questions for press tool users...

[Lisi]

A while back I had bought a lot of press tools ($400 worth!) and sold them all in the Garage when I needed the money. The only ones I have left are the Kalera and a brass masher from CoonValley.

I really need to do some different things, and I'm thinking about purchasing a press or two. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to learning how to use them and I get frustrated easily. That's probably why I didn't have much of a problem letting them go. LOL

The Kalera is hard for me, and I don't get the right shape at all. Something like a squashed rounded Chiclet. The edges are rounded out, not at all a straight line. I remember the Bead Squeeze as kind of easy, just press any shape, and that's it.

Which ones were the easiest to learn for you?

If this has been brought up before in a previous thread, I'm sorry about that..

[Carols Glass]

I personally like the lentil presses (not the straight sided ones, the regular) and if it doesn't have enough glass you just add a dab of hot glass to each pre-heated center of each side of each lentil bead that you are making and re-press again.
I sold all my lentil presses and ended up turning around and buying the 1 inch one again in the garage sale because that was the size I always used the most.
You are right the Kalera is hard. The secret to that is making sure not to add to much glass in the first place. Also, making sure you put glass on that will go from end to end (checking the kalera press till it reaches but just minus a bit for squishing purposes) and then before pressing, make it all nice and even like a long barrel skinny bead.

[playswithfire104]

Whatever you do stay away from the egg press. Not really, but it takes a lot of practice to get it down. I like the straight sided lentil. I think it is pretty easy to learn to use.

[twistedchicken]

I like the kalera press -- and was amazed watching VillaDesigns in Saint Louis use it because she attacked it a totally different way that i do . . . . i think with all of them it is a practice practice practice issue and starting with a little glass and adding on. I don't like the lentil cause my ends aren't as nice as i would like but it took me a while to get the hang of the spree press -- but i love it too (now!).

best of luck finding yourself!

leslie

[Megan]

A lentil is always a good press. I had trouble with sharp ends when I first learned on it but then figured out I needed more glass.

I always find that any of the facetted presses are more forgiving but with how great you are with round beads, I bet a tab press would be easy for you.

[gubnavnania]

I like lentil press (normal & SSL). I'm still having problem with Kalera and puffy pillow.

[Carols Glass]

I guess I was too lazy to smooth out all the sides of the straight-sided lentil press beads or just no good at it. I sold all those and got the lentil beads and then was going to go for the buttons but I am probably as frustrated as you as to what presses to use!

[lavendar420]

Jim Moore tong squishers, sooo much easier to use! I need to sell a couple presses so I can get the lentil version, myself.

[SuzyQ]

Because you are very good at making consistantly sized round beads I would suggest the tab. Once you get the right amount of glass, it is really a one press kind of press.

[AKDesigns]

Lentil, nugget and kalera are my favs and lately I've been using the crystal a lot too. For the kalera it sounds like you don't have enough glass if your ends are rounded. I make a barrel and press, marver the tapered edges back in, heat and press again making sure to have the opposite side up. I continue doing that maybe five or six times until I have the shape nice.

[Cherine Perrin]

The kalera long and lean and the regular lentil trio are my favs.

[artwhim]

My favorite is the spree (straight sided lentil) trio. It's easy and forgiving. Plus it's not hard to melt any press line back into the bead without messing up the crisp edge.

The Kalera can be a bit tricky. To get the sharpest corners, I usually spot heat one corner at a time and repress until it is right and then move on to the next corner. Any press lines on the ends can be encouraged with a butter knife or razor blade to go back flat. Kalera's usually take me longer to make than other presses beads.

[Carolyn M]

I like the Kalera Nugget, the Corina orb and the Special Nugget. I use presses all the time, so I find it fairly easy to learn new ones. I have many many presses but I really only use those three!

[Lisi]

Thanks for the advice, now I have an idea of where to start!

I wish I still had the Kalera Long & Lean, because I think that's the one you can use for squeezed beads.

[jaci]

I like the large lentil or lentil trio, and the pillow trio. I think these are ideal if you want to expand on another shape (pillow into diomond, or flattening the lentil for a perfect circle) and are very easy to use.

[olivia]

I am new at this but i love the press tools i got from "Mike's brass for glass"
and i start with clay to see how much glass i need then i keep the clay so i can compare. ---well that is how this new person does it.
Olivia

[Hayley]

Lisi - do you want just squished beads or do you want them to all be perfectly uniform? (Actually with your skills, all your squished beads will be uniform!) . . . I have the 1" Tile as well as a special order Large (1") Nugget with only 8mm thickness. With those presses, I often just use the middle of the cavity to squish my beads and not fill all the way to the edges. I find that I get consistent thickness and good ends using them than my masher.

Hope this makes sense.

[CO_Phantom]

I like using the crystal press. That was the first press that I started using, and it was very forgiving for when I didn't have quite enough glass, and was getting really good shapes out of it in no time.

I also like the nugged press. That was fairly low learning curve as well.

I just ordered some Cattwalk presses, and played with the tile press a little bit, but found that one a little difficult. Still need to play with those a little more to get it down.

-Amy