How to Make Glass Beads from Scratch

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

This article illustrates how even a beginner can make glass beads from scratch, using a technique called "lampwork".

Steps

Step 1. Prepare the work area

Good work always starts with a good work area.

• Clean the area where you will need to work.

  

• Move the objects you don't want to damage.

  

• Clip the torch and gas cylinder to the table (following the manufacturer's instructions).

Step 2. Arrange the rest of the equipment, so that you have it at hand

Make sure you can grab everything without going under the torch (as it will retain heat even when turned off).

Step 3. Before you start making your own beads, prepare the mandrels

Rub them one by one with a bit of steel wool. This will clean the metal and help the beads adhere to the surface.

Step 4. If you need to apply powder preparatory substance, mix it according to the manufacturer's instructions

Dip each mandrel into the mix and let it dry. Some mixes can be dried directly under the flame; if your product does not clearly state it, however, let it air dry, as otherwise it could break.

Step 5. Once dry, check each spindle to make sure the coverage is even and intact

Set aside any spindles where the dust has cracked, as if the glass comes into contact it will stick and be impossible to remove.

Step 6. Get the gas to the torch

Light it with a match.

Step 7. Adjust the flame, until you find yourself with a sharp-edged blue cone

An uneven flame means that too much gas is reaching the torch.

Step 8. Select the glass color you want to start with

Hold it in your dominant hand, holding it horizontally, and let it swing slowly under the flame, keeping it right at the tip of the blue cone. If you were to heat the glass too quickly, in fact, it could suffer a shock and shatter.

Step 9. When the tip starts to shine, leave the glass under the flame a little longer, then start rotating the rod

You will see a ball forming at the tip.

Step 10. When you are ready to start forming your bead, take the mandrel with your other hand

Try to hold the glass under the flame and keep rotating it so it doesn't drip or cool. Then heat the spindle in the flame, just behind the glass. Keep it horizontally.

Step 11. Carefully change the position of the glass rod

You will have to hold it as if it were a pencil.

Step 12. Gently press the melted glass ball onto the mandrel, passing through the flame

At the same time, start rotating the spindle slowly away from you.

Step 13. Stay inside the flame

The rest of the glass rod will soften slowly as the tip rolls up on the spindle.

Step 14. When you have added enough glass, move the glass rod away (remember to keep rotating the spindle inside the flame)

You will get a thin strip of glass: let the flame melt it.

• Place the glass rod on the special support, moving it away from the work area.

  

• At this point it is advisable to grasp the mandrel with the dominant hand. To do this, bring the chuck in front of the torch. Never go through the flame.

  

Step 15. To round the bead, continue to rotate the spindle inside the flame until you get a smoother shape

Add decorations and other colors

Step 16. When done, slowly remove the bead from the flame (remember to keep twisting it) as soon as the glow is gone

Place the bead and mandrel between two layers of fiber blanket, or in a bowl of vermiculite, to cool. Make sure you let the bead rest - if it cools down too quickly, it will eventually break.

To check if the bead is cool enough to be placed between the blankets or in the vermiculite without taking damage, hold it under the countertop (don't forget to keep turning it) and check if it still shines. As soon as the glow is gone, place it in the fiber blanket or vermiculite

Step 17. Once cooled, dip bead and mandrel in water to remove dust

If you have trouble detaching the bead, grab the mandrel with a pair of tweezers and try to twist the bead to detach it.

Step 18. Leave the bead immersed in the water

Then brush the inside with a bead reamer or a pipe brush. The bead will be ready for use

At this point it is also possible to perform any surface treatments, such as engraving

Advice

• If the match goes out while you try to light the torch, turn the gas down. If the flashlight goes on and goes out soon after, turn it up.
• Try to make beads smaller than 1.3cm, unless you have a special oven for annealing. Annealing is a process that serves to strengthen the bead and is performed by cooking and cooling them in a special oven. Without this process, glass beads are likely to crack and break easily.
• Make the sides of the beads the same thickness as the mandrel; if they were smaller they could break.
• If you use propane gas, keep the bead high in the flame to avoid clouding the color. Hydrogen is cleaner than propane and avoids this problem.
• Glass is sold in different thermal expansion coefficients, which is the rate at which the glass expands when heated. By mixing different coefficients, the glass could be affected and crack when cooled.
• For lampworking it is advisable to use glass with an expansion coefficient of 104.

Warnings

• Remove any dangling jewelry.
• Before you begin, do some research on ventilation and annealing. Do not try to sell a non-ricotta bead, as it may spontaneously break, sometimes even years after being made.
• Tie your long hair back as you work.
• The released powder from the beading treatment can be toxic: keep it moist or wear a protective mask.
• Place yourself in a well-ventilated area.
• Always wear work glasses with UV protection. In case of extreme need, sunglasses will also work.
• Wear long sleeves and natural fiber fabrics; synthetic fabrics could stick to the skin in the event of an accident.