My Journey with Glass Beads: Putting Together a Bead Making Starter Kit & Places to Learn How to Make Beads

PUTTING TOGETHER A BEAD MAKING STARTER KIT

PLACES TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE BEADS

Hot Head Bead Making Kit by Delphi Glass. This included the Hot Head Torch, Table-clamp torch holder (i.e. canister holder, L-Bracket and C-clamp), clear protective glasses, Mandrel set, Flame Dri bead release, Stainless steel rake, graphite marver paddle, fiber blanket and assortment of Italian glass rods. This can be found online for about $145-158 (e.g. www.delphiglass.com or Amazon). You’ll need to buy MAP gas separately.

BUYING SEPARATELY

It’s a bit more work because you’re shopping at different places, but some of the equipment you get when buying separately is of better quality. Some components will be cheaper, others will be the same. Many of the items below are necessary and some are optional.

Glass: You can buy 104 COE Glass Rods from online companies. Creation is Messy (CIM) and Effetre Morretti (or may be listed as just Effetre) make the best glass rods. Devardi also makes glass rods. They are less expensive but shock more easily. Some online companies: Frantz Art Glass, Arrow Springs, Dephi Glass Mountain Glass Arts.

Hot Head Torch: Order online from glass companies such as http://www.hotheadsource.com/ or Amazon.

Rod rest: Order online from glass companies or Amazon. Placed on your work surface to keep rods from rolling. When just getting started you can make a rod rest out of aluminum foil.

Mandrels: You can buy mandrels from the online glass companies. You may want to start with the 1/8” or 3/32” Mandrels either 9” or 12” long.

You can also make your own stainless steel mandrels. From a hardware store buy 1/8” or 3/32” stainless steel TIG welding rod comes in 3-foot lengths. 1 lb is 14 rods. This is not the welding rod from the hardware store. That contains an accelerant. You will need to cut these into 28 twelve-inch lengths and 14 eleven-inch lengths after cutting off the flat spot with the maker's mark. A dremel tool with a cut-off blade is perfect for this job. You will also need to smooth the rough cut. Easiest with a grinding wheel, but it could be done quite slowly with a dremel tool.

Bead Release: Goes on the mandrels. You can buy it from the online glass stores. I prefer the Fusion Bead Separator, but there are other brands like Foster Fire’s Smooth & Tuff

Mandrel Holder: Once you put bead release on one end of the mandrels you can hold them up in a container of playground sand.

MAP Gas: Found in tool and/or plumbing sections in local hardware stores. Check your town’s recycling policies for empty canisters.

Canister Holder: This is what is used to hold the map gas can and torch onto the table. That’s a ring clamp, C-clamp, and L-bracket. Available at the hardware store. Your size will vary depending on how you want to clamp your torch (or canister) and the surface you want to clamp to.

Striker: hardware stores. If you use a long ended lighter instead make sure to put it down away from your work surface for safety.

Fiber Blanket: Can be purchased from online glass companies or Amazon and put into an old cake pan. You have to be careful with fiber blankets because when you lift open the blanket to slide another bead in it can let cool air in on the beads already cooling in there. The changing temperatures can cause your beads to crack.

Vermiculite: Instead of a fiber blanket you can cool beads down in Vermiculite in an empty metal coffee can. Vermiculite is inexpensive and found in the garden section of stores.

Table protection: Concrete tile backer board is available at the hardware store. You can cover an entire table or just make “placemat” size. Share the cost with a friend. Aluminum sheeting would also work. An old cookie sheet or shallow baking pan with edges so things don’t roll off will also work.

Protective Eyewear: You can start with inexpensive clear glasses; however, it’s best to use Didymium glasses, which protect your eyes from the sodium flare, ultraviolet light, and infrared light. They start at $50. Didymium glasses for over prescription glasses start at $105. The Didymium glasses can be ordered from Amazon or other online companies.

Marver- Used to push, shape and even out beads. It can be any non-flammable smooth surface. Some kits come with an aluminum grooved textured marver; one side is smooth. The grooved side can be used to make segmented beads or angled segments. You can buy it separately from the online glass companies or Amazon. A graphite marver paddle will probably be more useful for pushing and shaping beads. Order online from glass companies or Amazon. For about $16, you can get a graphite marver paddle which is considerably more useful. The glass doesn’t stick to the graphite, the glass can be moved and shaped easily, and the graphite doesn’t get hot like the metal marver.

Glass storage: You can store them in a glass or ceramic container at your workstation. If you’re going to travel with them a rod case is available at Harbor Freight (orange, in the welding section) for about $5. You can use PVC piping to store them too.

Pliers: They can be found inexpensively at Harbor Freight. They can be used for many things such as picking up hot glass and making stringer.

Metal Chopsticks (Hollow): These are great for making stringer or as a punty. They can be found on Amazon for cheap.

Bead Reamer- Available at craft stores for about $5. Buy one with the rasp surface (rough). The smooth surface ones will not serve your needs. To clean the bead release from the inside of your beads.

Rake: Order online from glass companies. Used to pull glass. You can also use a dental pick which can be purchased at Harbor Freight.

Other tools for shaping: Use a butter knife for grooves and a slotted spoon for other designs. An exacto knife from Harbor Freight is great for Melon beads. You can also find other metal shapes tools at Harbor Freight.

Kevlar Sleeves- If you’d like protection for the bottom of your hands, wrists and lower arms. Can buy online at Amazon.

Leather Apron- To protect you and your clothes. Can be found at local hardware stores.

Emergency measures -
A glass or ceramic jar with water to plunge beads that have gone wrong. Use an old spaghetti sauce or jelly jar. Wide mouth is easier.
Fire extinguisher - $12
Carbon monoxide detector - $20

Make sure you have air flow such as being in front of an open window with fans to vent the gas fumes out of the house.

Resources on Bead Making:

Books

You Can Make Beads by Cindy Jenkins

Passing the Flame by Corina Tettinger (her website also has useful tutorials) www.corinabeads.com

Just Plain Beads by Deanna Griffin Dove

Dots, Dots, Dots by Deanna Griffin Dove

You Tube-there are tons of different videos:

https://www.youtube.com/user/corinabeads/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/jeannie291/videos (Jeannie Cox)
https://www.youtube.com/user/beadsbylaura/videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZT5MS0QmcNr1gI0G2PCMQQAEPwVgPcYx (Delphi videos)
https://www.youtube.com/user/ISGBGlass/videos (International Society of Glass Beadmakers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAuYzysQzXA&list=PLx9b2TiEudYcZ0c8onXdulY8T_Rto37sg