My beads keep chipping ! AAAHHH !

[loulou3012]

Hi ,
Please can anyone offer some advise ?
I am learning to make the silver core beads at the moment and have just about managed to get them round now ! Well  most of them anyway on a good day !
But a am having real problems when it comes to the coring . More often than not the bead chips around the hole when I am hammering the silver tubing in .
I was wondering if it may be an annealing problem ( Does anyone have a program for annealing then I can check mine against ?) or maybe just that I am not getting the bead hole smooth enough ?
I know that I need to practice and that there is probably just a knack to getting it right but I am really getting disheartened as I end up throwing away all my good beads 

Thanks
Lou x   

[Redhotsal]

Sounds pretty normal - it's not the annealling, the same thing happens to me. Try to have a really good dimple - that will minimise chipping. "Flaring" out the tube will put stress on the bead - and if the tube is too short it will be more stressful. Obviously, too long a tube will not give a tight fit so there's little room to manoever.
It is not easy - ask Manda how many beads she lost when she was learning - and she's pretty much the SC Queen!
I never say this when it comes to beads but really in this case it is just PPP! (practise practise practise!)

[loulou3012]

Thanks for that Sal , it does make me feel a bit better knowing it is not just me  !
When you watch the tutorial on the internet it looks so easy !
Oh forgot to ask , does anyone have any tips on how to clean the silver inside the tube once it is in the bead ? I cant seem to find a pendant for my dremel small enough to fit inside ?

Lou x