Watch works?
 

Can watch gears be incorporated into soft glass/104 beads?


dj

The little brass ones for sure can. I got an exchange bead years ago with a tiny brass gear encased. It still is fab. Have not done it myself.

you need good heat control, the brass will melt if your not careful.

Thanks for info.

Hum. Good thing I have some to practice on before I get to the ones I want to preserve in beads. I want to use some of my father's old watches as memory pieces for DD

dj

I remember doing one for a You Pick game, but I know the first one I heated too much and got a ton of bubbles, LOL.

I have done this several times recently!

Yes you can. I have done this kind of bead for several years. Treat the gear like a murrini. Place a dot of clear on your bead, melt it until drippy, press the gear onto it. Keeping the gear out of the flame drip more glass on it to cover. At this point you can continue working your bead as you normally do. The red gears in the turtle are copper stampings, the small gear is an actual watch gear. All of the gears in the egg shaped bead are watch gears.

OOooo! Thanks for the examples Vicki & Mary Beth.

Definitely going to have to get those practice watches apart.

dj

You can buy watch gears on etsy - just be sure you are buying real parts and pay attention to size! i bought the large gears from the same seller as the watch parts.

Brass or bronze has zinc in it and that will off-gas and leave bubbles in the glass if you cook it too long.


Also zinc fumes are very bad for your brain so check that your ventilation is excellent and mind your heat control.