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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2012-07-07, 3:48pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 04, 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 173
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Tell me your favorite BEAD RELEASE (suggestions for soft and boro)
Please tell me your favorite bead release and why. I'm looking for suggestions for soft glass and for boro work too.
THANK YOU!
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2012-07-07, 4:01pm
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I'm meeeeelting
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Join Date: May 27, 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,236
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My favorite for most of my soft glass endeavors is dip-n-go sludge. Beads come off easily but it has good hold. For things that will involve a lot of heating and cooling, I like fusion mixed with a little foster fire. I find with a lot of heat and cool cyclesthe bead sometimes comes loose of the dip-n-go (the bead release isn't broken but the bead is moving).
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2012-07-07, 4:08pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 23, 2005
Location: Up and down I-95
Posts: 4,390
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Fusion for both.
1. It's never failed me and it gets humid here. Some don't hold up too well to that.
2. Flame dry or air dry. I've used mandrels that have been dipped for a year (at least) and it's fine.
3. Mandrel clean-up. I just lightly rub the mandrels together in a bucket of water to get whatever release remains after taking the beads off. No more scrubbing, ever.
There are a few downsides that I haven't found to be such a problem that I'd switch.
1. Sometimes it can be hard to remove the bead from the mandrel, especially those that have been formed with gravity away fromthe original footprint. Not always though.
2. Fusion really makes BeadReamers wear out quickly.
Also I occasionally use Foster Fire Smooth n Tuff for some things, cabs, buttons and the like.
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Rebecca
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2012-07-07, 4:42pm
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"Sinners have soul too"
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Join Date: Jun 26, 2005
Location: The beachy part of So Cal
Posts: 4,258
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50/50 mix of Fusion and Alice's or Foster Fire.
Holds tight, releases easy. I use it for my own bead making and for the workshops.
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Donna
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2012-07-07, 10:48pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 04, 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 173
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Thank you very much for the input, very helpful.
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2012-07-08, 1:10am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Nov 08, 2005
Posts: 2,907
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I like the Fusion and Foster Fire 50/50 mix too. But I love Reenie's Mama G's. Hope she can start selling it again at some point.
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2012-07-08, 3:06am
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what's a senior moment ?
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Join Date: Jun 14, 2005
Location: East of Atlanta
Posts: 3,002
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Bucket of Mud - hands down works GREAT for both soft and hard glass.
Holds like cement.
Cleans out of the bead great.
Sometimes hard to remove the bead so have your vise grips handy. No biggie.
Uses tap water to thin if needed.
Takes lots of torture.
I've dipped mandrels in January and they're still perfectly fine to use 6 plus months later.
Flame or air dry with no problem.
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Debbie
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2012-07-08, 3:20am
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Resident hippie
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Join Date: Mar 06, 2008
Location: Co Dublin Ireland
Posts: 2,733
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BoM for me too though I don't use boro.
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Have FUN!!!!! It's not about perfection..... Leslie - [not so] Crazy Woman
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2012-07-08, 4:52am
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sunscreen me baby
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Join Date: Jun 05, 2005
Location: Exeter, NH
Posts: 17,496
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I used to love Bucket of Mud. But then the supply became unpredictable so I switched to fusion after trying it at a friends. Love it more. I use it for both boro and soft.
Rebecca gave you all the info on why I love it and the only drawback I know of.
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2012-07-08, 5:55am
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Hobby Junkie
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Join Date: Dec 08, 2009
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 1,967
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Fusion. I have Alice's but haven't tried it yet.
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Cori C-R
PS - This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated.
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2012-07-08, 7:06am
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SCIENCE Teacher!
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Join Date: Jul 19, 2005
Location: Wylie, TX
Posts: 2,140
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FosterFire! I made it back when there weren't so many choices, about 11-12 years ago. Then my sister who also makes beads wanted some. Then she bragged to our bead group and I started passing it out in pickle jars (Vlassic Kosher Deli Dill actually). You can guess the rest.
I will have samples at the Gathering. In fact, Amy the owner/creator of Zoozii's presses will be having goody bags for the first 250 purchases which will include FosterFire samples.
My advice is to try as many as you can. Some people love my releases, some don't. My recommendation for those who don't is Fusion, available at Frantz. The 3 main types of release are clay based (mine, Bucket of Mud, Howaco's, Kragg Mudd), clay/graphite mixes (Sludge series from Arrow Springs) and Fusion. Ask your friends to bring some to your next bead meeting and try a bunch of them.
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Yes, I am FosterFire Bead Release.
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2012-07-08, 2:38pm
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Lampworkaholic!
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Join Date: Apr 22, 2008
Location: Cornelius, NC - because weather
Posts: 5,158
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ABR bead release is the best bead release I have found. I also like Arrow Springs Sludge, the Blue Sludge is perfect for Boro. I used to mix Blue Sludge and Krag Mudd for soft glass.
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2012-07-08, 2:43pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 01, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,458
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Soft glass here - Fusion or a Foster Fire/Fusion mix are great, and Mama G's is great.
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"...living hopefully ever after..." -john lennon
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2012-07-08, 5:25pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 24, 2009
Posts: 343
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Sludge for me, preferably blue. Classic only, don't like the dip 'n go... Soft glass.
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2012-07-08, 9:24pm
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Formerly "HillyBeads"
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Join Date: Sep 21, 2005
Location: North shore of Lake Tahoe, CA
Posts: 319
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I love Foster Fire Smooth and Tuff. It holds through all the tugging and pulling I can dish out, and then the beads come off the mandrels easy. With the release I was using before I switched, I had to use vice grips and do a lot of work to get the beads off the mandrels. I only use soft glass.
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Laura
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2012-07-08, 10:53pm
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Angel's Mom
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Join Date: May 20, 2007
Location: Kansas City, KS
Posts: 585
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I LOVE Mama GS. It holds when you want it to, and comes off when you want it to. Like freakin magic. And it smooth...comes out of the hole pretty easily.
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Yesterday's Future is Today.
Life is short. Melt glass!
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2012-07-09, 5:21am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 04, 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 173
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Thanks so much everyone -great info!
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2012-07-09, 7:18am
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randomly active member
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Join Date: Jan 19, 2006
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 791
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Fusion. That stuff is like the energizer bunny. It just keeps going.
I took a 2 year break from lampworking after my second child. When I started back up I just grabbed those mandrels I had dipped over 2 years earlier and used them (cause I was too lazy to clean them and re-dip them). Worked perfect.
During that 2 year hiatus my bead release pretty much dried up too. Just added a bunch of water to it and swooshed it around with some vigor and good as new again. Love it.
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2012-07-09, 12:44pm
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Artistically Absorbed
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Join Date: Jul 27, 2007
Location: Emerald City
Posts: 546
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I use a mix of 50/50 Super Blue Sludge and Foster Fire. I use it for both soft and boro. It is incredibly tough (it takes a beating) and very smooth so it can be a thin application and get the job done.
-Echo
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