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

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  #1  
Old 2010-03-01, 10:24am
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FosterFire FosterFire is offline
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Default I suggest a "frugal tips" section?

You know, for tips on how to stretch your dollar. Posts could be anything from how to use your glass rods down to the very last, so where to find cheap shipping materials, to whatever ??
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  #2  
Old 2010-03-01, 10:57am
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Karen Hardy Karen Hardy is offline
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I'll start.

1. When using expensive colors (boro, soft, anything), use
clear as "bead guts". Don't waste expensive colors
on the inside. You can also use glass colors you don't
like, leftover shorts, anything that can be melted.

2. Always keep a small closed container for leftover frits.
At the end of the day, there is usually a small amount of
frit left over when I'm making beads. Most of the time, it's
contaminated with some other color frit by the time the
day is over. I put all this leftover frit into a small container,
and when I'm at a loss of things to make, I'll make "leftover
frit beads". Sometimes, it's just a mess of colors - but other
times, the resulting blends have been AMAZING.
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  #3  
Old 2010-03-01, 11:31am
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Torched Art Torched Art is offline
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Newbie tip:

When warming the end of your rod in the flame, if it breaks off, quickly warm a bit of the rod and stick it to the part that fell. Reintroduce in cooler part of flame to avoid shocking. This will enable you to not waste the lost glass and being that it is already warm, perhaps a minute or two of fuel/oxy cost.

If you like the silvered glass and the look of iridescents, melting directly from the rod can eat up inches at a time. Pull stringers or blow shards. This reduces any waste or overused of the expensive glass but still adds that beautiful element of the much loved expensive glass.

Turn off or turn down your torch when not in use.
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  #4  
Old 2010-03-01, 11:37am
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Don't dismiss those very short shorts of expensive silver glass. I soaked them in warm water to remove the labels and then heated/glued them together. I ended up with four new rods!
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  #5  
Old 2010-03-01, 11:46am
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what is a short? If mine get too short, I attach them onto a clear rod and use it ALL!
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  #6  
Old 2010-03-01, 1:15pm
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Oh I like this even better, thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by beadsoncypress View Post
what is a short? If mine get too short, I attach them onto a clear rod and use it ALL!
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  #7  
Old 2010-03-01, 2:35pm
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I use all the chips and shards and scraps for end-of-days beads, lovely tradition passed down by the Italian glasshouses who would make end-of-day doodads for the tourist trade!

For those of you who purchased the new Copper Dichroic -- don't throw the copper lining away! I use it for cutout/inclusions like leaves and dragonflies, etc. Twice the bang for the buck!

Thanks for the fun thread, Robin!
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  #8  
Old 2010-03-01, 2:52pm
funkibeads funkibeads is offline
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Default Flameworker Cocktail

When your commercial bead release is getting down to the last inch or two in a tall pot - like some companies use, and it is starting to dry out and get crusty... Just add a little water and a few old redundant marbles or stones. Then shake it vigorously for a few minutes like a good vodka martini cocktail - and you'll have a load that is perfectly respectable for a few more sessions and the volume of the stones will raise the remains high enough to dip your mandrel fully.

That's what I call: " Release on The Rocks: shaken, not stirred, Miss MoneyPenny..." Lol Greg
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  #9  
Old 2010-03-01, 3:24pm
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Punty up your short to the same color and pull stringers or make twisties.

Make your own tungsten pokers. I buy the tungsten rods at the welding shop, cut it in half with a dremmel and then glue the tungsten into a cut piece of pre-drilled dowel. To sharpen the tungsten, use Chem Sharp (also from the welding shop) and put on a nice sharp point without having to grind. Chem sharp is terrific to re-point your tungsten.

I will also add that when buying glass and glass supplies, cheap is not always the best. Be patient, keep a list and wait for a sale for the reliable glass.
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Last edited by tammydownunder; 2010-03-01 at 3:26pm.
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  #10  
Old 2010-03-01, 6:50pm
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Ummmm...well, being new I don't have anything technical to add but this one seems to be true in all things: Ask Questions First and then think about the answers before you try anything. Asking questions generally doesn't cost anything and it can save you from an expensive goof up.

I think carpenters refer to this as "measure twice, cut once."

FYI, that's why I hang out here a lot annoying people.

Lori
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  #11  
Old 2010-03-01, 7:00pm
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Use a hemostat or tweezers to heat your shorts at the torch, then drop the heated short into a coffee can 1/2 filled with water for instant frit. Do several shorts of the same color, then drain through a coffee filter.

Mimi
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  #12  
Old 2010-03-01, 7:10pm
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You can make a perfectly acceptable and cheap frit crusher with a pipe with a pipe cap on it and another pipe that fits inside. After you crushed the color or colors that you want, you can sort the sizes by filtering the frit through a couple of successively smaller mesh screens. Empty spice bottles make great frit storage containers, and they're my favorite price...free!
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  #13  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:27pm
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I use baby food jars with their lids to store my frit.
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  #14  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:43pm
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Use an old file or a whetstone to score glass to cut it. Or go to a machinist and ask for a piece of broken carbide.
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  #15  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:44pm
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Tag each rod! This way you just know! Super frugal!
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  #16  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:45pm
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For shorts that are too short to hold with your hand I use plyers or locking tweezers. If they are that short after the end gets melty and can adhear to the mandral I let go and make a spacer.

For the very new newbie - one way to practice with no pressure of messing up 'good' glass is to break up a glass bottle from your recycle bin and use the pieces. If your bead is fugly that's OK cause you were gonna throw the glass out anyway. If the bead comes out nice you can sell it as recycled!
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  #17  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:49pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Janel Dudley View Post
Tag each rod! This way you just know! Super frugal!
We were posting at the same time! But YES!!! I tag every rod with type, color, where and when I bought it. Like CiM Sangre Flamedame 10/09
Colors can vary from batch to batch so if you need a perfect match you can make sure both rods were from the same batch. Also if you really like a certain batch if you run out you know what to look for - like Hey anyone have any of the nice opal yellow from 2003?
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  #18  
Old 2010-03-01, 8:57pm
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What a cool thread-thanks for starting it.
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  #19  
Old 2010-03-01, 10:28pm
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I break my leftover stringers into little pieces and put them into plastic jars to use later as frit. I sort them by colour/opacity and start jars for combinations that I think will look nice later when I try to use it. It hasn't saved me any money yet, but it feels frugal just doing it. lol.

I've tried to get into the habit of using my shorts up right away at the torch by attaching them to a same-coloured rod before they have a chance to get lost in the mess or scooped into my working box. I also save silvered Ivory stringer and goldstone stringer shorts for some future organic beads I know I'll make.
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  #20  
Old 2010-03-02, 5:16am
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I am so frugal that after each session I sweep off my table (that I can get to) and collect all the bits. Later I put them in a fine srainer, was then to get rid of any bead release that might have fallen on the table, dust, etc. and do my "famous" clean up beads. I have one lady who only wants my clean-up beads (likes multi-colors??) and yes, this includes bits of commercial frit too! NOTHING much goes to waste! I have even taken broken beads and fused them into coasters (I have some SS plates with 1/8" edges..)
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  #21  
Old 2010-03-02, 5:47am
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This one goes in the whatever list.Old pizza boxes are an inexpesive source of cheese.
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  #22  
Old 2010-03-02, 7:18am
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Harbor Freight tool store is my new favorite place to go look for glassy stuff - pliers, tweezers, picks, little brushes for cleaning out bead release, diamond files, etc
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  #23  
Old 2010-03-02, 7:26am
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Harbor Freight also has the "Wheeled Nipper's" for $8.99 instead of $24.00 and they work great!!
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Old 2010-03-02, 7:32am
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Go buy the biggest, cheapest bottle of conditioner, I prefer Suave cause I like the way they smell (just not on my hair unless I'm going for the haystack look), and shave your legs with it! It is super cheap, last longer than those shave gel canisters and here's the kicker.... It works BETTER than shave gel, I swear.

All those trimmings from chicken (I trim my chicken breasts CLEAN of all fat and other potentially nasty things, if I bite into a fatty piece I am DONE eating) and make chicken stock with them. Onions and garlic some seasoning... blah blah you know what you like.... Then strain it through a fine strainer, or coffee filter if that is better for you, to get out all of the less than superior chunks of chicken OUT... then you get the good stuff out of it with out wasting. Chuck the nasty bits. Or give em to you doggie or kitty.
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  #25  
Old 2010-03-02, 7:58am
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I watch the sales at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and buy clear glass bud vases for my stringers. Weighted bottoms don't tip. You can't beat $.50.
Joan
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  #26  
Old 2010-03-02, 9:14am
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Love this thread, I use all of my "shorts" fuse them to same color or different color. Some of my best beads are made with these new rods.
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  #27  
Old 2010-03-02, 10:47am
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Default Here's mine

This thread is right up my alley. First, DITTO to fusing shorts together, and to labeling all rods (this has saved me twice with two bad batches of Diamond Clear).

One new, I think: I never (ever!) pull independent stringers off my silvered glasses - I leave them attached to the longer, thick rod. I'm not sure if this makes sense - you know when you pull stringers, you usually wind up with a really tiny "rod" of glass? Well, my stringer stays attached to the fat rod. That way when I'm cleaning up the debris I don't risk dumping any silvered glass stringer into the trash. Also, I've always got silver glass stringers at the ready!
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  #28  
Old 2010-03-02, 3:42pm
pendragonfyre pendragonfyre is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by papimom View Post
I watch the sales at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and buy clear glass bud vases for my stringers. Weighted bottoms don't tip. You can't beat $.50.
Joan
This is partly frugal.. more recycling than anything.

I use the bottles left over from Pellegrino mineral water, they are nice glass bottles and great for holding my silver glass stringers.
I buy these in a 6 pack at the grocers, and keep it in my shop for a quick refresh break, and when I am done, slap a label on them on they are ready for the next set of stringers that I make!

As it is a bit of a luxury... (I know NOT Frugal), I only have it in the studio,
as a treat when I am at the torch, more incentive to make more beads!
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  #29  
Old 2010-03-02, 4:31pm
funkibeads funkibeads is offline
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Default Packaging recycling for the small 21st C biz...

We all have friends/relatives who eBay and get loads of packaging, and also get unsolicited mail in little jiffi bags, bubble wrap etc etc etc. Their stuff usually ends up in the bin. BUT we can use it...

Ask them to put aside what they receive and pass it on to you. Store it up in tidy trunks in a backroom or garage. All your shredded confidential documents - store that too and use it instead of poly beads. So instead of spending loads of money each month on brand new bags etc, recycle, rewrap and get a large ink stamp that states

"RECYCLED PACKAGING BY THE ARTIST/PRODUCER/SENDER"

You will earn loads of kudos from your customers, save the planet, feel good and save on your own mailing costs... It may take a bit of time but it is all about carbokarma. You know it makes sense, lol Greg

Oh and place a little chocolate/sweet or candy with every order you send out - lovely last touch - bit like the chocolate you get on your pillow @ nightly turndown service in the best hotels... It might only cost 2 cents but you have saved $2 + on the packaging. It will add that extra feel good factor...
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  #30  
Old 2010-03-02, 4:50pm
lbowman1 lbowman1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkibeads View Post

Oh and place a little chocolate/sweet or candy with every order you send out - lovely last touch - bit like the chocolate you get on your pillow @ nightly turndown service in the best hotels... It might only cost 2 cents but you have saved $2 + on the packaging. It will add that extra feel good factor...
Hmmmm...how about if you have little odd leftover beads that don't match anything? Those might make a nice thank you gesture too.

Lori
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