Middle-Mandrelers, How Do You Dip??

ZingZ! · #1 2006-11-29, 9:03pm

I'm being asked about middle-dipping mandrels, and frankly have never done it... any experts out there care to share the techniques you've developed, including things that help or hurt your chances of success?

Appreciate any tips you can offer, the engineer in me is making this way too hard...

John

Raven Wylder · #2 2006-11-29, 10:30pm

I've never done it but I've heard that you need a tall container which you dip in to the middle and then just clean one end. Hope this helps...but there are probably more ways.

FourTailsLampwork · #3 2006-11-29, 10:41pm

Another way I have heard is to take a flat container, carve out slots for the andrel, put bead release in the container up to the slots, and lay the mandrel i the slots and turn to coat.

Mr. Smiley · #4 2006-11-30, 1:47am

I use a piece of 12" long piece of 1" PVC. I cork one end and fill it almost full. I dip it deep and let the whole thing dry. I don't remove the bead release from the one end, some people do, by soaking the dipped tip in water. It doesn't bother me to touch it. It's a nice even coat all the way down.

jana · #5 2006-11-30, 4:45am

Run accross your parking lot and grab a 3 pack of test tubes from Hobby Lobby. They are tall enough that the middle of the mandrel gets coated. Of the 3, one of them has a hole in the rubber cork and if you use a small enough mandrel, as you pull it up through the hole, tilt it to the side and it will scrape the other end clean to save release.

Quicksilverart · #6 2006-11-30, 5:01am

I lay a peice of waxed paper on the table, put a good size puddle of release on it, and roll the center of the mandrel in it. This way I'm not holding bead release in one hand and rubbing it into the air to be breathed in. I just don't like the way that feels anyway.

ellyloo · #7 2006-11-30, 7:21am

I saw an ashtray at IKEA with 4 grooves for the cigarettes, and thought it'd be perfect for middle dipping.

DesertDreamer · #8 2006-11-30, 7:26am

I keep my bead release in a Rubbermaid spaghetti keeper, and I have a small jar (about 5" tall) of water. I dip the mandrel in the release, then swish it in the water to 'rinse' the end, then set it to dry. Fast, neat & easy!

JanMD · #9 2006-11-30, 7:39am

Here's my step-by-step: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=10

You might also want to look at the rest of the responses in 'mandrel dipping in the center HOW', here: http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=35660

It's the only way to fly!

JanMD

Janelle Zorko · #10 2006-11-30, 8:14am

I use the back of a spoon to lightly apply it to the mandrel. Then tap the mandrel a bit to smooth it out. Couldn't be easier!

Janelle

chrisdd · #11 2006-11-30, 8:18am

I turn a plate or coffee mug upside down and fill the indentation with release. No waste, no messy mandrel ends to clean.

Firebug · #12 2006-11-30, 10:13am

I use one of those tall olive jars. It coats about half the mandrel. Since I use a Smircich graphite paddle (the kind with a corner cut off and a small hole drilled for the mandrel) I don't need to touch the end that has bead release on it. I'm starting to experiment with longer beads, so this works great for me!

Cheers
Kathy

lripster · #13 2006-11-30, 11:57am

Hi John,

I do it just like Karen. But love some of the suggestions in this thread.

John, I'm guessing I shouldn't try to reconsitute what's left in my jar after rinsing?

Jenfire · #14 2006-11-30, 12:10pm

John
I dip n the jar with a fork (3 tine) and run the mandrel in the tines to coat just the middle of the mandrel. I love Zing coats the mandrel nice and easy without dealing with drips and run-off. The formula has just the right thickness! I am coating in one session (not recoating) because with this stuff i can see if I am thick enough on the coating right away and it doesn't bunch up. I have done this with 1/16, and 3/32 mandrels, 12 inch length.
Drying -- I work in a humid area, the old milkhouse of a dairy barn. So I tried drying under 2 conditions. In humid area airdry took about 6 hours. Letting it set for an hour and then flamedrying - SUCKED - cracked all over the place but the bead didn't stick even though the release was cracked and I got it molten after I saw the release crack! No stuck bead.
Drying in the house next to the woodstove. Airdry, about an hour.
Dipping and going to the flame in 5-10min, Ok as long as I was slow with it.

Flaming -- it stands up to my heat (I frequently burn mandrels in half- sometimes on purpose). No problems with spitting or cracking if dry when put in the flame. flashes well in the flame also. Stands up to hard pulling of the glass - folded beads.

Releasing the bead from the mandrel is with fingers, most of the time even before I dip it in the 50/50 jewelry cleaner solution.

You didn't lie -- it leaves the holes clear.
I still need to check out our hole cleaner stuff on some beads that had BOM as the bead release. Yes I am a bucket of mud user up to now.

I still need to test it out on the pipes. 1/4 inch, 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch. I blow vessels and make scarf rings with them. I will let you know how it works probably later in the week. I will send pics then if I can get them done.

John -- So far VERY GOOD!
Happy Thanksgiving
Jen

Emily · #15 2006-11-30, 12:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by janakisses

Run accross your parking lot and grab a 3 pack of test tubes from Hobby Lobby. They are tall enough that the middle of the mandrel gets coated. Of the 3, one of them has a hole in the rubber cork and if you use a small enough mandrel, as you pull it up through the hole, tilt it to the side and it will scrape the other end clean to save release.

But I don't even HAVE a parking lot . . .

(two methods: Metamucil jar -- tall, straight sides, not much lip - hold it sideways, stick the mandrel in, give it a twirl, pull it straight out; Ben & Jerry's lid -- cut a slit on either side for the mandrel, glob a heap of release in the center, lay the mandrel across, turn, lift out.)

jana · #16 2006-11-30, 12:28pm

LOL...Emily, Zingz!'s shop is in the same shopping center as a Hobby Lobby.

ZingZ! · #17 2006-12-01, 10:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by lripster

Hi John,

I do it just like Karen. But love some of the suggestions in this thread.

John, I'm guessing I shouldn't try to reconsitute what's left in my jar after rinsing?

Hi Lisa,

That would take a LOT of evaporation, but who knows? Stopping it at the right point would be the trick. Wouldn't recommend pouring it back in your bottle of good stuff, though...

How's things on the K-side? Any chance you could make it to our next 2nd Sunday? They're deciding on feedbag details right now, so if you can make it hit M's thread and cast your vote soon!

John

ZingZ! · #18 2006-12-01, 10:45pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenfire

John
I dip n the jar with a fork (3 tine) and run the mandrel in the tines to coat just the middle of the mandrel. I love Zing coats the mandrel nice and easy without dealing with drips and run-off. The formula has just the right thickness! I am coating in one session (not recoating) because with this stuff i can see if I am thick enough on the coating right away and it doesn't bunch up. I have done this with 1/16, and 3/32 mandrels, 12 inch length.

Drying -- I work in a humid area, the old milkhouse of a dairy barn. So I tried drying under 2 conditions. In humid area airdry took about 6 hours. Letting it set for an hour and then flamedrying - SUCKED - cracked all over the place but the bead didn't stick even though the release was cracked and I got it molten after I saw the release crack! No stuck bead.
Drying in the house next to the woodstove. Airdry, about an hour.
Dipping and going to the flame in 5-10min, Ok as long as I was slow with it.

Flaming -- it stands up to my heat (I frequently burn mandrels in half- sometimes on purpose). No problems with spitting or cracking if dry when put in the flame. flashes well in the flame also. Stands up to hard pulling of the glass - folded beads.

Jen

Hey, Jen

Dipping: I tried a rednecked-up version of your approach (plastic fork, no pinkie raised) and managed to get a decent but far from expert coating. It is a cool-sounding technique, I'll have to scrounge around for a three-tined fork (or maybe check the truck for a KFC spork...?) and give it another go. Maybe I'll even coat the middle of the mandrel next time, instead of the end, as usual, out of habit...

Drying: I can believe the partially air-dried then flame-dried approach didn't go well. Once the outer part starts drying and firming up, hitting it with a flame boils the water out from underneath too fast and blows the hardened "skin" apart. (Flame-drying works best if you do it right after dipping, and take about 30 seconds from wet to completely dry.) Cool that it still didn't let you stick a bead though, even when cracked.

Flaming: What can I say, ZippZ likes it hot! No wonder you two get along so well!

Keep havin' fun!

John

Diane Woodall · #19 2006-12-01, 11:30pm

I use a small plastic container (the kind pizza dipping sauce comes in). It doesn't take much, and you can add a teaspoon or so as you go if you have a lot of mandrels to dip at one time. Fill the little container with bead release and it will mound slightly due to its surface tension. Simply lay the mandrel in the bead release, remove it gently and tap the end to smooth. When you are finished, return the unused release to the jar, wipe it out and the little container is ready for the next time.

Easy as pie!

DesertDreamer · #20 2006-12-02, 11:52am

About reconstituting....first let me say that I use a blend of Fosterfire regular and Fusion (about 50/50). I've been using this for about 4 years now and it works great for everything I do.

I DO reconstitute, if I'm understanding the meaning. I take that water-rinse jar, allow the release to settle, pour off the excess water, vigorously stir up the remains, and pour it right back into my bead release jar, then give it a good shake. We have soft water as of this May, and I haven't noticed any difference.

Sue H-K · #21 2006-12-02, 1:20pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisdd

I turn a plate or coffee mug upside down and fill the indentation with release. No waste, no messy mandrel ends to clean.

That's what I do....I use the top to an old margerine tub lid and put my release in it and then roll my mandrel across it to just get the middle coated.