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  #1  
Old 2008-01-13, 2:15am
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Default Looking for a tutorial on how to make long skinny beads

I can't find any kind of tutorial on how to make thos long skinny beads like the ones in the long bead exchange.


There are some like Trey Cornettes I am sure you all know which ones I mean.
Here are some of his. http://search.ebay.com/trey-cornette_W0QQfromZR40

Any help would be appreceated. Hopefully I should not have put this in the tips and tech section.
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  #2  
Old 2008-01-13, 2:37am
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You should see him make them as he did last year at the Gathering during Open Torch. He is a master and he makes it look so easy. Trey has a unique way of marvering the flat beads.
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  #3  
Old 2008-01-13, 3:10am
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I have never seen one of Trey's beads in person so I don't know how long they are, but I can tell you how to make a bead that is this long. I'm sure there is more than one technique, I actually make them two different ways.



You need a mandrel that has been dipped at least 5 inches. I like Fusion. It rarely breaks on me and I can dip them and dry them immediately.

I start by making a big blob of glass. A bead this size takes about 3/4 to a whole rod of glass.Make a big blob in the center. You can also move it out from the center, there is no right or wrong here you just want to get the glass on the mandrel.

Then I use heat and gravity to move the glass up and down the mandrel. One direction. let it cool a bit, then move down the other side. Then back making it move down the mandrel even more in the other direction. You will gt a feel for it after you do a few. Heat the mandrel at the end of the blob towards the direction you want the glass to go in, that helps pull it down the mandrel.

When you get the glass to reach about as far as you want on one side, marver that side, just the very end, doesn't have to be perfect. Let it cool and then move the biggest part of the blob down towards the other end.

Don't forget to keep the one end you marvered hot so it doesn't crack.

When you get it moved down as far as you want on the other side, marver tathat end. So you have two not so nicely marvererd ends and a somewhat lumpy middle.

Just keep heatiing and marvering until you get it the shape you want. The think is to go slow, there is no hurry. If you feel the need to want to heat the entire bead and keep it hot, hold it parallel to the flame instead of across the flame. That way the flame will heat both ends.

You can get good ends this way. The main thing is to marver, heat little, marver some more, until you have a nicely shaped tube. I have watched people try to get the bead shaped in the first roll on the marver. Not going to happen, so roll lightly and heat.

You can also accomplish this entire thing by winding the glass all the way up and down the mandrel and then heating and marvering the same way, but if you do the slide method you get lots of feeling for the glass and how it moves up and down the mandrel.

Anyway, that's how I do it now. Who knows, maybe this will be where everyone realizes I have no idea what the hell I'm doing.
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Old 2008-01-13, 4:46am
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Hey, Kevan, thanks for sharing your technique. It's so much fun to watch gravity at work.
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  #5  
Old 2008-01-13, 6:15am
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Thanks Kevan!! I have been trying to make long beads, and I have *totally* been using the 'Not going to happen' technique!!!!

I can't wait to try it today!!!
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  #6  
Old 2008-01-13, 1:35pm
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Thanks Kevan!!!!!!!!

I should have had you show me how to do this at the beach class I took with you. I could not make a good bead that day if my life depended on it though.
I can't wait to try this today.
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Old 2008-01-13, 6:37pm
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Thanks Kevin
Will definitely give this a try
Sherry
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  #8  
Old 2008-01-13, 9:36pm
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I love it when someone describes in detail what it takes to make a bead....to me, it's all one process....I sort of get in a zone and couldn't describe it for hot dogs, but you've got the details. Very nicely done...
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Old 2008-01-13, 9:37pm
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Oh...one thing about this method.....fewer bubbles. less gaps, less air, less bubbles...
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  #10  
Old 2008-01-13, 11:28pm
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Ooh, nice tut!! Thanks!
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Old 2008-01-13, 11:29pm
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The first few you try, you may want to use a mandrel larger than a 1/16". Although the long beads can be made on 1/16", the thin mandrels have more give when you are marvering and it can break your bead release easier.

Remember to use a light hand when marvering. It's frustrating to get an entire rod of glass melted on the mandrel and then break your bead release because you used too much pressure.

Good explanation Kevan.
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  #12  
Old 2008-01-14, 12:11am
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I have to agree with Kathy, use a thicker mandrel to start with and go light on the marvering. I see people try to get it in the right shape by getting it really hot and then trying to roll it fast. Go slow. You can roll the thing forever if you want to.

And you are all welcome!
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  #13  
Old 2008-01-14, 12:26am
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CRAP!!!!! CRAP!!!! I got a chance to torch after several months and after 4 beads ran out of gas. Wish I had my set up with Natural gas this time. I guess after a year with the same gas tank I am bound for finally run out. I will try this tomorrow for sure.
Thanks again Kevan
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  #14  
Old 2008-01-14, 3:17pm
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Thanks Kevan. This is a great explanation. Can't wait to try it. But it will be difficult to curb my impatience and not try to force the glass.

Jenn
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  #15  
Old 2008-01-14, 4:17pm
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Well, I tried and it was much better than before, one is a little over 2 inches -- the longest I have made so far. However I did manage to break the bead release on 2 of them and had to stop fooling with them.

I did have a hard time just letting it droop down the mandrel,, it was't going even so I kept spinning it twirling it down... looks cool though...

Thanks for all your tips!!!! I will definately be making more of them.
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Old 2008-01-14, 11:45pm
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I learnt how to do then in Kimberly Afflecks class. Remember to change the way you turn your mandrel as you run the glass down it so you don't have a sprial of glass downthe mandrel.
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Old 2008-01-15, 12:35am
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Kevan , thanks so much ,I will be trying this tomorrow a.m......I like em big.

Karen
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  #18  
Old 2008-01-15, 12:46am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicker View Post
I learnt how to do then in Kimberly Afflecks class. Remember to change the way you turn your mandrel as you run the glass down it so you don't have a sprial of glass downthe mandrel.
You know, I sat next to Kimberly one Saturday afternoon. I didn't really get to watch her make any long beads, but somehow, afterwards, I started making really long beads.
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  #19  
Old 2008-01-15, 1:39am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevan View Post
You know, I sat next to Kimberly one Saturday afternoon. I didn't really get to watch her make any long beads, but somehow, afterwards, I started making really long beads.
Just her greatness rubbed off on you. Now you have double greatness.
So I wonder if I am watching you if even 1/2 of your greatness would rub off on me
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  #20  
Old 2008-01-15, 7:12am
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Thanks Kevan, I tried it yesterday and it worked beautifully! I used a bit stiff glass (Lauscha) so I pulled a bit of the glass down the mandrell with my rake and that worked well too!
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  #21  
Old 2008-01-16, 6:01am
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Kevan, you are awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us!
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  #22  
Old 2008-01-16, 7:33am
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Kevan, I now have a new kind of bead to try to make today! I'm sure you make it look so easy too, HA HA. Your beads are so beautiful!
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  #23  
Old 2008-01-16, 12:45pm
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Before you set out to make long beads, check your mandrels and make sure they're not bent. If there's even a little bend under the bead, you may never get it off the mandrel.

I've never taken a class with Kimberly Affleck, but I hear she is The Woman when it comes to teaching long beads -- and she certainly makes beautiful ones!
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Old 2008-01-16, 11:49pm
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Keven I tried it and got down the rod then it went in very thin and then got thick then the end that the glass was moving to had like a bubble on the end. How did it get so thin in the middle.
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Old 2008-01-17, 1:05am
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Lori, it's not going to come out perfect by itself. It's going to be thicker on one side or in the middle. You have to keep heating it and marvering. Get it down to one end where you want it and marver that end and let that end cool. Then heat it where it's thick and move that end down the other way. When you get both ends marvered, you will have to shape the middle by heating and marvering. Just heat it a little and roll it.

Don't think you have to melt it into a long smooth bead right off the bat. It takes me at least 20 mins, sometimes 40 mins to get it all shaped and slid around where I want it.

I didn't actually see Kimberly make one so she might do it differently. I would have paid good money to just watch her make beads, but I was supposed to be working. lol

She was over there fuming things and I missed that. Somehow, I did not pick that up by osmosis.

It might be good to start without making a really long bead just to get the hang of moving the glass up and down the mandrel. You will get a feel for it after a dozen or so.
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Old 2008-01-18, 8:19am
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I tried this, and it is a good way to get an even amount of glass on the ends.... that was my pet peeve. Thanks!.
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  #27  
Old 2008-01-18, 9:13am
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I learned this technique in Kimberly's class also. I am sure she does it in her free demos also. Kevan, that is a beautiful bead you posted.
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  #28  
Old 2008-01-20, 5:10pm
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Kevan,
Thanks for explaining how to do these it was really helpful and for the first time ever I didn't struggle with my ends!
(I'm a rough marverer by nature. )

Did you use a twisty on the bead in your photo?
If so, how did you apply it and was it twisted tightly?

I made 3 long beads last night. I was going more for technique than gorgeous and used up some stuff I had lying around my work table.
Except for the red one. I made two twisties specifically for that one and well, it's okay but not what I had in mind.
Not sure what happened to the twisties.
I used the other end of the bottom twistie and it was twisted much tighter like the top one. I spiraled them on to my base blob next to each other before I stretched out the ends.


I dunno, more ppp I guess. *sigh*
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Last edited by Bubbyanne; 2008-01-20 at 5:15pm.
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Old 2008-01-20, 7:32pm
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Ah never mind I think I figured it out, unless I'm wrong or you have more input.
I found your drift beads thread in the gallery and it seems my twisties are probably too thin. Mine are about the size of commercial stringer (2mm) and you said yours were 5-8mm. Quite a difference.
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Old 2008-01-20, 8:15pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubbyanne View Post
Ah never mind I think I figured it out, unless I'm wrong or you have more input.
I found your drift beads thread in the gallery and it seems my twisties are probably too thin. Mine are about the size of commercial stringer (2mm) and you said yours were 5-8mm. Quite a difference.
Can you tell me where this post is?
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