Billie Schwab on tue 19 may 98
Do we have any bead makers on this list? If so, would you be willing to
give some pointers on important aspects of the process?
TIA
Billie
Tyler Hannigan on wed 20 may 98
Billie Schwab wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Do we have any bead makers on this list? If so, would you be willing to
> give some pointers on important aspects of the process?
> TIA
> Billie
Making clay beads has been somewhat overlooked the last few years.
There is a whole universe to explore at this small scale Each bead can be
a sculpture unto itself or a segment in a dramatic set. I found it simpler
to work on a rod as opposed to drilling a hole later. The size of the rod
and thus the hole is relative to your purpose. The hole should also be left
smooth, without clay debris which after being fired can be sharp and cut
your stringing material. Try inserting a rod until it begins to protrude.
Then withdraw the rod and reinsert it where it protruded thus eliminating a
ragged edge.
You may wish to create beads in a spontaneous nature but if consistent size
is desired you can experiment by pinching wads of clay and rolling into
balls. With a little practice
you will become fairly consistent. When needing to repeat a size at
different settings I devised the following method using a french fry cutter
and a ruler. Form a lump of clay say, 2in. by 2in. by 6in. Slice with
cutter. Remove the uneven outer material. Lay a strip of the clay along a
ruler and slice equal amounts or progressively larger amounts. Keep unused
strips in plastic bag until needed.
There is a world to explore in design. One idea often leads to another.
There are literally thousand of concepts. You can work with low fire,
stoneware, porcelain, Egyptian paste or my favorite mixed colored porcelain.
Glazing requires a little extra handling in the kiln to avoid sticking. A
rock tumbler offers an alternative to glaze and creates a smooth finish.
Over the years there have been various article on bead making in Ceramics
Monthly, And, don't neglect Ornament for inspiration.
Two web sites of interest:
My own
http://www.silverhawk.com/tssa/cm/thann/
Hedy Beinert
http://www.silverhawk.com/crafts/beinert.html
--
Tyler Hannigan
Silverhawk Craft Realm
http://www.silverhawk.com/crafts
nikom chimnok on wed 20 may 98
At 08:25 19/5/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Do we have any bead makers on this list? If so, would you be willing to
>give some pointers on important aspects of the process?
...........................................................................
Here's a tip: When making beads, use oil on your fingers to keep the clay
from sticking. Around here everyone uses a 50/50 mixture of sugarcane oil
and diesel fuel. The sugarcane oil may not be available where you live, but
you can most likely find a substitute.
Another tip: After making the beads, let them stiffen up for a while before
sticking the needle through the center. This helps prevent squishing. Of
course, if you wait too long you'll crack the bead right down the middle.
How to make nice round beads with your fingers? Practice. The longer you do
it, the better you get. After a few years you can make virtually perfect
beads, two at a time, one in the left hand and one in the right, while
watching TV. This is not the case, however, when you have just started.
Making beads is hard, but firing them is easy. Since they're so small
they're unlikely to explode, even when made from the finest clay, and the
hole through the middle helps too. Beads here are often fired for an hour
only, with charcoal in a clay pot. Of course, there's nothing wrong with
putting them inside other pots that are being fired in a bigger kiln.
Hope this helps,
Nikom
koratpot@loxinfo.co.th
Deborah Zinn on thu 21 may 98
Billie,
I am a bead maker; contact me if you are interested. I'm happy to share my
experiences. A sample of my buttons (beads with two holes) at http://www.rmi.ne
Of course, there are many different techniques as clay is a never-ending thing!
Cheers,
Deborah
Myrrhia Rae Resneck-Sannes on thu 21 may 98
I do high fire beads, although beadmaking isn't my focus, I have learned
some valuable lessons from trial and error. I fire to cone 10. I got a
thick high fire rod (maybe 1/8 inch) from the supply store and made a
support for it by throwing a wide, low walled dish and then making two
grooves for it to sit in. Then I made some beads and punched holes in
them with the rod, and pushed the holes a bit wider to allow for
shrinkage. Then I bisqued them on the wire and glazed them. I brushed
glazed on to be careful not to get glaze near the hole or the wire so
they wouldn't stick. Then I set them on the wire with plenty of space
between them and placed the support and the beads so that weight would be
distributed evenly in regards to support so the rod wouldn't sag. That's
my process, pretty basic.
Myrrhia
Deborah Zinn on fri 22 may 98
Hi folks,
I've been asked to repost the address for my site with ceramic buttons
(beads with two holes). http://www.rmi.net/~jud
Enjoyed ideas from others for making beads. I am also experimenting
with faience--which I'm finding a recalcitrant material! I'm now trying
(n my first trial, I failed, but try, try again...) the cementation
technique used in Qom for making donkey beads to try to get glazing all
the way round on the bead (because if put on kiln shelf, it remains
partially unglazed). But the colours, turquoise, etc are beautiful.
I also make beads from porcelain, bisque and then use washes of
different colours, refire to about cone 6. I have not gotten into
glazes yet--again partly due to challenge of covering beads fully. I
have tried hanging them on nitrile wire in a kiln, but it holds very few
before it begins to sag.
Cheers,
Deborah
VandRKatz on fri 22 may 98
I wanted to make some beads once & had really good luck making holes with
small plastic straws. The clay stayed in the straw but I make quite a few
holes before the straw was full. Worked for me, but I will be the first one
to admit that I am no expert.
Vicki Katz
Tyler Hannigan on sat 23 may 98
Hi Deborah,
Years ago I also experimented with Egyptian Paste and had the same problem
of
uneven glaze effect.
Here what I discovered and my solution.
The chemicals that form the glaze migrate to the surface during the
evaporation process
and become thick enough to form a glaze. So the trick here is to get the
beads to dry
evenly thus achieving a uniformity of glaze. By leaving the bead on the rod
used in
making the hole it can be suspended to air dry. Do not leave them in a
breeze which will
cause uneven drying. After the beads have firmed up you may remove the rod
and
replace with another of smaller diameter. This will relieve the stress and
avoid cracking.
Like porcelain you can add colorants to the faience material or buy it
already made up
with color choices. Try mixing two or three different colors. This can
create exciting
variations.
There is a commercial bead firing tree rack on the market. But if you can
get a copy of
Nov. 89 Ceramics Monthly check page 78 (Suggestions). There you will find
the how
to description of a very efficient bead firing rack I developed.
Tyler Hannigan
Silverhawk Craft Realm
http://www.silverhawk.com/tssa/cm/thann/
http://www.silverhawk.com/crafts
Deborah Zinn wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi folks,
>
> I've been asked to repost the address for my site with ceramic buttons
> (beads with two holes). http://www.rmi.net/~jud
>
> Enjoyed ideas from others for making beads. I am also experimenting
> with faience--which I'm finding a recalcitrant material! I'm now trying
> (n my first trial, I failed, but try, try again...) the cementation
> technique used in Qom for making donkey beads to try to get glazing all
> the way round on the bead (because if put on kiln shelf, it remains
> partially unglazed). But the colours, turquoise, etc are beautiful.
>
> I also make beads from porcelain, bisque and then use washes of
> different colours, refire to about cone 6. I have not gotten into
> glazes yet--again partly due to challenge of covering beads fully. I
> have tried hanging them on nitrile wire in a kiln, but it holds very few
> before it begins to sag.
>
> Cheers,
> Deborah
--
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