How do you keep those dots round?

[KFraley51]

My dots get distorted sometimes the longer I work on a bead. I have used tools to flatten them but they don't stay round they get oval as I heat up my bead to get it round again. What is the trick to keeping your dots round as you melt them in?

[labelleperle]

In Passing the Flame, Corrina talks about using 'buffer' dots in the same colour as your background to help keep dots round. It does help I find. If you have for example 4 dots around the belly of the bead, try and put smaller dots in the background colour on each side of the main dot, in between dots. I'm not explaining it very well lol! Jennie

[Kevan]

When you heat the bead in the center the glass on the sides moves into the center and it pulls the sides in. I had this problem for a long time making florals. The flowers, which were nice and round when I made them, were getting squished in from the sides and looked like someone pinched them. Someone told me to add another layer of clear around just the middle. It worked great.

But I have never had this problem with just plain dots that aren't encased.

[Art of Hand]

The angle you keep your mandrel/bead to the flame also affect the shape of the dot. I often work at an angle of 60 degrees, rather than the 90 degrees (while keeping the mandrel horizontal!)

[PerfectDeb]

try this trick - make your round bead and gently flatten the spots where you want the dots, place the dots and flatten them then round out your bead but not too much, it works as long as you dont completely melt the bead soft again

[jaci]

It may be as simple as adding the dots to your bead further into the process, or lowering the heat they receive while you are still working on the bead.