DragonJools

There is a way of controlling thin wire so you can...

2012-05-25T17:56:45.338-04:00

There is a way of controlling thin wire so you can rotate it in your hands: get hold of a piece of brass tubing with a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the wire. I would go for a 1.2 mm for the wire you have. (it could also be a steel tubing or maybe even carbon fiber wire from a model building supplier)
make a few slight bends in your steelwire, so it is ever so slightly zig-zaggy, and stick it into your tubing, so only the work area is sticking out. The zig-zagging is holding it in place, but it is still easy to insert/remove.
Do your piece and pull it out, then straighten the wire and eventually polish.
Happy beading!
Kathe,
www.mycrafts.dk

Now I have to go find all those flowerpot beads!

2012-05-24T08:17:15.333-04:00

Now I have to go find all those flowerpot beads!

Instant pendant. Just glue a bail on the back.

2012-05-23T23:55:47.397-04:00

Instant pendant. Just glue a bail on the back.

Remember - this is sand blasting - not acid etchin...

2012-05-23T00:41:27.898-04:00

Remember - this is sand blasting - not acid etching. The acid etching masks won't work for sand blasting.

We tried all sorts of masks - the most robust is sign vinyl - adhesive backed vinyl. However, stickers, (you know, like your 10 year old niece has) can work too. Check the scrapbooking stores and also the dollar store. Look for metallic stickers - paper just is destroyed - and pay attention to the shape, not the motif (look at the back of the sticker to see it in silhouette.)

Fabulous ... looks like an awesome class. If you d...

2012-05-22T23:02:29.571-04:00

Fabulous ... looks like an awesome class.
If you don't mind me asking, what did you use for the masking?
I'm experimenting with masking and etching, but never get these crisp outlines.

Amazing! how fun, LOVE the copper inclusion beads!...

2012-05-19T08:26:29.147-04:00

Amazing! how fun, LOVE the copper inclusion beads!

That's nice to see it on beads. I saw the tool...

2012-05-19T08:16:21.678-04:00

That's nice to see it on beads. I saw the tool on arrow springs. Thanks for sharing.

I need one of those tools! I really love your blo...

2012-05-17T22:29:01.995-04:00

I need one of those tools! I really love your blog.

Thank you for your response. I just have to have ...

2012-05-17T13:39:27.860-04:00

Thank you for your response. I just have to have one of those; they are way cool!

Thank you! I got mine from Nortel Mfg - if you are...

2012-05-16T01:11:05.666-04:00

Thank you! I got mine from Nortel Mfg - if you are in Canada. If you want to order online, Arrow Springs has them - currently on the front page. http://arrowsprings.com/index.html

Ooooo - lookit that wave press ... must have ... .

I love the spiral tool. Where did you get it? Yo...

2012-05-15T13:02:49.731-04:00

I love the spiral tool. Where did you get it? You are such a talented artist. I really appreciate your blog and all the tips and information you share. Thank you so much!

2012-05-12T23:01:20.747-04:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

wonderful post, an excellent lesson learned, the b...

2012-05-11T10:19:16.778-04:00

wonderful post, an excellent lesson learned, the beads are beautiful! Thank you

Hi!! Neil and I loved the classes at BeadFX, your ...

2012-05-09T15:44:24.655-04:00

Hi!! Neil and I loved the classes at BeadFX, your work is just beautiful! Please do some more of the sandblasted dragons, I want to see them!! Jeri

Very beautiful bead!

2012-05-08T17:57:23.939-04:00

Very beautiful bead!

It is gorgeous! I love the play of the metals enca...

2012-05-08T09:22:28.828-04:00

It is gorgeous! I love the play of the metals encased in the blasted glass!!

Looks like some great reaction possibilities there...

2012-05-06T16:39:44.863-04:00

Looks like some great reaction possibilities there too!

Love your solution for beads that crack in half - goes back to the Egyptians!

love how both those colors turned out.

2012-05-05T14:17:31.823-04:00

love how both those colors turned out.

CiM Obsidian loves silver glass and fumes very nic...

2012-05-01T16:28:56.026-04:00

CiM Obsidian loves silver glass and fumes very nicely for great metallic effects.
I posted a set using it as a base with Triton in this blog post a while back.
http://pendragonfyretales.blogspot.ca/2011/12/december-week-1-bead-sets.html

Smiles,
Darlene

Thank you once again for sharing your info! I jus...

2012-04-26T20:59:55.841-04:00

Thank you once again for sharing your info! I just set up shop after I moved and went to use the kiln for the first time and got the tcL message. Using your quick instructions and link (the manual is in a box somewhere...) I could diagnose the problem - in this case a bad thermocouple. Major drag and a huge delay but no panic.

Barbara - I haven't seen any fault with the qu...

2012-04-26T10:16:15.092-04:00

Barbara - I haven't seen any fault with the quality of the Graphite on these.

I mean - nothing beats the superfine grain graphite of, say, the Drew Fritz marble molds - but these are perfectly fine.

Thank you for the link. It is a heart stopping mo...

2012-04-26T06:23:39.831-04:00

Thank you for the link. It is a heart stopping moment when the kiln doesn't work!

I've had a relay failure twice on my Paragon S...

2012-04-26T04:58:43.575-04:00

I've had a relay failure twice on my Paragon SC2. The first time I had a lot of help from Kilncare, even though it wasn't one of their kilns. Then off-mandrel.com helped me to source a replacement relay.

The second time, I had more luck searching for a new relay myself. By far the cheapest source I could find was http://www.penninecomponents.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=0&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=470 .

I now keep a spare relay, ready for when it happens again :) It appears this is a common fault with the SC2 - since posting about my experience on a lampworking forum, I've had a few people contact me to ask where to get the relays and how to fit them.

I have not found the Graphite as good as with othe...

2012-04-25T08:05:06.231-04:00

I have not found the Graphite as good as with other similar vendors.

I Think the same - it would be so beautyful . Lov...

2012-04-24T02:36:20.521-04:00

I Think the same - it would be so beautyful . Love to se it :)