S.O.S. Gettine the bead release out of HOLE!!!:-(((

[torchluvn]

Hey all ~ Newbie here..I've tried many solutions on getting that darn release out! Dremel, Baking Soda & vinegar, Soaking them over night!!
I use Fusion~which I luv~ but maybe it's not the right release for me??!!

Should i do this immediately~when beads are done after annealing and not a week or 2 later????!!!!

Thank you ~ Kim ))

[Eileen]

Kim, what are you using in your dremel? If you're using the right diamond coated reamer, keeping it wet while doing it at low speed, it is coming out. Try a transparent bead, and then you can see it come clean. After it dries though, the glass will look frosted, remember it is not flame polished to a smooth shine inside there.

[Three Muses Glass]

Hi Kim and welcome! I'm not sure what the problem is but this is the way I do it- take the beads off the mandrels that have been soaking in water, put them in a cup of water. Then I take my dremel with diamond reamer and clean the release out, first one side and then the other side under water. I give them a rinse and they're pretty much done.
If you're seeing something cloudy and opaque it may be just the ground glass and not bead release at all. I use Fusion too and it's gray. Pretty easy to spot if there is some left in the hole.

ETA- A week or 2 later doesn't make a difference.

[Eileen]

I take my beads off the mandrel & put them in water with a drop of dish soap to soak, and they might be cleaned right away, or sit there until I have more, but I don't think it makes any difference in getting the release out.

[torchluvn]

Thanks y'all!!! Did it!! The water def helped with the diamond bit~Alll clean!

Second part to this~do you think i should soak beads immediately after they come out of the kiln? Or it doesn't matter..

[losthelm]

It should not matter as long as your beads are cool to the touch.

[jaci]

I posted in the other bead release thread you posted in, so check that one out.

I just slide them along the wetmandrel when I'm removing them. If gets most out. I dremel them If necessary, but you almost dont need it with fusion.

And... Welcome!! Where are you from? Maybe we can find someone close enough to help

[iris_ward@hotmail.com]

I use a 3M green scrub pad and knock off the release that is on the mandrel but not under the bead, I then rinse them off and let the beads soak on the mandrels for about 10-30 minutes in tepid tap water. This way the water is able to access the release between the mandrel & bead. If a bead falls off the mandrel, then I thread it onto the mandrel of a similar bead & put it in with the rest to soak. Then, I put on a thick rubber glove on my left hand and pull out 1-4 mandrels that have beads that are about the same size & shape, & with the glove palm up, I hold the mandrels in my right hand & roll the beads back & forth across the softer parts of my palm. The beads generally break free and start to roll on the mandrel and most of the bead release comes out, rinse & roll some more, and once the rinse water is clear, dump the beads in a dish with salt saturated white vinegar. Give them about 3-5 minutes to soak, then I use a round file in a pin-vice to roll the beads on the palm of my gloved hand. Rinse & roll as needed. Often, the pin-vice file will have 4-7 beads on it at a time when I'm rolling it.
As a side note, I take a lot of time dipping my clean mandrels in release & inspecting each one to ensure that the bead release is uniformly on & smooth. If I have bumps or divots in the bead release on the mandrel, then I know that cleaning those out of the finished bead is going to be a chore. When this occurs, I've found that it's more efficient to clean & redip the mandrel than fiddle with pits & bumps inside the bead hole.

[taino]

Perhaps you shouldn't be so anal about getting the bead release out. Removing the bead release is typically very easy and mostly just a monotonous thing to do. Try concentrating more on making beads that are actually attractive. When you can do that, removing the bead release will be the least of your problems.

[losthelm]

You can also try shoe laces for 1/8" and larger beads.
with flat laces you can simply run the aglet though the hole and floss with the lace a few times to remove bead release.
If its a tricky bit twist the lace a few times.
the laces wear out if your bead ends are poky, if its just the aglet that wears out try melting the ends together and pulling a point.
It only works for poly and nylon.
bulk laces are cheap though eBay and other shops.

[Eileen]

In another thread she determined that it was she didn't know to use water I think.

[Chocake]

I use a .227(?) caliber brass bore brush for cleaning my big hole beads. Works great!! Sometimes it's nice to know a gun guy.... I'd never have thought of it.

[torchluvn]

Thank you all~I'm good now! I just ran the beads under water & purchased a dremel!!

Thanks again!!