That's a common problem for that bead shape, you will get the hang of it. Your mandrel size should be fine if it fits in the slots on the press.
Evenly heating the bead is the trick, so make sure you do that, and leave enough glass on either side of the mandrel. Heat the mandrel to red hot briefly and lay down the footprint. Roll gently & carefully to ensure that it is even. Use the press early to help with the glass distribution and keep doing frequent and quick presses as you need. Don't wait until you have one biggish glob. You're more likely then to have an unbalanced bead as the core is too cold to get a good press. One side will be too thin and might chip at the edges or break.
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Kristin ~
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