Making round beads - press or roller?
 

I have to make a choice. One or the other.

I love my round roller!

roller

I use my press as a roller, so I vote roller

roller

I want to make like 18 -22 mm.

I have a roller and I don't use it. I prefer to do it old school. I use a Zoozii press and hold the bead over it to eye ball the size better.

Once I saw "the secret" to making truly round beads I find it easier to do without any tools. \\:D/

I have a roller, but I just can't get the hang of it. It's easier for me to get beads round by eye. Of course, they don't all some out exactly the same, but that's my error. Ha!

I seem to prefer brass tools rather than the graphite ones. Again, no fault of the tool.

I used to say eyeball it but I need to make beads exactly a certain size and that is only achievable with a press or roller. I much prefer a roller -especially when you have a pattern on it.

I got this one from Malcolm a while back (when it was $27). http://www.artcoinc.com/marble_molds.php While I love the CG bead rollers, this one covers more sizes from small to large. I also needed a handle and so I attached one -easy peasy.

I mean round beads, not bagel shaped beads.

Yep, Round beads. The graphite rollers are so simple to use. If you have too much glass, move to the larger hole. Too little, add more.

I also have found them to be a godsend when I'm encasing. Often times the encasing goes bagel shaped and with the bead roller, you can easily get them back to round.

Definitely a roller. :)

Kate

I eyeball it simply because I don't have a roller. If I had to choose, I would buy a roller rather than a press. In 'Passing the Flame' it's suggested to just make a bunch of beads and you'll eventually get enough of the size you want. That's kinda what I do, but I'm not trying for specific sizes.

Everyone Loves a Secret!
 

Okay, I have to ask . . . what is "the secret"?

Ditto...what is the secret??? I can't get a bunch of round beads to be even for the life of me....so this is intriguing!

I just recently started to use a roller instead of gravity for really round beads. It definitely speeds up the process for me.

I like presses for flattened or geometric shapes but for rounded shapes, I prefer the bead rollers. I like how the roller, because it has an outside measurement, shows up the tiniest of places where the bead isn't completely true to form. In the tutorials at CGBeads, Donna talks about noticing the areas that stay light and bright. It took me a while to see it, but it made a world of difference in getting beads that are very uniformly shaped. I also think the roller makes it easier to turn out a number of same sized beads very quickly.

;)The beads pictured are toroidal shaped, not perfectly round. I think Kevan wants a marble with a hole through it. A lot of people think a very round toroidal is round, but it isn't. They would be rolling around all over the place and not sitting up nicely for a photo shoot if they were truly round.;):love:

I just wanted to show how encasing can put a round bead out of shape and with the bead roller, you can put them back to round with a dimpled end. I make jewellery and I do not want a sharp end to cut the silver head pin or beading wire.

I use a marble mold as a roller... so I'd say a roller. :)

Roller everytime Babie!
 

As a newbie, I like the roller. The presses still confound me somewhat. The CGBead Roller is excellent.;-)

I have the Zooziis brass marver for round (and had the disk press) and I don't like the way the brass works as a roller. I also have a number of graphite rollers and, for beads that are symmetric around the mandrel, they are far-and-away the better tool IMO. That being said, I find that they work the best when you only use them for the final shaping. I don't find they work as a way to center the bead on the mandrel as you're building the bead, so in the end gravity and an eye for detail are still the most important tools.

Roller! For marbles with a hole through them. I love love love making round beads with a roller, it's my favorite shape.

Those are fantastic!\\:D/

I've never used a tool to marver and make them round because I don't like the pits it makes in the surface with many of the frits I use. Especially with graphite. When the pits are there, you can't make them disappear with more heat and sometimes they get worse.

So, because of that I only "eyeball" them. I did a tutorial a long time ago and while this is geared toward the newbies, it's good for anyone wanting to learn to make them with the best tools for the job - heat and gravity.

Here's the tutorial:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ht=round+beads

Some spherical round beads I made so long ago and I forgot when:

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/at...1&d=1159985707

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/at...1&d=1159985707

I hope you find that helpful! :)

Thanks Lorraine, I've used that picture way too much, they were my favorites I've ever made. I do lots and lots of rounds, that's become almost the only thing I do anymore.

Lisi, your beads are gorgeous! I'm just not that talented with heat and gravity though I have tried over the last three years. I need shaping tools.

I finially figured out how to make a round bead by hand... yay! If a newbie wants to know, I'd be happy to tell ya!