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

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  #1  
Old 2017-02-26, 2:01am
Elizagrey Elizagrey is offline
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Unhappy Bead release help

Are there some brands of bead releas that work better than others? I've been using the bead release that came with my kit and I find that sometimes it cracks apart while I'm making a bead and the bead ends up falling off.
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  #2  
Old 2017-02-26, 10:25am
Ladypainter Ladypainter is offline
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I prefer to think of it as each brand of bead release has it's own strengths as opposed to some working better than others. Some are more tenacious... some are designed for smoother holes. I have 3 brands on the shelf but my go-to is a mix of 2 brands.

What I find more important to cracking and release failure is starting with a CLEAN mandrel - I wipe all my mandrels down with alcohol before dipping. And, if I see ANY cracking when I'm heating up the mandrel it gets set aside. Not going to risk it.

Then of course keeping the released area good and hot while working. I've had release failure on bigger beads because I forget and the release cools too much & cracks.....
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  #3  
Old 2017-02-26, 1:32pm
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FosterFire FosterFire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elizagrey View Post
Are there some brands of bead release that work better than others? I've been using the bead release that came with my kit and I find that sometimes it cracks apart while I'm making a bead and the bead ends up falling off.
Usually the stuff that comes in a kit is the worst/cheapest release out there. If you would like a (free) sample of FosterFire, just send me a PM and it will go out in tomorrow's mail.

To send a PM, just click on the username "FosterFire" next to my picture at the top of this post. From the drop down menu choose private message. Please include your full snail mail address. If you are new here you might consider adding yourself to RAOGK, the Random Acts of Glass Kindness.
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Last edited by FosterFire; 2017-02-27 at 12:14pm.
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  #4  
Old 2017-02-26, 1:42pm
kayrein97 kayrein97 is offline
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Fosterfire, you my Dear are an Angel! Very nice of you! And have heard great things about your bead release!
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  #5  
Old 2017-02-27, 9:34am
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Beatrix Beatrix is offline
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I can't speak for brands since I'm not that knowledgeable on them, but have you checked to see if your release is too thick? Add some water and mix it up well, that might help tide you over until you get something to compare it to.
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  #6  
Old 2017-02-27, 1:37pm
Elizagrey Elizagrey is offline
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Thank you, this has all been very helpful. I'm just a beginner but I'm loving the bead making I find it very therapeutic and satisfying. And finding this sight is like the icing on the cake, I like that there are other people out there who love it too.
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  #7  
Old 2017-02-28, 1:26am
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Speedslug Speedslug is offline
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Be sure the water you add is distilled or reverse osmosis filtered.

If the water where you live is full of hard minerals I have heard that it helps but if your water is "softened" the salt used to do that will ruin your bead release forever and you will then need to throw it out.

If your house has a water softener it will ruin it.

Also I have found that since I don't torch very often my bead release tends to dry out on my shelf. I tried turning the jar upside down so the lid stays wet and the wetness provides a better seal and it doesn't dry out nearly as fast.

As Foster Fire will point out bead release is a suspension of material in water and it will need to stirred up every so often.
Lot of folks put some of the wonky "learning beads" in the jar and shake it the with the lid TIGHTLY closed.

I emphasize the tightly because more than a dozen stories are written up here about how the lid came off when being shaken and the bead release is still being found in various corners of the ceiling even decades later.


A bent mandrel in a small hand drill at the slowest setting can help take the work out of stirring the stuff but again being in a hurry will lead to a large mess.
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Last edited by Speedslug; 2017-02-28 at 1:28am.
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  #8  
Old 2017-02-28, 11:04am
Robin Passovoy Robin Passovoy is offline
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My preferred bead release is K.R.A.G Mudd made by Kittrell Riffkind Art Glass (www.kittrellriffkind.com). It's tough enough to take a lot of shaping and it cleans out very nicely. It's a little awkward to get because they don't sell it directly on their website--you actually have to call them up and ask nicely. Worth it, though!
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  #9  
Old 2017-02-28, 11:13am
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Beatrix Beatrix is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedslug View Post
If the water where you live is full of hard minerals I have heard that it helps but if your water is "softened" the salt used to do that will ruin your bead release forever and you will then need to throw it out.
This is the first time that I heard having nasty hard water to be an asset! Finally!
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