Which do you use to silver-core your beads?

[Tesorobeads]

I voted for Jim Moore's bead liner (thank you Donna) it is one of the best investments I have made.

Debbie

[fyrebeadz*]

does anyone have any photo's of a bracelet made with Jim's new attachment? I have no idea what it is or what the end result is but I'd sure like to see.

[fyrebeadz*]

am wondering too if Jim is going to be selling the attachment that Andrea is talking about in her post for doming the caps????

I have both the Impress and Jim's. I like them both. The Impress because it's lightweight and easily transportable, but Jim's for doing bigger beads.

[wolfotter]

Originally Posted by fyrebeadz*

am wondering too if Jim is going to be selling the attachment that Andrea is talking about in her post for doming the caps????

I have both the Impress and Jim's. I like them both. The Impress because it's lightweight and easily transportable, but Jim's for doing bigger beads.

Hi Donna!
Yes he does sell the attachment...... just doesn't have it on his site yet! Just email him about it.

Nicker makes rings and bracelets using the other attachment...... I will ask her to post some photos here for ya!!!!

Take care,
Andrea

[rverk47]

I love my retro bead liner but i love the glue in rivets even better. The liner can do more than 1 size which is great but the glue in rivets look the best..

[bousky]

I would love to have any of them. Although, it looks like I will be following Karen's lead and learn to do it by hand. I keep depleting the funds, I have been saving for one, on other things. Darn this economy!

[BeadBlossoms]

Stunning beads and awesome information, thank you to everyone. Can someone please post the links for the various tools? I'd love to look at them online and compare.

Thanks!!

[cc2]

This link is for Jim's tool. I saw it at B&B, didn't know he was going to be there, didn't have enough cash with me or I would have gotten one!

http://toolsforglass.com/store/bead.html

[glass obsessed]

Thanks so much for the info on Jim Moore's tools. I just ordered one and can not wait to get it. I really appreciate all the help here on LE.

[dawnmarie4771]

Has anyone tried to build a press themselves? My boyfrriend and I just bought a 1/2 ton arbor press (from Harbor Freight for $27) and are trying to think of a way to create the screw in dies (he has access to a machine shop) - I will update you on our progress but I was just wondering if anyone has a custom made solution is working for them? Would love to hear from you. Please contact me directly. Thanks - and GORGEOUS beads ladies!

[PixieFireBeads]

I love Jim Moore's tool. And for the record, the only time I have a problem with it is when I try to core beads with crappy ends.

[Ro]

thanks for this thread, ive been wanting to get one and likely would have been jim's anyway as im so happy with other tools i have from him and the great service. this just sealed the deal.
ro

[ginko]

Someone recently asked what I am using, and I thought I would post it here.

I use Dave's Impress tool (and love it). With the Fits-Pandora tubing, be sure to use the 4.37 die Dave made to fit. The standard die that comes with the Impress will work MOST of the time, but now and then will compress the ID of the tubing, which makes the bead no longer fit a Pandora or Biagi. The 4.37mm die has never done that on the hundreds I have lined.

I also use this arbor press from Palmgren (and love it). http://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-61051...7067274&sr=8-1 The die it comes with has worked fine for most everything I have tried. For tall beads and wide beads, this works better than the Impress. A lot of times I start the first flare on this tool, and finish up with the Impress.

Then there are the hand daps, which I use now and then-- just because I can, I guess.

[SilverCreek Studio]

Hmm interesting. Seeing as I am on a budget, I am thinking about doing it by hand as well, but if someone can give me a list of the needed tools in order to do this it would be appreciated. I have to look at cost.

Also if coring for Pandora what is the size of mandrel needed and tubing? I get all confused looking at the threads about this....LOL Age ya know.

[Lorraine Chandler]

I just purchased everything to core by hand and I did about ten beads a few days ago and I LUV it! Easy Peasy too. Not all that expensive if using Harbor Freight for most of it.

Here is what I used:
1. Dapping set from Harbor Freight.

2. Double hammer from Harbor Freight has a nylon head and a brass head. I used the nylon and loved it. I also bought a rawhide mallet but didn't like that. The heads are removeable and replaceable on the one from Harbor Freight you see on the bench!!

3. Mini cut off saw at Harbor Freight. I didn't want to cut the tubeing by hand or use a tubing cutter...takes too long. The mini saw is FAST!!!! and easy.

4. Steel block from Monsterslayer, Charcoal block from Monsterslayer and the silver tubing of course......


The rest was found items from around the garage etc...a wood cutting board, pieces of sheet metal, a pyrex measuring cup for quenching the silver in, and a heavy piece of bent cardboard. It was what I could scrounge up, flat will do, doesn't have to be bent.

Tweezers for lifting the red hot silver core off of the charcoal to the cup of cold water and taking it out of the cup, and some files for taking the burrs off of the fresh cut silver which are not in the picture.

and a small torch my DH bought years ago. Jewelry torch? It has a very very small flame and attaches to a 1 pound propane bottle like a HH.

Here are some pics:

[AnnDK]

Originally Posted by ginko

I use Dave's Impress tool (and love it). With the Fits-Pandora tubing, be sure to use the 4.37 die Dave made to fit. The standard die that comes with the Impress will work MOST of the time, but now and then will compress the ID of the tubing, which makes the bead no longer fit a Pandora or Biagi. The 4.37mm die has never done that on the hundreds I have lined.

That's interesting - I would think the dies would be the same???!!!
My sweet mum has offered to get me a coreing tool - and as I have limited space (and the fact she's paying) -I think I'm going with Dave's Impress after reading through this thread - and I will remeber to order an extra 4.37 die

Ann

[blr2449]

Originally Posted by ginko

Someone recently asked what I am using, and I thought I would post it here.

I use Dave's Impress tool (and love it). With the Fits-Pandora tubing, be sure to use the 4.37 die Dave made to fit. The standard die that comes with the Impress will work MOST of the time, but now and then will compress the ID of the tubing, which makes the bead no longer fit a Pandora or Biagi. The 4.37mm die has never done that on the hundreds I have lined.

Would this be the "Medium" die he has listed on his site? The one that will flare
1/4" to 3/8" tubing?

[Calibee]

I am looking at different Bead Liners and do not see any details on the Nortel Bead Press - can anyone tell me if they have tried thie Nortel unit and let me know comments - I like that it comes complete with the tools required

[SilverCreek Studio]

Originally Posted by 2 TOUCANS

I just purchased everything to core by hand and I did about ten beads a few days ago and I LUV it! Easy Peasy too. Not all that expensive if using Harbor Freight for most of it.

Here is what I used:
1. Dapping set from Harbor Freight.

2. Double hammer from Harbor Freight has a nylon head and a brass head. I used the nylon and loved it. I also bought a rawhide mallet but didn't like that. The heads are removeable and replaceable on the one from Harbor Freight you see on the bench!!

3. Mini cut off saw at Harbor Freight. I didn't want to cut the tubeing by hand or use a tubing cutter...takes too long. The mini saw is FAST!!!! and easy.

4. Steel block from Monsterslayer, Charcoal block from Monsterslayer and the silver tubing of course......


The rest was found items from around the garage etc...a wood cutting board, pieces of sheet metal, a pyrex measuring cup for quenching the silver in, and a heavy piece of bent cardboard. It was what I could scrounge up, flat will do, doesn't have to be bent.

Tweezers for lifting the red hot silver core off of the charcoal to the cup of cold water and taking it out of the cup, and some files for taking the burrs off of the fresh cut silver which are not in the picture.

and a small torch my DH bought years ago. Jewelry torch? It has a very very small flame and attaches to a 1 pound propane bottle like a HH.

Here are some pics:

Wow 2Toucans thanks for the info and pics. Sorry I forgot I even asked or posted here.....memory is not as good as it used to be.


THANKS!!

[yeepers]

Originally Posted by Calibee

I am looking at different Bead Liners and do not see any details on the Nortel Bead Press - can anyone tell me if they have tried thie Nortel unit and let me know comments - I like that it comes complete with the tools required

The Nortel bead press is pretty much the Jim Moore Bead Liner so whatever you read re. the Jim Moore tool will likely apply to the Nortel press (can't vouch for quality of the Nortel press myself)

IMHO....buy the original. Jim's a stand-up guy and you'd be supporting your small time toolmaker (yes, I do have one of Jim's bead liners).

Cheers,

-Yee

[bousky]

Does anyone have the Nortel Bead Press? I like that it seems self contained. The accessories have a place within easy reach for use. It also comes with the accessories to core from 1/8" to 1/2".

I have been making beads with double dipped 3/32" Which is pretty close to the 1/8" is it going to work? I also plan on using bead caps. They didn't use any in the demos. Does anyone have any experience with bead caps and the Nortel bead liner?

[fannydotson]

2Toucans ~ Is it possible you show pics of how you use each tool. Sort of like a mini tut on your home made coring stuff?

[pinkcb]

Nortel is coming to the Ottawa bead show next weekend. I will try to email Jean at Nortel and ask her to bring it to demo. I have seen it in person but didn't see it in action so I couldn't say. I'll let you know if I see it.

[Gayetha]

I find the retro bead liner really hurts my hands, and is hard to use on smaller beads, so I wish I had done some research before buying, and got one of the others! Puts me off doing pandora beads.

[Mitosis Glass]

What a helpful thread! Thank you everybody for posting. I've been looking at getting into this and this is very useful information.

[lindacw]

I have the nortel and LOVE it!. I would like to know how to do the caps. Is there a demo/tute??

[MadelineBunyan]

Ronnie Renee has a bead capping tutorial in her etsy shop,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RonnieRenee

there may be others.
oh and I haven't personally tried it

[Ekkie]

I love my Retro tools bead liner. I have never cracked or chipped a bead. It is so easy compared to the other tool I tried to use. It is a bit hard to turn for a weakling like me so I use a wrench as recommended by Jerry.

[madpup]

Theses are the first beads that i did that did not brake in two,
i was that impressed i cored them, it took me two minutes to
do all of them and cost about penny each,

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1368/beadsi.jpg
i bought something like theses and super glued them in,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/400-5mm-EYELET...item414b1ce91c

[happybeader]

Thanks for all the information that has been shared here.