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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2014-03-29, 2:59pm
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Default Bead release viscosity (thickness)

Now that spring is here or coming soon, I would like to share some good bead release info. This applies to all bead release, not just FosterFire.

Temperature affects viscosity. The colder your bead release is, the thicker it will be. If it is warmer it will seem to flow much more easily. Does this have any effect on beadmaking? Sort of. You need nice even coverage for best performance from your bead release. I do my best to ship your release at ideal consistency but ideal in Florida is different from ideal in Minnesota.

If you have yo-yo weather like in Texas (hot one day, really cold the next) it can be a puzzle as to what to do about your bead release. I dip a whole lotta mandrels at once and leave them ready to go. It's doesn't hurt them to sit there. I have tested mandrels I dipped 3 years earlier and used them and had no problems.

You can also leave your bead release in the house someplace and just then it will always be at the same temperature, so approx. the same thickness unless you need to add (bottled) water.

Please feel free to post any questions.
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  #2  
Old 2014-03-29, 7:11pm
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great info thanks!
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  #3  
Old 2014-03-29, 8:03pm
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Yeah, i dip like 100 at a time and dont use them for months

I LOVE your bead release
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Old 2014-03-29, 9:53pm
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Just a heads up! You can use FosterFire like this, days later. But you cannot, CANNOT, mix left over KRAG Mud into your Fosterfire.

KRAG must be used within 24 hrs or it'll crack faster than a hot Arizona desert after a rain storm.

Ask me how I know.
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  #5  
Old 2014-03-31, 10:05am
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Originally Posted by SGA View Post
Just a heads up! You can use FosterFire like this, days later. But you cannot, CANNOT, mix left over KRAG Mud into your Fosterfire.
Good to know. FosterFire does mix well with Fusion and some others, so I have been told.
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  #6  
Old 2014-03-31, 2:04pm
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It does great if you dip, air dry 10-15 minutes and use. But they can't sit.
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Old 2014-03-31, 4:28pm
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I have a question about double dipping.
Do you dip normal thickness stuff?
Do you dip again while still wet, or let it dry in between?
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  #8  
Old 2014-04-01, 6:13pm
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I never double dip and I don't recommend it for FosterFire or bead releases that are similar to mine. It just makes for spinners. You can double dip Fusion, or so I've been told. If i need a bigger hole then I use a bigger mandrel. If I need a stronger hold then I use my Smooth & Tuff or Heavy Duty.
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  #9  
Old 2014-04-25, 11:02am
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what to do if I have overwatered it and now it's too runny and I need to coat some mandrels right now?
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Old 2014-04-25, 11:10am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmorphousDesigns View Post
what to do if I have overwatered it and now it's too runny and I need to coat some mandrels right now?
I think I would probably try the microwave to heat and drive off some of the water...
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  #11  
Old 2014-04-25, 11:20am
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will try now, thanks
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Old 2014-04-25, 11:30am
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I did the microwave, but didn't like that I couldn't see how it was progressing, so I just got done gently cooking it in a pan on the stove, which seems to have done the trick. It's cooling off now.
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Last edited by AmorphousDesigns; 2014-04-25 at 11:33am.
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  #13  
Old 2014-04-25, 5:58pm
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I use a spring loaded spot light to dry my bead release.
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  #14  
Old 2014-04-26, 7:45am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmorphousDesigns View Post
I did the microwave, but didn't like that I couldn't see how it was progressing, so I just got done gently cooking it in a pan on the stove, which seems to have done the trick. It's cooling off now.
Wow. I'm glad that worked for you but I would not recommend it. I know for sure that if you leave bead release in the car in the summer it gets ruined completely and it never recovers. In case anyone is interested, the way to tell if your bead release is ruined, is that it becomes uniformly thin as milk and stays that way.

That said, I am guessing your success was from heating it gently. When I lived in AZ you could easily burn your hand on a car door handle in the worst part of summer, so it's hard to say the exact temp where the transformation occurs, or even the length of time.
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Last edited by FosterFire; 2014-04-26 at 8:09am.
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  #15  
Old 2014-04-26, 10:45am
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hmm, good to know! The cooking worked this time, but I'm going to get a bit of kiln wash or dry powder release to have on hand the next time I overwater the release. Do you sell it as dry powder?
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  #16  
Old 2014-04-26, 6:55pm
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Originally Posted by AmorphousDesigns View Post
hmm, good to know! The cooking worked this time, but I'm going to get a bit of kiln wash or dry powder release to have on hand the next time I overwater the release. Do you sell it as dry powder?
Yes, but I usually just sell the dry to overseas people. I can send you some if you like.
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  #17  
Old 2014-04-26, 7:11pm
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Robin--I am a recent convert to FF and definitely noticed how much better it works when it is the right consistency!
I'm curious--I just finished torching (yahooie!) and noticed some of the mandrels/beads became spinners pretty fast. Would lightly roughing up the mandrels help the release "stick"? Thanks!!
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  #18  
Old 2014-04-27, 10:30am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sadie Mae View Post
Robin--I am a recent convert to FF and definitely noticed how much better it works when it is the right consistency!
I'm curious--I just finished torching (yahooie!) and noticed some of the mandrels/beads became spinners pretty fast. Would lightly roughing up the mandrels help the release "stick"? Thanks!!
I have heard people say that, but I have never done it. I just make sure that the mandrels have no oil on them and are nice and clean. The consistency is like tomato sauce from a can or slightly thinner.

One more thing: bead release is a suspension so it needs to be shaken or stirred each time you go to dip your mandrels, so you get an even mix of all ingredients. I don't mean between each mandrel, just between sessions of dipping mandrels.
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Last edited by FosterFire; 2014-04-27 at 12:10pm.
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  #19  
Old 2014-04-27, 8:27pm
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I simply throw all new mandrels into the kiln with the beads to prefire them. Sometimes, there is an oily coating that needs to be burned off, and that does it for me. Then dip as usual.
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