Graduated diameter mandrels

saraconklin · #1 2012-11-10, 11:01am

i want to play making some very large hole beads, not rings per say, but beads i can hang from a necklace with fun sides. i did search the other threads and read "Ring tutorial (mandrel made)" but didn't find any discussion of one mandrel that was graduated in size. i don't want to start the "national various diameter mandrel collection" i would just like one that was tapered so i can make various sizes. got any vendors for me? thanks.

Three Muses Glass · #2 2012-11-10, 4:53pm

Like a cone mandrel?

saraconklin · #3 2012-11-10, 5:01pm

yay, now that i have a name for it i can search around, thank you.

echeveria · #4 2012-11-10, 5:40pm

Do you want the hole to be the same size on both ends of the bead? I would consider that a step mandrel, but I have no clue if they exist for flameworking

Three Muses Glass · #5 2012-11-10, 5:55pm

Kathy, that would be great to have a step mandrel for beads! I haven't seen any though.
Sara, a cone mandrel won't be able to make a regular bead...one side of the hole will be larger than the other side. I asked to clarify but I'm thinking maybe that's not what you want. National various diameter mandrel collection..that's funny. I'm guilty of it. lol

saraconklin · #6 2012-11-11, 12:25pm

i worked at the National Maritime Museum in SF so i call everything the "national _____ collection." i also worked on Alcatraz giving tours in the 70s and so am one of only a few that say "at the Big House" and be legit. i digress.

i found something on ebay through "rockymountainglasscrafts" that is a solid 7/16" (had no earthly idea how big that was but making it into 11mm and then looking that up helped) yes, it is big, yes it is the same size all the way down...... i get that having a bead with 2 different sized holes would be difficult. This baby is $12 and so i will get 1 to play with.

i found a "Devardi Glass Vessel Mandrel at 5/8" which is apparently 16mm and seems really big but severely pointed so the only useful surface would be the big honkin 16 mm ring at the mouth of the vessel end. hummmm pretty big.

i should just be thankful that i can spend $12 on something and quit wine-ing. thanks to everyone for their thoughts. would love a wide mandrel that is slowly tapered and could make maybe 3 different diameters. am i dreaming?

Three Muses Glass · #7 2012-11-11, 1:17pm

I see these http://www.ebay.com/itm/WIRE-WRAPPIN...-/190567245539 in various sizes from this large one to smaller ones. Prices are all over the place too. I think the cheapest was from Widget. That PVC handle is a problem but if you're handy something that could survive the kiln could replace it. But since it's unknown stainless steel who knows how long it might last...

saraconklin · #8 2012-11-11, 1:55pm

that tool is exactly what i would like and yes, with a steel handle. love the graduated diameters, great width, so perfect in so many ways. wonder if you could cut the sucker off and weld it to a steel mandrel..............no wonder tools cost so much, lots to consider. thanks for thinking outside the kiln for me

tammydownunder · #9 2012-11-11, 3:19pm

I have found the cheapest place to get large stainless steel mandrels is from the industrial stainless steel supplier. My local place sells them by the centimeter and will cut them to size. I bought a 4 cm (about 2") diameter rod and cut into 12" lengths for about $7. All I had to do was debur them when I got home. With a hollow tube in that size, you really have to make sure that you apply insurance heat frequently.

Grainger is always my first port of call for things like this.

saraconklin · #10 2012-11-11, 3:32pm

found stainless steel tubing as a category. going to Reno next week, hope they have a Graingers, bet they do, thanks.

Pat · #11 2012-11-11, 4:13pm

Show that picture to Noodlesaurus. Her dh maybe can make some thing like it.

JKC · #12 2012-11-13, 3:15pm

This place does some that sound like what what I think your looking for.....http://www.perlenpresse.de/epages/63...ries/Ringdorne

saraconklin · #13 2012-11-13, 4:33pm

wanted to say thank you now, this is exactly what would work and now to see how much the shipping will be from Germany.

saraconklin · #14 2012-11-17, 11:08am

I am doing what you all do, have a bunch of mandrels in various sizes. Following Tammy's advice, i got some "welded - half the price of unseamed" stainless tubing and now have about 6 each in 6mm and 10mm baby! Shout out to DH for making 6' of tubing useful. dipping was weird, had to shake off excess that went up into the tubes. now i fear the hollow tubes will act like exhaust pipes on a jet engine with flames shooting out the undipped end. ok this came to me at 2AM when i couldn't sleep, maybe i was asleep and this was a nightmare. i fear my "bigger is always better" motto may not be good here. Thought i should try out big honkin mandrels on the cheap and see if i really like using them.

tammydownunder · #15 2012-11-18, 3:13am

Sara, with the big mandrels, remember to heat them up really slowly starting in the way back of the flame. If you put them into the hot flame too fast, you are going to crack your bead release. Also, be careful if you blow out the excess that you don't blow crud back into your bead release container.

Three Muses Glass · #16 2012-11-18, 8:51am

Sara, when you dip the hollow mandrels in bead release, hold your finger over one end. That way the release doesn't get up in there. If some does just blow it out.

saraconklin · #17 2012-11-18, 11:32am

wow and wow. never thought of all your tricks and i am so thankful that i happened to mention using the big honkers. thank you

boy, unless you want to do the anal retentive and ever so hard to do mandala decor -- decorating that side wall of the big hole beads bloody hard. i know if make a disc and i pinch it too flat to get more decoration surface that it is too thin and will break easily. are there any tuts, free and $$, that talk directly about decorating big honkin hole beads?

tammydownunder · #18 2012-11-18, 2:09pm

I have found it very useful to use my pandora beadroller good to get a good, even footprint and then I can go from there.

Ravenesque · #19 2012-11-19, 2:08am

I find that if you pinch them too much then the glass around the hole is too sharp, I try not to pinch at all and rarely find the need to. It'll all come with practice!

Opposite of Tammy, I put mine right in the flame, if the release is going to crack I want to know sooner rather than later. I've had release break and I finish them up fast as they're spinning, not fun

The flames won't go out the other end, no worries there. I use these every torch session, only issue I've ever had is a spider in one once, now I blow them before I hit the flame haha.

saraconklin · #20 2012-11-19, 10:17am

I use my dremmel to smooth out any sharp spots and yes, it does leave a mark so no sharp spots is better. half the discs i made yesterday separated from the bead release but didn't really break the release just slipped off when i got crazy trying to get frit on the side walls.........also sounds like the 1st wrap of glass or the release was not hot enough. i was just trying to make organic colorful discs so i didn't throw myself off a bridge. have to get this down before i try and do any tricky stuff. somebody needs to come up with a frit disc tray since i can't figure out how to put frit on each side of the disc easily. i tried putting some on a marver that i had up high on some wide and flat frit containers until i noticed mandrel melt marks on the sides of the plastic lids. i put the bead about 3/4" down the mandrel, don't have to do that anymore since i am making discs and not barrels. hummm. i think i dislodged my disc in trying to get the frit on the sides, will have to perfect that too. any suggestions about adding frit to just the flat sides of discs AND i ok, i will confess, i was using boro. moth to the flame alert. love boro but am underpowered to use it easily. a lynx and 1 oxycon (15) just doesn't do it easily so pushing the disc into the boro frit to get it to stick is yet another mistake.

tammydownunder · #21 2012-11-19, 2:13pm

I highly recommend the Dec.2012 issue of Soda Lime for a great little tutorial by JC Herrel on what to do if your bead release breaks.

saraconklin · #22 2012-11-19, 3:00pm

i did see that and will try using it when i can melt glass in a WEEK, ugh

saraconklin · #23 2012-11-19, 3:07pm

thanks for all the help. i made a snake like wrap around the 10mm mandrel and broke it taking it off, needs to be much beefier i guess. away from my torch for a week, will i go mad? possibly. happy thanksgiving to all.