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

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  #1  
Old 2009-09-14, 11:45pm
Tutti-frutti Tutti-frutti is offline
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Default Big Bubbles how to?

When it comes to bubbles i am a total looser, that said I have so many pokey things that others use to make them with I could open my own store.
my ? is do you stuff the hole with glass or try to leave the clear on top.
or heat or no heat.brfore appl. clear.
I took several classes with good teachers but that was a few years ago.
Now I have a new tut and bubbles are it it. my bubbs. are soo small they make micro bubbs.
Help and thanks
Katja
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  #2  
Old 2009-09-14, 11:59pm
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Bright-eyed Beads Bright-eyed Beads is offline
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The idea is to poke your bubble then "cap" the hole with glass, so the bigger the hole or poke the bigger the bubble. The glass sits on top of the poke then you heat and the bubble rises from where you poked. Hope that this helps,

Cheers

Jenny
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  #3  
Old 2009-09-15, 5:09am
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Elizabeth Beads Elizabeth Beads is offline
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If you super heat the capped poke, the bubble gets bigger; the principle is that the trapped air inside expands and pushes the glass outward. You can make some truly large bubbles that way, if you like that look.
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  #4  
Old 2009-09-15, 5:49am
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You are not alone. When I try to do the plunged floral bubble thing it never works for me either. The glass I 'cap' the bubble with always ends up filling in the hole. I must be doing something wrong.
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  #5  
Old 2009-09-15, 7:14am
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Getting it too soupy!!! Try to keep the bead coolish like you do when encasing but just dot hot glass over the poked dot,


Cheers

Jenny
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  #6  
Old 2009-09-15, 1:19pm
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If you're making more than one bubble in the bead, poke them all at the same time. Well, heat one spot and poke, turn the bead, heat and poke on the opposite side and so on until you have all your pokes. Keep your bead warm--it's very disconcerting when your clear goes sailing off and lands on the table. Get your clear nice and melted and then put a nice big dot on the poked area. I try to cover the whole bottom color with the clear. When you melt everything flat you should have nice bubbles. Don't be afraid to give it a good deep poke--your bead will flatten in the area where you poked it, but the clear will help it to round out again nicely.

Celeste
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  #7  
Old 2009-09-15, 1:56pm
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And if you make the poke with something flat - like the end of a mandrel - instead of something pointy, you'll get bigger nicer bubbles.

*s*
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  #8  
Old 2009-09-15, 2:51pm
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The glass you cap it with: I found that if I make a tiny flat "maria' on the end of the clear rod, then just lay it on TOP of the divot and melt it off, it helps for bigger bubbles. otherwise the melty glass kinda smooshes into the hole and fills it up more.
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  #9  
Old 2009-09-16, 1:15am
Tutti-frutti Tutti-frutti is offline
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You guys rock. thanks for the tip's. I will definetly try capping it instead of letting the clear drop into the hole.
Thanks Katja
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  #10  
Old 2009-09-16, 9:28am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by playswithfire104 View Post
You are not alone. When I try to do the plunged floral bubble thing it never works for me either. The glass I 'cap' the bubble with always ends up filling in the hole. I must be doing something wrong.
The spot you poked needs to be stiff-cool when you cap it. If it's very warm, the capping glass will just fill in the hole.
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  #11  
Old 2009-09-16, 9:38am
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I thank you all too!
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  #12  
Old 2009-09-16, 10:27am
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I love making little "Poke Flower" beads and these two suggestions are great. Hadn't thought about either one of these techniques to get bigger bubbles. Thanks so much.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonP View Post
And if you make the poke with something flat - like the end of a mandrel - instead of something pointy, you'll get bigger nicer bubbles.

*s*
Quote:
Originally Posted by ellyloo View Post
The glass you cap it with: I found that if I make a tiny flat "maria' on the end of the clear rod, then just lay it on TOP of the divot and melt it off, it helps for bigger bubbles. otherwise the melty glass kinda smooshes into the hole and fills it up more.
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  #13  
Old 2009-09-16, 10:47am
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As Sharon said, a plunging tool with a flat end will open a larger hole, and help you to trap more air. Also a conical shape will displace more glass. I'm a big fan of using a nail set tool to plunge with; this is my favorite. (Anyone who's been a student of mine has one of these!)

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...=3,41306,41331
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