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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2015-11-19, 3:38pm
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demcc2 demcc2 is offline
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Default Dreadlocks beads

Hi everyone! If I want to make dreadlock beads for a friend which size mandrel should I use? Are they made on an every day BHB mandrel or something larger?

Thanks in advance !

Duane
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  #2  
Old 2015-11-19, 4:32pm
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They're usually made using tubing. 10mm seems to be a common inside diameter.
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  #3  
Old 2015-11-20, 10:32am
Robin Passovoy Robin Passovoy is offline
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I made a few using 1/4" mandrels. Not good for huge thick dreads, but skinny dreads need love, too.
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  #4  
Old 2015-11-20, 11:02am
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Should the inside of dread beads be smooth? I don't know that it's good to have the roughness that comes from bead release on a dread bead - I've heard that dreads can be frail. There might be a good reason that they're usually blown instead of made on a mandrel.
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  #5  
Old 2015-11-20, 11:12am
carole carole is offline
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OK, never heard. of dreadlock beads, and I am intrigued. Pictures please. Carole
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  #6  
Old 2015-11-20, 11:56am
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I make quite a few and the size I found that sells best/fasted is 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2"
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Old 2015-11-20, 2:41pm
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A wet finger can smooth the surface of the bead release before you start apply glass to it.

The otherwise "un-shiny" inner surface of the bead should not pose a problem for dreads as long as the 'pucker' is smoothed out.

It may look kind of like sand paper inside but it would normally just be a matter of appearance rather than having any truly sharp edges inside.

You should be able to find welding rod up to 5 / 16 ths inch and after that I would look for tubing in brass, copper or steel. Just don't over cook the mandrel while you are applying glass.

The bigger the bead though, the greater the weight is going to be and one would not want a glass bead to come flying off someones dread locks with a flick of the head. They would feel a lot like a bullet moving that fast.

Those sizable ones are probably better made of wood or polymer clay.
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Old 2015-11-24, 12:14am
Ravenesque Ravenesque is offline
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Size depends on their dreads. For myself I use 1/4 inch.

inside has never ever been an issue for me. You can always core them, but imo might slip too much.
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