Beginning Glass Bead Making Instructions
Making your own glass beads is an interesting and challenging process. Safety precautions are of utmost importance as the work is done over open flame and the glass rods get very hot. A bead workshop requires adequate ventilation and a floor that is heat resistant. A carbon monoxide detector is desirable if the ventilation amount is uncertain. A sturdy, adjustable workbench with a non-flammable surface or heat-proof board to work over is required as well.
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Things You'll Need
- Torch (single-fuel; such as a disposable tank of brazing fuel or oxygen-propane system)
- Steel L-bracket
- C-clamp
- Fuel regulator (optional---used with oxygen and propane)
- Heat-proof board
- Mandrels
- Bead separator
- Foam block
- Matches or striker
- Glass rods (with the same CoE or coefficient of expansion)
- Didymium lens safety glasses
- Rod rest
- Ceramic fiber blanket
- Bead-making tools such as a marver, bead rake, graphite paddle, flatteners
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Screw the torch head on the disposable tank of brazing fuel.
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2
Fasten a steel L-bracket near the top of the tank with a hose clamp so the L-bracket and the torch head are facing the same direction.
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3
Fasten the torch to the work bench with the C-clamp. Make sure the tank is firmly attached to the work bench with no chance of coming loose.
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4
Place the heat proof board in front of the torch.
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5
Organize the work area so that you do not have to reach in front of the torch for tools or glass rods, this will vary depending on if you are right- or left-handed.
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6
Dip at least the top two inches of a number of mandrels into the bead separator. There are a variety of bead separators available, just try them out until you find one that works best for you.
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7
Stick the mandrels upright into the foam block to allow the bead separator to dry. This usually takes at least a half an hour.
Beadmaking
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8
Turn the torch knob until you hear a slight hiss and light the torch with a match or striker. Adjust the flame once it is lit until there is a nice, sharp blue cone. If the tip is flaring and brushy the torch is turned up too high.
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9
Heat the tip of a glass rod slowly by moving it in and out of the flame. If it starts to crackle and pop it is heating too fast. As you leave it in the flame for longer periods of time the tip starts to glow orange, at which point it can be held in the flame continuously.
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10
Hold about a quarter of an inch in the flame, with your hand slightly below the flame, and start to rotate the glass rod to keep the glass from dripping off. The glass will form a ball at the end of the rod.
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11
Place the end of a mandrel with bead separator on it in the flame to heat it up, and continue turning the glass rod to maintain the ball at the tip while the rod heats. It should take about 10 seconds to heat the rod sufficiently.
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12
Press the tip of the glass rod against the mandrel at the center of the coated tip. Rotate the mandrel away from you to wind the glass onto the mandrel from the tip of the glass rod. When you have rolled all the heated glass onto the mandrel, do not tug on the rod. Continue to heat the glass rod in the flame to keep the glass flowing enough to keep wrapping on the mandrel.
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13
Place the glass rod on the rod rest to allow it to cool safely. You can switch the mandrel to your primary hand at this point if you wish.
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14
Keep rotating the hot glass bead in the flame until it is round.
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15
Remove the glass bead from the flame and continue rotating it while the glow darkens. When the glow wears off, move the bead through the flame a few times to heat it evenly.
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16
Wait for the glow to disappear again and the colors to start to show. The glass will start to look shiny. At this point, place the bead, mandrel and all, between two pieces of one-inch ceramic fiber blanket.
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17
Repeat steps 2 through 9 to make more beads. If desired, the bead shaping tools can be used after step 7 to form the bead into different shapes. At this point, different colors of glass can be spiraled or touched to the primary bead as well and allowed to melt into the bead or shaped in a slightly cooler spot so they create texture on the surface of the bead.
Wrapping up
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18
Turn the torch off when you have completed your last bead of the day. Allow the torch head to cool and remove it from the tank.
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19
Leave the beads in the ceramic fiber blanket until they cool completely. This takes at least a half an hour.
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20
Soak the bead and mandrel in a tub of water so the separator softens and loosens the bead. Try pulling the bead off the mandrel by hand, twisting it a bit If this does not work, use a vise or pair of vise-grip pliers to hold the rod and twist the bead off with your other hand. If it still will not come off, soak it longer (even overnight) and try again. As a last resort you can try placing it in a freezer for about 10 minutes to shrink everything a bit.
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21
Use a small round jewelers file or pipe cleaner to clean out the center of the bead. Actual pipe smoker's pipe cleaners work best because they have a mixture of metal and stiff plastic fibers. The crafter's pipe cleaners are too soft. A fine diamond file can be used to remove burrs around the hole of the bead.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The single-fuel torch is adequate for a beginner. If you decide you enjoy bead-making you can invest in an oxygen-propane system which may require a check of the local codes to see if an oxygen tank is allowed and a consultation with a professional to set up a safe system.
Safety glasses are not absolutely required, but hot glass emits what is called a "soda flare" that can burn your retinas with too much exposure. Pay attention to how your eyes feel and use the safety glasses if they start to hurt, or just use them from the beginning to avoid any uncertainty.
Never leave the torch on and unattended and keep a fire extinguisher handy in case of emergencies.
Do not breathe dust from the bead separator as it contains hazardous particles.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit beads image by Vitezslav Halamka from Fotolia.com
