Chain links, circles, etc. (Candice/patienthand)

Bretta · #1 2012-11-25, 8:08pm

Hi friends!

I'm barely dabbling in boro right now....like I've made two boro hearts (thanks, Brent, for the instructions in another thread here....just ordered BOTH of your DVDs). Did a show Saturday which was pretty dismal in terms of sales and the frigid weather (outdoors and not above 37 degrees all day!), and one of the few things to sell was one of the hearts I made. Tickled me pink!

ANYWAY....all that to say, I'm a noob and need some help, please! I'm very interested in learning to make chains and even just circles my son-in-law can incorporate into his chain maille works. I did find this earlier in an old thread about making boro bracelets:

Quote:

Originally Posted by patienthand

chains are not difficult. I covered a metal rod with the non bestos, and notched one area. Made a long fluffy flame on my carlisle torch. Put one end of a 4 ft 3mm boro rod in the notch and placed the metal rod under the flame and the boro in it at a long angle and began to wind the glass onto the rod in a fairly tight spiral. After it cools I nipped the rings, just like you would jump rings. Then I used a tiny torch flame and a couple pairs of tweezers. Heat the center of the link and close it and seal, put the next link in and repeat.....

I have also made rain chains and big links, and decorated the links. you can make all sorts of shapes etc, but for circles I used a can for the form and covered it with the non bestos. you can make a huge gather and pull and wrap that if you want, since not many folks have ribbon burners.

Candice

I was so surprised that you make them just like the jump rings! So cool! Thanks for sharing! Is the non-bestos a sheet or a spray or what? How do you attach it if it is a sheet?

Any other tips anyone can offer would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Bretta

MagpieGlass · #2 2012-11-26, 4:23am

Pipyr has a tut for it.

http://www.pipyr.com/chains.html

patienthand · #3 2012-11-30, 4:02pm

the non bestos is a a material that neon sign shops use to make their sign patterns on. find a local neon shop and ask for old dead used up patterns or to buy a foot or two off the roll. for me I cut a trip maybe 1/2 inch wide and spiral wrapped it up the rod I used for a mandrel and then taped it at the end.

Pipyr makes her links different than I do I think.

patienthand · #4 2012-11-30, 4:03pm

oh.. if you ever want to ask me a question.. I am happy to answer, but please send me a PM that there is a thread, so I dont miss it.. I dont always watch all of the forum.

deb tarry · #5 2012-11-30, 5:21pm

Cool thanks for posting.

BPierce · #6 2012-12-01, 4:32pm

Hey Bretta, here is how we make hollow coils in the scientific glass world. My friend Tim Drier makes them out of different colored rods of various diameters for adding to his goblets and vessels. We wind them on hollow mandrels very similar to the hollow mandrels for blowing soft glass bubbles. Then take a diamond file or tungsten scoring knife and run it across the top....snap them like jump rings...bend back to round and seal them up....hope this helps.

Brett

patienthand · #7 2012-12-02, 10:22am

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPierce

Hey Bretta, here is how we make hollow coils in the scientific glass world. My friend Tim Drier makes them out of different colored rods of various diameters for adding to his goblets and vessels. We wind them on hollow mandrels very similar to the hollow mandrels for blowing soft glass bubbles. Then take a diamond file or tungsten scoring knife and run it across the top....snap them like jump rings...bend back to round and seal them up....hope this helps.

Brett

sweet , those are really nice and even, that takes some practice with tubing

Bretta · #8 2012-12-02, 10:36am

Great advice, everyone! Thanks so much for all the help! Looking forward to playing at the torch and making Christmas presents for my son-in-law.

You all rock!

Bretta · #9 2012-12-02, 10:37am

Quote:

Originally Posted by patienthand

oh.. if you ever want to ask me a question.. I am happy to answer, but please send me a PM that there is a thread, so I dont miss it.. I dont always watch all of the forum.

I will remember that! I could have just sent you a PM in the first place with the question, but it seemed like something others could benefit from as well.

Thanks so much!

patienthand · #10 2012-12-03, 6:05pm

oh.. I am happy to share in public, no problem.. but send me a PM so I know there is a thread asking me something specific. I dont read all the forum on a regular basis.. I cant respond and share if I dont know I am being asked

Bretta · #11 2012-12-03, 6:12pm

Thanks! One more question....I can't picture the notched area and how the rod goes into it. Can you explain, please?

Dasi · #12 2012-12-03, 6:28pm

Here is Tim Drier at work!!! He is totally awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mP4ZrK3EyY

At 31 minutes you can see him doing the coils!!!!

VivianLampwork · #13 2012-12-03, 6:59pm

I work with soft glass & am wondering why the glass doesn't stick to the mandrel? I don't guess you could do that with soft glass?

BPierce · #14 2012-12-03, 7:09pm

Bretta, it looks like Tim is using a tapered graphite mandrel with a metal handle. From watching it and knowing Tim I'm sure there is a hole drilled through the graphite a little bit larger in diameter as the glass rod he is going to coil. I will add a picture of what we use to make the hollow coils at work tomorrow. Basically ours are a hollow metal tube with a wooden dowel in the left side for a handle and instead of a hole to put the glass rod we have a screw with a nut on the other side. We then make a loop on the end of the glass to start the coil. I have done demo's in Tim's classes but never asked him or saw his graphite mandrel...

Brett,

VivianLampwork · #15 2012-12-03, 7:20pm

Oh, it's graphite.....duhhh. That video was amazing.

BPierce · #16 2012-12-04, 9:15am

Here are the pics I promised. This is how I make coils for condensers on a stainless mandrel.

Vivian, I have never tried one out of soft glass...but I will now! I'll let you know how it goes and take pics. When I make the coils I have the flame underneath the mandrel so as not to get it that hot and prevent sticking to it. For boro I use a bushy mostly gas flame for soft I would imagine you still need an oxygenated flame to prevent reduction of the glass "scumming", so you would need to work towards the end of the flame where it is cooler. Hope this helps.....Brett

BPierce · #17 2012-12-11, 6:33am

Vivian, I had a chance this morning to try it with soft glass. I had a piece of ivory laying around and pulled a stringer about 20in long by about 2-3mm in diameter. I used the same stainless hollow mandrel that I use to make hollow coils and no bead release. The secret is to have the mandrel above the flame and lowering it and the glass to the flame just enough to warm it and make it pliable, not melting it or making it fluid. It is almost as though you were working it cold. I used a bushy flame...mostly gas and a set of rollers to support the mandrel. Soft glass or boro rod will work the same...heat control...if to hot turn faster....to cold feels stiff...slow down... Hope this and the pics helps....If anyone has questions, feel free to ask away!

Brett,

fourpawsglass · #18 2012-12-11, 7:00am

At this year's AGI (Art Glass Invitational) Tim used a straight graphite rod and wired on a small piece of clear glass rod on which he attached his colored rod to start the spiral. He heated the graphite rod first because it will expand. After the graphite rod cooled off, he was able to slide the glass spiral off.

BPierce · #19 2012-12-11, 7:03am

Here is a pic of the the coil cut into links. I used a diamond pencil to score them, and break them. A carbide scoring knife would work also....

Brett,

Eileen · #20 2012-12-11, 7:04am

I'm loving learning this, even though I don't expect to ever need it myself, so thank you!

deb tarry · #21 2012-12-11, 9:28am

Great shots thanks for taking the time to do them Brett.

patienthand · #22 2012-12-11, 5:46pm

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I like his graphite gizmo... for me I had a tube and notched the end of the tube, bent a u shaped hook on the end of my glass rod, inserted it into the tube and the notch caught the rod so it dont spin, and began winding.

what he is showing is pretty much how my links looked, and I used a teenie tiny flame to put the links together and tweezers to hold the links etc. tedious as hell if you make a small chain, but the more tedious, the more I like it.

AmorphousDesigns · #23 2012-12-11, 6:17pm

Brett, I wish there was a way to rep you on this forum. Your pictures and explanations are excellent, thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPierce

Here is a pic of the the coil cut into links. I used a diamond pencil to score them, and break them. A carbide scoring knife would work also....

Brett,

PennyLane · #24 2012-12-12, 7:27am

^^^^Ditto

Bretta · #25 2012-12-12, 8:07am

Thank you for the pictures and detailed explanations, Brett and Candice! Looking forward to trying your techniques!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Afterdark · #26 2012-12-13, 2:17pm

coolest info ever.......Nice work!

bepnewt · #27 2012-12-13, 3:27pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmorphousDesigns

Brett, I wish there was a way to rep you on this forum. Your pictures and explanations are excellent, thank you!

A-Men. I really appreciate the time and effort you and others put into helping us out with detailed information, Brett.

-BEP