered if pressing with the glass cooler works and or using less glass?    is it me or the press?

[Kaz]

The thing to do is not panic if this happens - just let the glass in the press cool ever so slightly and the top will come away - otherwise you will fight with it and lose bead release and probably the bead too. Waxing the locator pins also helps. It can also help if you are slightly gentler when pressing down the top half and the bead is not quite so gloopy.
Kazx

[SilverGems89]

I have maria louisa's straight sided lentil trio and i ever so slightly get this problem, but only when using the smallest cavity and only when i've been using it for a while and the press is hot, it still never clamps shut enough where i have to prize it open, just a little wiggle and it comes off fine, bead still intact etc
Julie do you only get this problem after you've used that press for a while? if so i think it may be something to do with the press getting hot and like most tools they stick slightly if theyre too hot, maybe we should be cooling our presses like other tools?
thinking its probably worth a try

Just to say i LOVE LOVE LOVE my press, its my first and im getting on with it so well, already wanting more 

[Steampunkglass]

I've had the same problem, especially with the smaller presses when I've done a few beads in a row. When they jam I find the press has got really hot, and if I haven't pulled the top half off completely straight. Once it's cooled it all comes away ok, then I make sure I cool down the press before carrying on, so I think it's expansion causing the problem.

[jammie]

Thanks everyone, I know this was an old thread but replied in here as the same thing had been described so well before. I really like the press and I did panic and try to yank it off and it had stuck fast Kaz. I was trying to get the bead pressed when very hot thinking to prevent it from cracking but if its ok to let it cool a bit I will do that.  Also been pressing the top down quite heavily so all these things apply... and the press was very hot. 

[Lyn G]

Same thing happened to me several times today with my new very large SS lentil.  It took ages to release its grip.....and straight away my bead cracked.      It's a shame when that happens as it takes a while to build it up to that size....not to mention the waste of all that lovely glass.     

I'll have to try and press it when the glass isn't quite so hot.......unless anyone has any other suggestions?