Anyone know where i can find a tut for fusing wire with a lampwork bead?

[KarenBeth]

Ok, I've read Liz Jones book on Silver Wire Fusing and she goes into fusing with a Cz on a wire. What I'd like to do is put a lampwork bead (cored with silver) on the wire, then fuse it shut. Make sense? Can this be done? If so, is it the same thing as a Cz? Thanks ahead of time!

[theglasszone]

Huh?

[KarenBeth]

I want to put a lampwork bead on silver wire, and fuse the ends of the wire shut make a complete circle and leave the lampwork bead moveable on the wire. Not actually fuse it together. In the book it tells u how to do it with a CZ, tells you to heat the CZ slowly so the heat from the wire doesnt transfer and then break the CZ. So I'm wondering if I can do this with the lampwork bead, then maybe throw it back in the kiln if I need to.

[theglasszone]

Wow, that's a interesting concept! I've not seen that book nor heard of such a "fusing" method...gotta wonder if it would work where a glass bead is getting anywhere near the flame/heat necessary to "ball" or "fuse" Sterling...I would think that this might cause cracking (more like EXPLODING) of the bead.

Hope someone else chimes in here for you...sorry I couldn't be more help!

I'll be checking back....Good luck!
DeAnne in CA

[KarenBeth]

No One?

[technicaltess]

In Jim Kerwin's book, about Diane East, she demonstrates how she incorperates short lengths of wire into pieces.

[KarenBeth]

Thanks, i'll look for it.

[Crazy Woman]

Am I getting this right...... you just want to solder the silver wire into a circle and still have the bead move on the circle of wire? It, of course, would depend on how small a circle of wire that you wanted to use. I think you could easily do it with a Smith Little Torch and easy solder

[KarenBeth]

Well, if I could, yes, but I haven't looked into soldering, just fusing the ends of silver wire. If I could do it with soldering too, that would be fine, I'd just have to read up. You have the concept right.

And I couldn't find much on that book.

[wildwire]

Do you mean something like this? I soldered the sterling silver ring together by submerging the glass bead in wet sand and carefully soldered the ring shut with easy solder. Wrapping it in wet newspaper works too...You have to be very careful you don't aim the flame at the bead while soldering - when in sand sometimes the sand gets on the flux and it won't flow either.

It is definitely nerve wracking!

[KarenBeth]

Oh awesome Shauna! Thanks so much. I'll get a book for sure on soldering and go from there. That helps a lot.

[wildwire]

I was at the book store today and saw the book about fusing wire...I would imagine you could do this - except if it was me - I wouldn't heat up the bead at all (like the book talks about) and protect it like I mentioned above...If the fine silver wire has no gap at the connection - you should be able to fuse it together quite well...if you put pliers across the ring between the bead and the connection- that will act as a heat sink, put the bead in wet newspaper and just concentrate your heat above the pliers....

I would try this for you but I don't have any fine silver except in 28 gauge...


Good luck...
Shauna

[Lizbot]

Hey Karen Beth!
It's Liz Jones here, I saw your question, and here's my answer: I have had some success with fusing borosilicate glass beads on fine silver wire. I find that the harder glass can take the heat. I have a buddy who makes boro toggles, and I have made several bracelets fusing these on the ends. That being said, of course you would never quench the glass while it is hot, and you would want to make sure to wear safety goggles just in case. My general rule of thumb is I never heat anything up that I will be really upset if it breaks. I hope that helps your cause!! Have fun playing with fire!

[KarenBeth]

AWESOME!! Thanks for the help!! I'm gonna have such fun playing with silver wire and beads! Can't wait to try it. Thanks a bunch Liz!

[miss millefiori]

Hi Karen-Beth,

What you're thinking of is actually one of my favorite techniques, I use it a lot! One of my collections, duizendbloem , is entirely built up like this. I love it!

Wildfire's picture is gorgeous and reading your ideas helps me as well!

Here's what works for me:

+++ SS wire that's 0,7-0,8mm thick (umm...not sure what gauge that is, sorry)

+++ making generous hoops, from 13mm to 24mm in diameter

+++ adding the bead(s)

+++ then prepare for soldering: make sure the ends of the hoop fit (by filing them) & that the hoop snaps shut with tension (sorry if this sounds like Chinese -or Dutch in my case- you'll know when you see it, I'll try to dig up a soldering tut for you on YouTube - here you go!)

+++ very very handy: a "third hand". Basically a base with a clamp that holds a tweezer. Like this the bead keeps away from the heat as far as possible, all by itself (yay gravity! ) And you have your own hands to hold the torch and something like a stainless steel pick to prod the solder if necessary.

That way I haven't needed to insulate the bead and so far I've had next to none breakages (touch wood!) Of course, don't wave the flame over the bead...

I use a micro torch for this.

+++ treat with flux, add a teensy bit of solder and start soldering!

+++ afterwards it needs to be pickled and cleaned and I like to finish the hoops by hammering them (this makes them stronger & gives that handmade look!)

On my blog I have the "before" picture of these goldfish earrings, just before soldering. The look on the goldfish' face was priceless, as if he knew what was going to happen...





Hope this helps you a bit. Good luck!

Kristien

(sorry for the enormous pictures...)

[Olimpia]

I've never tried this and I am mostly a newbie but have been doing stained glass for years. Why can't one just use a soldering iron? Seems like a torch is over kill or even perhaps too hot to be using around a bead?
A drop of perhaps lead free solder, and soldering iron on low heat?

I've never soldered SS, so I am just thinking out loud here!

[jesscause]

Thats what I was thinking Closer2Fine! Is the iron hot enough to melt the silver together? Where do you get real silver wire without ordering it online? This is really cool and I'd like to try this with some of my beads!!

[KarenBeth]

Thanks Kristien, this helps as well! Exactly the idea I was going for. Except I'm not sure what you mean by this...
+++ very very handy: a "third hand". Basically a base with a clamp that holds a tweezer. Like this the bead keeps away from the heat as far as possible, all by itself (yay gravity! ) And you have your own hands to hold the torch and something like a stainless steel pick to prod the solder if necessary.

Do you have a pic of what your talking about?

Sorry Jesscause and Closer2fine, I'm not sure what a soldering iron is. Heard of it but I've only read about silver wire fusing which uses a torch. And Hey! I am a lampworker... I'm familiar with a torch!!! And very comfortable with it

[Lizbot]

This is what a third hand looks like:

http://www.jewelryresourcesupply.com...1&cat=0&page=1

It's basically a way to hold your piece in one place while you are working on it.

[KarenBeth]

Oh! Now isn't that nifty! Something we always need!! Well, my kids say I need 6 more.. said they think I should be an octupus. With kids, shouldnt we all?? Thanks Liz!