June 2008 Challenge:

Hollow Beads:

MAKING HOLLOW BEADS

There are many ways to make a hollow bead and you will certainly find one that works best for you. Many people make two disks on a mandrel, then while gently heating the disks use a tool to tilt them toward each other until they meet in the center, then heat until the edges seal together. My own method that works for me is to make two disks, gradually leaning each row of glass more toward the middle than the last one. Once the two disks are approximately a quarter inch apart, I bridge the two together by heating up a small gather and touching the glass to both sides. I generally do this in three or four places around the bead, then fill in the gaps left between the bridges. The reason I do this is two-fold. One is that once the bridges are placed, the whole bead is stabilized and heating will not as easily lead to collapse. Also the bridges act to transfer heat from one side of the bead to the other, therefore making it easier to keep the bead warm. The second reason I use the bridges is that as a finished hollow is heated, the molten glass will tend to sink to the ends, leaving the apex of the bead with the least amount of glass. The extra glass I add to the center tends to help the bead sustain a more even wall throughout the bead.

TIP FROM KELLY SMITH

Instead of working up two discs evenly, I start with 3 wraps on each side about 3/4 to 1 inch apart.  Then I work from the left side cupping over to the right side.  I also let the glass melt and land on the discs and I seem to have very few or no air gaps.

 

Previous Challenges:

May 2008 - Spring Cleaning - Try something new!

April 2008 - Postcard Bead

March 2008 - Purple Hearts

February 2008 - Pressed Beads