bead slumping epiphany!

[luminous]

Well I've been experimenting with slumping some beads to make cabs for my silver rings, using tabular and lentil beads which just won't break in half on the right axis to make cabs
My first attempt was a disaster...

Fail!
I had ugly bead release residue but the main problem was the bead holes gravitate upwards and made scars.
I couldn't find any info on how to do it better, then I had a middle of the night idea which has worked for me.
I don't know if anyone else has done this before but thought I would share it here (more details in my blog link for those interested) - I filled the bead holes with stringer to keep the beads from collapsing when they melt, sounds simple but I was excited to figure it out for myself lol.

Success!

[one hot beader]

What a wonderful Idea!

If you have beads that you are cracked but not broken, you can encourage breakage with a small screw carefully screwed into the hole. I recommend holding the bead on a cloth while doing this.

they usually break fairly evenly

[dpglassworks]

Very smart!!

[PiP]

All of my broken beads become cabs. Until I got my kiln I was using a fiber blanket so I had my share thermal shocked beads. I still throw some of them away but overall they are really cool and still sell.

[luminous]

I hardly ever get thermal cracks, even though I would like some! Maybe I should try taking some out of the kiln early?
Most beads I've tried to split have just broken off a corner.
This one I was hammering onto tube for a ring and the corner chipped,

so I threw it back in a container of beads and the next day it was in half,

now one half is usable anyway

[FiredDesires]

That is one pretty bead, should make a stunner of a ring. That idea of a stringer fill in the hole is super! It would work with a whole bead or a split..thanks!