How to remove a bad bead core?

[Lyssa]

Hi, I've messed up a few metal bead cores and now I need to remove the metal core and try again. Does anyone have a good way of doing it? My hubby tried to drill them out with a drill press, but it isn't working.

[Alaska]

Have not found a good way myself. Use a set of small wire cutters and lift and clip off the edges. Once cleared the core can be pushed out. A drill press will just spin the core within the bead.

It is a labor intensive project and no fun at all..... If one had the correct acid the silver (assuming silver is the metal being use) could be etched or eaten away. For copper, ferric chloride has been an enchant for copper printer circuit boards.

Ferric nitrate will etch silver, but how fast it will work on silver tube is a good question. Along with its safety concerns.

Cupric Nitrate is another suggestion. Have not used either. Ferric chloride works slow on copper and faster if heated. Acids such as nitric would be faster acting on some metals, but also dangerous to use and difficult to obtain in today's world.

[Mitosis Glass]

Mary Lockwood mentioned a good method a few years back; she takes a jeweller's saw, threads the blade through the centre of the bead, attaches it to the saw frame like normal and saws off the core.

[tammydownunder]

I just use my wire cutter and pry up the lip and then cut around it and then try to mush all the silver to a smaller diameter than the core . It doesn't take that long as you only have to do one side.

With experience, you get faster with this. LOL

[tammydownunder]

Originally Posted by FishBulb

Mary Lockwood mentioned a good method a few years back; she takes a jeweller's saw, threads the blade through the centre of the bead, attaches it to the saw frame like normal and saws off the core.

ooh That's a good idea.

[SuzyQ]

I tried Mary's method and couldn't seem to get the saw to catch. I know my core is bad before it gets really tight. This allows me to saw between one lip of the silver and the bead. But, it's a pita so I only do it if the caps and bead are worth it.

[alb6094]

Originally Posted by Alaska

Have not found a good way myself. Use a set of small wire cutters and lift and clip off the edges. Once cleared the core can be pushed out. A drill press will just spin the core within the bead.

It is a labor intensive project and no fun at all..... If one had the correct acid the silver (assuming silver is the metal being use) could be etched or eaten away. For copper, ferric chloride has been an enchant for copper printer circuit boards.

Ferric nitrate will etch silver, but how fast it will work on silver tube is a good question. Along with its safety concerns.

Cupric Nitrate is another suggestion. Have not used either. Ferric chloride works slow on copper and faster if heated. Acids such as nitric would be faster acting on some metals, but also dangerous to use and difficult to obtain in today's world.

That's how I do it. If you do enough of them (and I have ) you get pretty fast at it.

[rochelle_yvonne]

I used the debur tool to help weaken the lip and it made it really easy to pry off with wire cutters after that

[kansassky]

Here's how I do it.
May not be fastest, but works!

And, you can usually save the bead...