How to Make Flameworked Beads

You can craft handmade flameworked glass beads into necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Flameworked beads are glass beads created through a complex method of melting glass rods over a propane flame. Molten glass is wound around metal rods called mandrels to form the beads. You can achieve different colors, patterns and shapes by shaping beads with various glass-working tools. The process takes time and skill, and you must be proficient at the art of bead making to create the perfect bead. You can make your own glass beads and create pieces to craft into timeless jewelry.

Things You'll Need

• Kiln
• Mandrel
• Bead release mixture
• Propane torch
• Safety glasses with rose didymium lenses
• Glass rods (various colors)
• Graphite pad
• Bowl
• Diamond bit file

Instructions

1. Turn on the kiln, and set the temperature to 940 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave it to heat while you form the beads.

2. Dip mandrels into the bead release mixture, and leave them to dry. Mandrels are metal rods in which you create the bead. Once the beads have annealed in the kiln, you'll remove them from the mandrels, leaving a hole in the bead for threading. Without the bead release mixture, the beads would stick to the mandrels.

3. Turn on a propane torch, and don safety glasses with rose didymium lenses. Heat up the mandrel by moving it through the flame of the torch. Heat a glass rod by moving it back and forth through the flame.

4. Wind the molten glass around the mandrel. The glass will change color as it heats. Heat the glass gradually, or it will shatter. Shape the glass using a graphite pad; graphite does not stick to the molten glass.

5. Continue to twirl the mandrel to heat your bead evenly. Add layers of glass from different-colored glass rods, heating the beads between each new addition. Once you have shaped the glass bead, place it in the kiln. The kiln will keep the beads at a constant temperature and then slowly cool them in a process called annealing.

6. Soak the mandrel in a bowl of water to activate the bead release mixture. Remove the bead, and file down any rough edges with a diamond bit file.

Tips & Warnings

• Propane torches are dangerous; use them with the utmost care. Verify that you have the proper safety equipment and first-aid supplies.

• Always secure the propane and oxygen tanks and check for leaks regularly.

• Use safety goggles to protect your eyes when working with the torch.

• Use due caution when placing mandrels into the kiln. Do not stick your hand too far into the kiln.

References

• Shermo Beads: An Introduction to Lampworking
• Beadsky: How to Make the Lamp Work Beads
• Beadworx: How to Make a Lampwork Bead