If your headpin isn't going to be too long, I would do it this way:
Make drips on end of rods. You will be able to compare the drips to get them identical.
Anneal the end of the rod with the drips. Depending on the glass, this might not be necessary, but helps to make it less shocky when reintroduced in the flame.
When cool, use rod nippers to cut the drips to the desired length.
Heat the drips in the kiln, then while holding the drip end with hemostats introduce the cut portion gradually to the flame and melt just enough that you can sink the headpin in. Lightly reshape the neck if necessary after sinking the headpin.
Anneal again.
Or, if you need a longer headpin than that method will allow, just make one directly on a headpin using gravity to get that shape. Anneal. Then the next torch session, you will have a prototype to use to match to when making more. I often suspend a bead on a mandrel at the back of my workbench to use as a visual guide when I need to match sizes.
Third method would be to sink the headpin in the rod first, then either flame cut the rod, melt the end back into a gather, then allow to drip. Or, anneal after sinking headpins in rods, cut with tile nippers to length, gather and drip.
One of the benefits of sinking the headpin in the rod first is the ability to easily marver the neck to fix any distortion.
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Kathy
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