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Help!. I am making jewelry beads out of scraps. How do I get a hole for stringing? I tried 22mm copper and read that I was to stretch it after fusing. Three beads came off, the wire broke off of the others, leaving it inside the bead. I tried heavier copper, but it did not stretch, and the beads splintered along the metal when we tried to stretch. I want the hope the length of the bead, so can't be drilled. Yhank you. Loey

Try using fiber paper cut in thin strips instead of the copper. If you search in the archives of the old board on holes and on this board, you should find plenty of posts on fusing with holes for beads.

Barbara

try the wood scewer sticks that you get for the bbq. coat with bead release/kiln wash and after dry sanwich between the glass. the sticks burn out but leave a hole. I heard alot of people say this works, haven't tried it myself yet but I plan to.
chris

You can also go to a welding supply store and buy stainless steel rods, cut them into short lengths. Coat them with bead release/bead seperator. and put them between your glass. When you are done fusing, they pull right out and can be reused once they are recoated w/separator.

I tried the copper wire thing too and was very unsucessful. Also tried the fiber paper strips, they didn't make as fine a hole as I would have liked. The stainless steel rods come in a variety of different thicknesses. Everything from delicate wires for earrings to big klunky rods for running cord through your beads.

Lynda

I have been lurking for a while. I used to make holes with fiber paper. but I wanted something thinner. I got rods from the glass supply store and coated them with bead release. Fortunately, I tested them. They either broke the glass or remained stuck.

I coated the rods a few days ago, but they were completely covered and well coated when I used them. I am using only BE glass. I completely fuse at 1500 with a 10 minute soak.

Can anybody comment on why?

paulajane wrote:I have been lurking for a while. I used to make holes with fiber paper. but I wanted something thinner. I got rods from the glass supply store and coated them with bead release. Fortunately, I tested them. They either broke the glass or remained stuck.

I coated the rods a few days ago, but they were completely covered and well coated when I used them. I am using only BE glass. I completely fuse at 1500 with a 10 minute soak.

Can anybody comment on why?

Wait - you used glass rods to form the holes in beads? If I'm reading that right, the glass fused in place or just broke. You want stainless steel rods, not glass rods.

I used stainless steel rods coated with bead release. Sorry if I was confusing.

paulajane wrote:I used stainless steel rods coated with bead release. Sorry if I was confusing.

Oh I'm soooo glad I read that wrong!!

When you bought the mandrels from the glass supply place did they tell you to rough the place where you put the bead release? Are you using kiln wash as a separator or bead release? If bead release, what kind? How thick ae you applying it?
The mandrell needs to be rough sanded where you put the release so it will stay on the mandrel. I would go with super blue sludge or fusion bead release to coat with, that's what I use on beads that are going to be heated and worked alot. After you fire, soak the mandrels in warm water to soften the bead release, take hold of the mandrel as close to the glass as you can get on one side with a pair of pliers, grab the glass and start twisting to pull it off the mandrel. When of the rod then you need to get a diamond bur on a dremel and clean out the hole. Clear as mud?
chris

Chris, I know you are answering the other person...but since I am listening...where do you get diamond bits for drummels? Whenever I see a diamond bit it says "not for drilling". None are listed in the drummel catalog brochure. Loey

Stainless rods with bead release applied should do the trick. I purchase all my rods from a welding shop at a fraction of the price glass suppliers sell them for. And, the diameter is my choice.

chris webb wrote: The mandrell needs to be rough sanded where you put the release so it will stay on the mandrel. I would go with super blue sludge or fusion bead release to coat with, that's what I use on beads that are going to be heated and worked alot. After you fire, soak the mandrels in warm water to soften the bead release, take hold of the mandrel as close to the glass as you can get on one side with a pair of pliers, grab the glass and start twisting to pull it off the mandrel. When of the rod then you need to get a diamond bur on a dremel and clean out the hole. Clear as mud?
chris

I think you're doing way too much work. I've done literally thousands of pendants using this method. I purchase welding rod and cut to the desired length. I use some old bead sludge I got from Franz beads years ago, play with it to get the 'correct' thickness for me and dip away, I've never sanded the mandrel.

you must be talkin' lampwork when you say you need to diamond burr to clean out the hole. . . or maybe taking your temps too high. I am queen of the single fire, slow and soak is my motto.

good luck,

Sara

Ara you prabably don't need to do as much on those type pendants as on beads, it's a cardinal sin to sell a bead with bead release in the hole LOL. Most of it comes out with the mandrel (which are the rods your talking about and I agree it is much easier to buy welding rods and cut them with a bolt cutter). I do like to rough the place I'm putting the release for beads because until the mandrel has gone through at least one heating it doesn't want to hold the release real well. Of course that could be because I mostly only get the flame or air dry stuff as I am to lazy to wait over night or even a couple hours for it to dry. I like to dip and go. can you tell I'm doing mostly beads now? LOL The fusing and slumping have been calling me back lately but I'm gravitating to the larger fusing and slumping projects.
loey I get the dremel bits from a few places locally, one being a flea market that has a tool guy, they com in a little box with maybe 20 dif ones in it for anywhere from 6-12 dollars I think harbor freight carries them. I use them with my dremel to clean bead holes and to drill holes in glass. If doing more than one layer thickness they don't last very long. When doing bead holes I mostly stick on the bead reamer that you can get from most glass (bead) supply places it is long and pointy and will slip into beads with 1/16th holes, takes a few secs each to clean them.

chris webb wrote:Ara you prabably don't need to do as much on those type pendants as on beads, it's a cardinal sin to sell a bead with bead release in the hole LOL.

true it's easier for bead release to 'release' when the temps aren't as high. I'm quite anal and would never let a pendant go out my door with any release in them. and I've seen some real crap out there bead release, glass burrs and nasty rough bottoms. methinks it's a cardinal sin regardless of bead or fused pendant.

S.

I'm with you Sara, I try real hard to make sure that everything has a finished smooth professional finish. Have you tried the wood stick things that burn out? I've had a few of my friends tell me it works but haven't tried it myself yet. Another beading buddy and I will probably try it this weekend. Have a great day, I know what you mean about some of the stuff you see out there for sale.
chris

chris webb wrote:I'm with you Sara, I try real hard to make sure that everything has a finished smooth professional finish. Have you tried the wood stick things that burn out? I've had a few of my friends tell me it works but haven't tried it myself yet. Another beading buddy and I will probably try it this weekend. Have a great day, I know what you mean about some of the stuff you see out there for sale.
chris

Am in lazy from show burn out of this past weekend mode so I'm on the computer an amazing amount of time today. I don't even want to venture into the studio until next week.

Donna Miliron (I believe she 'invented' 'discovered' this technique) and I have talked about this and she and I both agree that since I do fire many pendants at a time I might end up with a reduction atmosphere in the kiln . . . so needless to say I'm not gonna try I have heard it works though.

good luck and let me know especially if you do 'lots',

Sara

will do, have a good rest
C

chris webb wrote:I'm with you Sara, I try real hard to make sure that everything has a finished smooth professional finish. Have you tried the wood stick things that burn out? I've had a few of my friends tell me it works but haven't tried it myself yet. Another beading buddy and I will probably try it this weekend. Have a great day, I know what you mean about some of the stuff you see out there for sale.
chris

ime, kiln wash does NOT work.

for pendants i use batter made from 50% alumina hydrate and 50% kaolin. makes a perfect hole with welding rods, rod pulls out pretty easily, sometimes with a little encouragement from pliers, and residue in hole washes out. no drilling it out with diamond bits. rinse and go. i dont use BE kilnwash on rods, only on kiln shelves, and i only fire jewelry parts on my mix of alumina hydrate and kaolin, not on BE. i like the touch of the pieces better with the 50/50 mix ... softer, more pleasing.

Just a note on removing bead release. Try Oxyclean. I soaked my beads in it for about 5 minutes, then used thick pipe cleaners to give it a quick swipe. It works like a charm.

You can get diamond dremel bits for cheap at http://www.lopacki.com. All diamond bits say they are not for drilling, but they work. The disclaimer is because you need to drill with water. Dremel doesn't want you to get electrocuted. I have made over 150 glass wind chimes. Drilled all the holes with my dremel. Sometimes up to 250 holes per wind chime. Not zapped yet.

I have used bead mandels with a double coat of bead release and it worked fine.

Too thin doesn't work.