how do you get you round beads all the same size?

[turquoise]

HI just wondering how people know when you have enough glass on the mandrel to make all of your tyre shaped beads and round beads?

I am making sets and am struggling to get all beads exactly the same size.

[dangerousbead]

It's practice sadly. Try making more than one on a mandrel and matching it up  to the other. When you've made about 3 gazillion you'll be an expert, i'm up to about 100 & still nothing is the same as the last. 

[misspixie]

Um... Nope. Still not entirely there - well, not if you want them a reasonable size anyway! I can either do tiny and matching, or huge and matching, nothing in between...

[flowerjasper]

i dont!!
as dangerous says( i would love o be known as dangerous!)
PPP,
i made a set today,( i use the word set in its widest form),

few, if any of the beads matched, am going to plug the abstact/ bispoke angle i think!!
x

[Les]

What I used to do when I was first starting to make sets, was to make one plain bead at the size I wanted on a mandrel and keep it at my table, so I could compare all subsequent beads to it as I went along.

HTH

xxx

[Kaz]

What I used to do when I was first starting to make sets, was to make one plain bead at the size I wanted on a mandrel and keep it at my table, so I could compare all subsequent beads to it as I went along.

HTH

xxx

Obvious - but brilliant!!! Thanks Les.
I guess the only thing to remember is that the glass does expand when it's hot and then shrinks back a bit so you have to factor that in.
Kaz

[Les]

Having said that though.... my bead sets are never exactly the same size.... but hey... they're handmade... it's to be expected.

The one thing I'll never attain (thankfully) is factory produced precision

xxx

[Lush!]

Great suggestion Les!

I rarely have any luck making more than one bead on a mandrel. I need to be able to keep my eye on one bead at a time ... maybe that's cos my other eye is watching the DVD player!! 

[Mary]

Graduated sets are good! And I always make more beads than I need, and pick the best match.

[Pat from Canvey]

I use a six in one marble and bead mold if I need to turn out spherical beads the same size. Rotate the bead in the mold to get a spherical shape. you can also use them to get an oval shape by using the mold size larger than the bead you want and rotating off centre. Martin sells graphite marble paddles. You can also use the paddles to help with implosion pendants.

[turquoise]

super dooper, thanks for all of that advice I reckon I will try the bead on the table trick next time.

Or just make graduated sets!!!!

[Josephine]

I've got a mark on the side of my marver. Can't say they are always identical but they are within 1mm of eachother. Lots of practice really.

[dangerousbead]

i dont!!
as dangerous says( i would love o be known as dangerous!)
PPP,
i made a set today,( i use the word set in its widest form),

few, if any of the beads matched, am going to plug the abstact/ bispoke angle i think!!
x

Ha Ha you wouldn't!  I get burnt a lot he he