Ear plugs (jewelery, not for sound protect)

[glassymom]

Hi all
Does anyone make ear plugs?? My daughter has asked me several times and I really am not sure about how to do it. I've seen glass plugs before.......even with cool designs inside them. Iguess they would have to be off mandrel, which I'm not too great at LOL
Any ideas? Her holes are not big, maybe 1/4 inch accross.... Can anyone point me in the right direction??
Thanks
sue

[one-eared pig]

I have no idea, but it sounds very cool!

[TessKay]

you need to ask her what gauge her ears are first- then- its done like murrini really... they usually do a roll then nip it and flame polish... the best glass ones have a slight ridge on both sides that kinda hold it in the ear. Does your daughter have any metal ones that are flared? they would make a great sample starting point for you. then youll need a caliper because youll need to get the gauge right... even a slight discrepancy can be uncomfortable to put in her ears. unless of course she is wanting to stretch them?

[glassymom]

Thanks TessKay! I do know what the metal ones look like......helped her switch sizes a time or two. LOL I'm not sure the guage she has but simple enough to find out. Do you know of a murrini tutorial that I can read up on?
Thanks for the help!!
sue

[Robin Green Eye]

I've made some by using a glass rod the right diameter, melting down the tip a little bit, decorating, then cooling in hot vermiculite, nipping the plug off the rod at whatever length I choose, and then using long tweezers to hold the plug in the flame to round out and flare a bit, then pop in the kiln. Hope thats clearer than it sounds to me!

Robin

[Stinky Jr]

If the hole in the ear is large enough, you could make it like a bead on a mandrel so when inserted into the ear you could wear an earring through the plug. Is it safe to use soft glass for ear plugs?

[flamesofglass]

Totally lost. Ear plugs as in so you can't hear anything?

[dogmaw]

Ear plugs for those people who have really large holes from ear piercings.

[Robin Green Eye]

Originally Posted by Stinky Jr

If the hole in the ear is large enough, you could make it like a bead on a mandrel so when inserted into the ear you could wear an earring through the plug. Is it safe to use soft glass for ear plugs?

I use soft glass for mine, but I would think that soft glass would be unsuitable if the diameter is too big, mine are 6mm in diameter (2g).

Robin

[Listenup]

Originally Posted by glassymom

Do you know of a murrini tutorial that I can read up on?

I have one here: http://www.listen-up.org/kitty/beads/murini/murrine.htm


-Kay

[Emily]

No reason you can't make ones with holes through the middle. I see people wearing ear spools. (I don't know if they actually call them ear spools now. I think the jade ones they find in Mayan tombs are called ear spools, but whether the ones they find on the big tattooed guy who runs the hardware store and owns the Rottweiler are called ear spools, I don't know.)

[glassymom]

Thanks for the help everyone!! Robin, anychance you could share a pic?
Thanks!! I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't tho LOL, of making a flat lolipop type thingy off the end of a clear rod, sticking in two murini that match (for decoration on the ends) and then wraping them in the clear ....does that make sense? I could squish a flat on the end, pop on the murini and then curl the sides of the clear up until it covered around........anyone think that would work? then I could flatten the end in the heat to make the little lip, heat cut the other end and flatten to make lip on that end.........my brain goes on over load when I finally get to bed and I was thinking that last night till about 2am........
sue

[Bunyip]

You could also try making the plug on a larger mandrel? Wind on your glass, then make the lip with stringer?

Also, IIRC, there is a new mandrel release that leaves a smooth surface on the inside of the bead so that you can decorate the inside. Make a base bead with transparent, lay on your decoration and viola! Sort of a reverse inside-out technique.

I'm very interested in your results! Please, post pics of whatever it is you do

[Robin Green Eye]

Originally Posted by glassymom

Thanks for the help everyone!! Robin, anychance you could share a pic?
Thanks!! I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't tho LOL, of making a flat lolipop type thingy off the end of a clear rod, sticking in two murini that match (for decoration on the ends) and then wraping them in the clear ....does that make sense? I could squish a flat on the end, pop on the murini and then curl the sides of the clear up until it covered around........anyone think that would work? then I could flatten the end in the heat to make the little lip, heat cut the other end and flatten to make lip on that end.........my brain goes on over load when I finally get to bed and I was thinking that last night till about 2am........
sue

Here you go, just ignore the stone pair at the front, the Johnny Cash plugs and the steel stuff and the pointy aqua/blue things, the rest I made.

[glassymom]

Robin, thanks for the picks!!! They are really cool and give me a great idea for them!!!
thanks
sue

[biltcat]

Where did yo get the plastic rings that go on the back of the ear plugs?


Bill

[ElizabethCreations]

hey Bro!
great explanations...