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Ahhh, the magic of glass! After making earrings with store-bought beads and
getting frustrated with the selection (before so many fabulous bead sites!)
I decided to figure out how to make beads myself. For the holidays one
year, my husband bought me a few hours of tutorial with a local glass
sculptor. He worked with borosilicate glass, like Pyrex glass, and made
beautiful things. My first attempts were strained and clumsy efforts to
force my will on this medium! I purchased an inexpensive bead making torch,
ordered some soft glass (different from borosilicate) and was on my way to a
romance that has yet to shatter!
The torch I use now is an oxygen-propane mix torch. It is mounted on a
fireproof work surface and requires special eyewear to protect my eyes. The
glass that I most
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frequently use comes from Italy and is sold in approximate
pencil-width rods that are melted in the flame. The melted glass is then
wrapped around a steel mandrel, or rod, that is coated with a release agent.
This steel mandrel creates the hole in the bead. When the beads are
complete, they must be annealed in a kiln to temper them so they don't
shatter from thermal shock. I no longer want for fancy beads! I just get
out in the workshop and make them!
Beautiful Glass Beads
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