Making a Basic Glass Bead

Making a basic glass bead is not complicated as making a fine gold jewellery necklace. Making a basic glass bead is very easy if you know all the basics in getting started with your glass bead making. Glass beads are used for many ways, from decorations to currency for almost 3,000 years by man. The most popular method of bead making is called lamp worked or wound beads. This is done by heating glass rods in a flame of an oil lamp and the molten glass was wound into a rod. This is just one of the simple ways of making a basic glass bead that is done even now by more and more people who are fond of making these jewelleries.

Making a basic glass bead needs different tools and equipments to get started. These tools and equipments are important to make your first glass bead. Here are the basic materials in making a basic glass bead:

• Mandrels

• Wire wool

• Glass rod

• Pipe cleaners

• Matches

• Work bench

• Propane

• Single fuel torch

• Kiln wash

• Vermiculite

• Metal container

• Fire extinguisher

In making a basic glass bead, you must follow carefully the procedures in making a basic glass bead to have a beautiful end product. Do not disregard even small details in making these glass beads, all information or detail is important. Here is the procedure in making a basic glass bead, simplified to make it easier for you to understand:

1. Set up your work area then clamp torch head and gas canister to the table.

2. Arrange the remaining materials for easy reaching.

3. Prepare mandrel and rub firmly with wire wool.

4. Dip mandrels in kiln wash and leave to dry.

5. Light torch head and heat coated mandrels.

6. Warm glass rod by moving in and out of flame.

7. Rotate glass rod as it melts.

8. Touch tip of the molten glass to the coated mandrel through the flame.

9. Rotate mandrel to wind into melting glass.

10. Separate new bead from the melting glass rod.

11. Rotate new bead in the flame.

12. Rotate new bead against a marver for shaping.

13. Keep rotating mandrels until it stops glowing.

14. Cool new bead in a vermiculite.

15. Grasp mandrel with pliers together with bead, twist and pull bead from mandrels.

16. Clean bead release with pipe cleaner.

17. Wipe bead with a cloth to remove any remaining dirt.

Now you can make a basic glass bead of your own with these simple and easy details in making a glass bead, just always put in mind all tips and precautions so you will succeed in your first glass bead making.