Things You'll Need:
- Bead annealing kiln
- Minor burner torch with mounted graphite plate
- Propane tank
- Oxygen tank
- 12-inch steel welding rod (known as a mandrel), pre-dipped with bead release
- Safety glasses with Rose Didymium lenses
- Murrini hemostat (like tongs, to help you hold hot glass rods)
- Glass rods (in your choice of colors)
- Bowl of cool water
- Graphite pad
-
Step 1
Turn on your bead annealing kiln and set the temperature to 940 degrees Fahrenheit. If your kiln has a digital controller you can easily set the controller to regulate the temperature of the kiln while you work. Carefully turn on both the oxygen and propane tanks and adjust the pressure so that you are able to use more oxygen than propane.
-
Step 2
Put on your safety glasses with the rose didymium lenses. Not only do the glasses keep your eyes safe from sparks or wayward pieces of glass, but the rose didymium lenses allow your eyes to see the glass you're shaping in the midst of the flame from your torch. Without the glasses, all you would see while lampworking is a big ball of fire.
-
Step 3
Light your minor burner torch. Turn on your torch and light the propane flame first, followed by the oxygen flame. Once the gases have combined, the flame of your torch will narrow and intensify.
-
Step 4
Hold the mandrel in your left hand and heat it by passing it back and forth horizontally through the middle of the flame. At the same time, hold the glass rod in your right hand with the hemostat and heat it by poking the tip of the glass rod in and out of the tip of the torch flame.
-
Step 5
Hold your mandrel above the flame and carefully wind the heated glass rod around the preheated mandrel. Use the graphite plate mounted to your minor burner torch to help you shape the bead into a sphere or barrel. Graphite pad tools are helpful in shaping your bead as well, as the molten glass does not stick to graphite. Repeat this step using other colors of glass to add layers of colors to your bead.
-
Step 6
Cool down your bead by passing it in and out of the tip of the torch flame to allow the internal temperature to fall. Turn off the oxygen tank and cool your bead in the propane-only flame.
-
Step 7
Put your beads in the kiln to anneal. Set your kiln to anneal and wait. Annealing is very important to the bead making process as it allows the molecular bonds in the newly shaped beads to reform slowly and completely. The annealing process can take up to six hours to complete.
-
Step 8
Soak your mandrels and beads. After the annealing process is complete, it's time to soak your mandrels and beads in cool water. Soaking the mandrels and beads in water allows the bead release to dissolve so that you can remove your beads from the mandrel.
