Using presses - getting nice ends....

[Kaz]

I am feeling a bit negative towards my presses as I am finding it reallly, really difficult to get nice neat holes in them that are rounded rather than sharp. Making me feel a bit fed up as I can now get lovely puckers and nice even beads when making standard donuts.
This isn't lack of practice as I have made about 200!!!!! Some have turned out OK (mostly the deep lentil and the sleek pillow) but standard lentils, puffy pillows and some of the others, I am having no luck at all. I use Cattwalk but don't know if that makes any odds - as I am OK with using the locators.
Is it just me, or can anyone offer any hints and tips?
Thank You!
Kaz

[June]

I'll be watching this thread with interest...!! 

[Kaz]

Are you struggling too then June? I am getting really fed up and have gone back to making round donuts for a while. Even resorted to making fritty donut sets today when I took a few hours off.
Kaz

[June]

Yes, I am, Kaz, though I haven't practised too much, either.  I did make a lentil I was really pleased with earlier in the week, only for it to split in half when removing from the mandrel .. !  That's life !!

[turnedlight]

With my pillow press, I make a fat barrel, but not quite as long as the press so that it squeezes towards the ends a bit, then I heat the ends pointing the flame along the mandrel at the hole, and as this makes the sides droop, I also use the marver to keep the ends flat. Having said all that, they're not always perfect, but it gets rid of sharp ends.
Hth, Kathryn x

[Mary]

Build your bead on a footprint a mm or two shorter than the press, marver a bit before pressing like Kathryn says, and find the right pressing temp - don't press when the glass is too runny hot, or it will all squish out the ends. Let it form a skin first. Hope that helps!

[Kaz]

Thanks both - it seems likely that as I like my torch very hot, I am probably putting them in too runny.
Kaz

[Jolene]

I found a nice tut recently where you make small beads first...lemme go find it again

[Jolene]

http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7331.0

X Jo

[firedinglass]

I was looking on Lampwork etc. and Andre Guarini (spelling?) has just started selling a new tool specifically for making neat ends. It is basically a graphite marver with a narrow channel made in top to rest the mandrel in so that you can push right up to the end of the bead, I think it might also have been slightly bevelled.  Someone commented it would be easy to adapt any graphite marver to do this.  Sorry I'm not computer good enough to add link! Perhaps someone less of a technophobe can! hope this is of some use

[Shirley]

Ah, now that might be the marver that Judith Johnston used at the flame off

[firedinglass]

Arrow Springs sell the tool I'm talking about but it's pricey...

[Vicki]

I've found some presses are mandrel specific aswell Kaz, try using a larger or smaller mandrel depending on what your using now.  I also do what mary says & make my footprint a wee bit smaller & I let the glass settle for a few seconds in the bottom of the press before I squish, it works for me anyway

[Ilona]

I always make my footprint a little bit smaller then when I have made about 3/4 of the size of the bead I marver it into a cube shape,this makes nice ends, then press and add more glass as required This works for me 

[SueP]

I use the top of the press and marver the bead in that to get an olive shape slightly shorter than the required length then put another wrap round the middle   I think we all develop our own techniques