How to - Origami

The method and technology of making handmade glass beads is regarded as one of the oldest creative pastimes of humans.  Egyptian faience beads are glass-like beads which come from a sort of clay bead which has a self-forming vitreous coating.  They are perhaps the earliest beads found from the ancient Egyptians.  In some cultures, glass objects were reserved for royalty and owning a glass object was closely related to owning other luxurious objects. 

What are glass beads anyway?  Glass beads are beads made from glass.  They are sometimes called lamp work beads.  This kind of bead can be poured into moulds, cut and polished as pretend gemstones, and can be stretched and pulled into any shape you desire.  These beads can be simple or ornamental depending on the artist’s preference.  Different kinds of glass and colors are used and played with to create the specified look.  Before you begin to make your own beads and end up with a bowl full of different types of beads all mixed up, take a little time to find out How to Organize Your Beading Stuffs. 

The first thing to do before using the torch and other dangerous tools for glass bead making is learn some Safety Tips in Jewelry Making.  These tools can be awfully dangerous not only to you, but to others around you.  When creating glass beads, you have to melt a narrow rod of glass using a torch.  The molten glass is wound around a mandrel which is a thin length of stainless steel.  The space where the mandrel is placed becomes the hole of the bead.  Holding and turning the mandrel in different positions permits gravity to help form the bead.  There are specific tools required for pushing and pulling glass beads to form different types of shapes. 

Working with a lamp to make glass beads is not easy, but patience and practice will help along the way.  You have to remember that you are working with glass and a torch ; you will have to learn the different levels of heat that are necessary for the glass to flow. 

The beads are pulled out from the flame to cool ; they are left out in the open air meaning that while the outside of the bead is quickly cooling, it remains awfully hot within.  The uneven temperature coming from this technique will most likely cause a bead to break as the beads sometimes cool too quickly.  

Kiln hardening is a technique by which both the inside and outside temperature can be closely regulated.  The bead is placed in a high temperature kiln to make certain that all of the glass is evenly heated.  After a couple of hours, the beads can now be put out at room temperature for cooling.  But it is significant to be sure that the glass beads you purchase are all kiln hardened.  For miniscule glass beads, you can also try cooling them within layers of insulation.  This technique isn’t like the hardening process but it has proven to be effective for small quantities of glass.  Most products and tools come with a set, so always follow the Beading Instructions an Important Tool for Beading if you’d like to learn and get it right.

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