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:
June
May
2008 - Spring Cleaning - Try something new!
April
2008 - Postcard Bead
March
2008 - Purple Hearts
February
2008 - Pressed Beads
