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klcbeads
2008-03-20, 7:45am
I have been attempting to encase a bead that has many grooves and is not round by any means. The darn thing ends up with a couple large bubbles that I try like hell to get out but is next to impossible without disturbing the sculpture inside. How do you encase something that is not completely round? I get the bead to look exactly like I want but once it sits for a day it ends up with these stress cracks that run along the bubbles in the bead that I know is going to end up causing the bead to break in half. Help!! I would love to have one of these beads I could keep!!!

scoutycat
2008-03-20, 7:55am
How have you tried so far? I usually spot case really pokey outy elements first, and fill in grooves etc. then case as normal. Just how irregular is your object?

klcbeads
2008-03-20, 8:25am
Basically I take a rod and roll it deep into a long barrel so ithe grooves are about the size of a large mandrel, and there are about 5 grooves all around the bead. I usually fill the valleys left by the grooves first by winding the glass around the bead and then add more glass in order to make it equal and to bring it back to a barrel shape.

klcbeads
2008-03-20, 10:59am
Help.. Pretty please?;-)

Otter's Flame
2008-03-20, 11:24am
Heat your clear rod until the glass is VERY soft and heat more then you think you will need. All in one swipe push the clear along the "valley" to fill it in. Do not wind across the valley but start at one end of the valley and push the clear down in to it and along it until the valley is filled. Push the clear rod into the valley at an angle and that should help to keep air from getting trapped. After you have your valleys filled in, stripe clear on the rest of the bead and melt it in.

Hope this helped.


Otter

klcbeads
2008-03-20, 11:40am
Thank you so much, I will definitely give it a go.

scoutycat
2008-03-20, 1:31pm
I think you're on the right track; follow Otter's advice, and remember to heat either from the middle out or from one end to the other so that any trapped air can get out if it's left a channel where the glass meets. It might be easier to use smaller diameter clear, too. What you're trying should be very do-able tho, it's just ppp & getting the right techs down. Pictures would help us help you if you get a chance! -jen

fcfmountain
2008-03-21, 4:03am
Remember Otter said"push" which always feels wrong because I want to Pull towards me. If you still have cracks then you might want to try different base glasses. Some opaques are softer then clear colors which can be stiff and hard and they just don't marry up well. Or try to find a soft buttery clear that kisses up well. Same COE isn't always the answer to incompatibility stress. Or so I've noticed in my limited experience,TIM

ChurnHill
2008-03-21, 6:54pm
Otter's suggestion sounds to me like it would work. If it doesn't, my thought is to fill the grooves using clear stringer so you can get it down good into the grooves. Another thing, although I know this is tricky since you are working with sculpted shapes, try to make sure the base glass is warm enough to bond well with the clear casing. If it is too cool that could be part of the bubble problem.

Good luck and show us pics!

jaci
2008-03-21, 11:44pm
picz of attempts please. I got lost somewhere and am now totally intrigued!

Cherine Perrin
2008-03-22, 1:53am
Yep, Otter's explanation is spot on. Good Luck!