cleaning tiny beads

[jhamilton117]

They're slotted piercing forceps, and you can get them in a large variety. I would check amazon or google. Some are made from stainless steel, others titanium, etc. Try searching"slotted forceps"

[LauraJ]

Originally Posted by jaci

I agree. Most everything comes right off when you trap a few on the mandrel and go back and fourth a bit. If you are still having issues consider a different bead release for this type of bead. The less you work the bead/less super heat the easier the bead release will come off.

I clean while removing the bead from the mandrel. To remove any remaining release, I dip the end of the wet mandrel in graphite and move the bead through it and back & forth on the mandrel a few times - bead & mandrel clean in one operation.

[Lisi]

Originally Posted by bexrox

The bead release issue mystifies me; there are so many differing opinions on the same products. There really must be several factors involved in how well each one performs. I've heard people discuss that certain climates are better for certain bead releases, for instance. I have found Krag Mudd to work very well, and clean up really well for my small spacers, but not nearly strong enough for larger beads. My best release was a blend of KM and Fusion, which I find will often not release my beads on its own.

I really wish more people would try the KRAG Mudd, because in my opinion, there is nothing better. It is very smooth, does not flake, you can flame dry it, and of all the brands I have tried over the past 11 years, the beads came off the mandrels the easiest. Only one other I used in the past where the beads came off mandrels just as easy, and that was Alice's. But I don't like the texture and the holes on transparent beads will never be as clean and smooth as KM.

But if you feel you need something stronger for big beads, then there is something else you can try for that. Dip-n-Go Sludge is a very close second to the KRAG Mudd, because it has the graphite in it and it very smooth as well. It is stronger so this might be the answer for your bigger beads. I was using it as well as the KM when I used to make Pandora style beads. There is also the Dip-n-Go Blue Sludge which is minus the graphite, so the holding power is even stronger.

AS carries all of them here: http://www.arrowsprings.com/html/mandrel_release.html

[dsglass]

My problems with the Dip-n-Go sludge start before I even turn on my torch - it starts flaking off as it dries. I use regular blue sludge, which is the only bead release I've encountered so far that mostly holds up to my biggest beads... It's kind of overkill for my tinies; i generally use regular sludge for those, unless i'm being lazy. Either way, soaking and scraping with twisted wires/scratchy mandrels just doesn't get them clean enough, especially transparents... I use a dremel with a beadreamer for the beads that are big enough (and soak and scrape with scratchy mandrels for the bit in the center that the beadreamer can't reach), and the smallest diamond drill bits i could find for the tinies (i used to use the really narrow tapered reamers, but i'm always stabbing myself with the sharp points... bead cleaning is waaaaay less bloody with the drill bits )

[Speedslug]

Have you tried scuffing your mandrels with emery paper? That may help to keep it form flaking off, gives it a toe hold.
I also have taken a wet finger to dried bead release on a mandrel and smoothed the surface a great deal. Gave me much smother surface to my bead holes and that helps them come a lot cleaner a lot easier.
I prevent the stabbing by spinning the reamers between my thumb and index finger rather than poking it in and out.

[Lisi]

My BeaDreamer bit is pretty old and has cleaned thousands of beads since 2006, so it paid for itself at least 25 times. I've read that some people have had to replace their bits every few months. (that will always remain a mystery to me!) I had the ones from Widget too, but they don't polish the holes like the BeaDreamer does.

My bit has worn to a needle sharp point at the tip. The rest of the reamer is still coated and not worn anywhere. That pokey end is awful, and I have stabbed myself many times and made my fingers bleed. Only when I'm in a hurry though, or if I'm tired and I have 300 mini beads to clean.

[dsglass]

Originally Posted by Speedslug

Have you tried scuffing your mandrels with emery paper? That may help to keep it form flaking off, gives it a toe hold.
I also have taken a wet finger to dried bead release on a mandrel and smoothed the surface a great deal. Gave me much smother surface to my bead holes and that helps them come a lot cleaner a lot easier.
I prevent the stabbing by spinning the reamers between my thumb and index finger rather than poking it in and out.

Yeah, I sand all my mandrels before I dip them, and I spend some time cleaning them up so they're nice and smooth, and the ends are all clean and not drippy or globby... The dip-n-go just doesn't seem to like me. Which is perfectly fine, I really like the regular blue sludge. As far as the stabbiness goes, I use a dremel for the spinning... The drill bit actually works better than the reamers in a lot of ways, not bleeding all over everything is just a bonus.

[dsglass]

Originally Posted by Lisi

My BeaDreamer bit is pretty old and has cleaned thousands of beads since 2006, so it paid for itself at least 25 times. I've read that some people have had to replace their bits every few months. (that will always remain a mystery to me!) I had the ones from Widget too, but they don't polish the holes like the BeaDreamer does.

I typically go through one or two a year... I've broken a couple, too, by hitting the switch on my dremel in the wrong direction and sliding it to super-fast instead of off, which bent the bits. (i just cut them down and use them for smaller beads, which makes the "good" ones last longer...) How quickly they wear out depends on how big the beads are (longer beads means more wear on the bit), how many beads you're cleaning, and how you treat your toys.

My bit has worn to a needle sharp point at the tip.

Ok, that's impressive... How'd you do that?

[Lisi]

Originally Posted by dsglass

Ok, that's impressive... How'd you do that?

I have absolutely no idea!

[zen-mom]

Thread them onto a "real" (not the craft store kind) pipe cleaner...

Sliding them on one side and off the other should clean out the excess bead release.

[missp_32]

I've made thousands of "Itty Bitty" beads. I clean all of them with a Foredom and a BeaDreamer from Art in the Round. It's the only way to go!

[Ravenesque]

I saw this on ebay, it might interest you.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lampworking-...item51a3bd24fa

[KJohn]

Originally Posted by Ravenesque

I saw this on ebay, it might interest you.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lampworking-...item51a3bd24fa

That looks like a finger-saving idea.