How to Make Glass Beads & Buttons
You can make your own glass beads and buttons using the lampworking process, which is the method of melting and shaping glass pieces in the flame of a tabletop torch. Handmade beads and buttons are highly sought-after items that can be used to adorn jewelry, clothing and various craft projects, or can simply be collected. If you have access to a lampworking workstation, you can create your own beads and buttons and gain a better understanding about working with glass.
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Things You'll Need
- Ventilation system
- Didymium safety lenses
- Mandrels
- Bead release solution
- Torch kit and pressurized oxygen (not required for Hot Head torches)
- Clear and colored glass rod(s) of your choice
- Kiln or vermiculite
- Pliers
- Water (optional)
- 3 clear glass rods: one 10 mm and two 6 mm
- Marble or button mold
- Colored glass rod(s) of your choice
- Tweezers
- Graphite paddle
- Graphite reamer (optional)
Instructions
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Glass Beads
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1
Turn on your ventilation system and put on your didymium safety glasses. The ventilation helps remove harmful substances, and the didymium lenses protect your eyes from the sodium glare of the glass. Repeat this process before making a glass button in the next section.
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2
Place the end of your mandrels (about an inch) in the bead release solution and follow the directions on the container to determine how long you need to leave these to dry. The release solution makes the job of removing the finished bead(s) much easier.
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3
Light your torch and rotate your mandrel in the flame until it obtains a light red glow from the heat.
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4
Grasp a clear or colored glass rod in your dominant hand and rotate it in the flame so that it gets an even heat glow. Hold your heated mandrel in the other hand and touch the glass to the part of the mandrel that contains the bead release. Continue to keep the glass rod in the flame and simultaneously rotate the mandrel so that as the rod melts, the glass winds around it automatically.
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5
Allow the molten glass to overlap itself as you continue rotating the mandrel so that the bead begins to form. The amount of winds determines how large your bead becomes so you can stop adding glass when you achieve the preferred mass.
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6
Circle the bead in the flame to melt in the winds of glass so that you can smooth out any obvious ridges and achieve a donut shape.
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7
Use an alternate color rod to enhance the glass bead using a pattern of your choice. For example, you can heat the end of the color rod and gently touch it to the bead body to create dots. After applying your designs, rotate and heat the bead again to ensure a secure attachment.
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8
Place your finished bead in a kiln or bury it in vermiculite so that it gradually cools down to room temperature (anneals). A typical anneal cycle is 8 hours.
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9
Remove your bead(s) from the kiln or vermiculite after the annealing process and free the bead from the mandrel by pulling and twisting it. If you have trouble getting the bead loose, grip the mandrel with pliers and pull on the bead again. Further, you can place the bead in water to loosen the bead release and then remove it.
Glass Buttons
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10
Circle the end of a 10 mm rod in the flame of your torch so that it begins to form a ball (gather).
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11
Hold a button or marble mold in one hand and then push the glass ball inside until it hardens. The convex portion is now the front part of your button.
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12
Hold the front of your button on the side of the flame to gently remove any marks on the form.
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13
Use colored glass rod(s) to decorate the front of your button as you choose.
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14
Hold a 6 mm rod in one hand, and in the other, grasp the rod with the button so that you can simultaneously heat the ends of both in the flame. Pull the 6 mm rod out of the flame first, warm the button a bit longer before removing it from the flame and then touch the two together. The connection, known as a "cold seal," is hot enough to be tacky but not so hot that the pieces are welded.
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15
Remove the button's original 10 mm rod by using the flame to cut it off. Pull the excess glass off with tweezers and flatten this on the graphite paddle until it is flush. You may need to repeat the paddling step four or five times to get this back side level.
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16
Heat the flush portion of your button in one hand and use your dominant hand to circle the end of another 6 mm rod at the same time.
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17
Touch the heated 6 mm rod to one side of the button, and use the fire to flame cut (detach) the rod from the button. Repeat this process on the other side.
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18
Continue adding little gathers of glass on each side of the button, one on top of each other, to create the button's loop. Add as much glass as is needed to create a height that is sufficient for allowing threading materials to pass through. When you reach this level, add a gather in the middle to connect the two sides.
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19
Heat the button's loop gently on the side of the flame to melt it smooth. Use the graphite reamer to make the button's loop bigger, if necessary.
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20
Hold the button's loop with tweezers in one hand, and in the other hand grasp the 6 mm rod attached to the front. Knock the holding rod on top of your torch head so that it separates from the button.
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21
Heat the top of your button on the side of the flame to remove any rod marks. Anneal your button in a kiln or bury it in vermiculite so that it cools for at least 8 hours.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you are working with soda lime (soft) glass, heat it lightly in the back of the flame first so that is not prone to thermal shock.
Always rotate your hot glass to ensure that your piece stays on center.
When creating buttons, make sure that the mold you use is larger than your ball of glass so that you get a dome shape rather than a mushroom form.
Never work on your torch until you understand the health considerations and are set up with a proper ventilation system.
