This is just meant to be a brief overview. Please read additional information about glass bead making before proceeding on your own. Please be very careful since molten glass is very hot and can shatter and burn.
You want the edges of your beads to be
slightly indented, not protruding. Protruding
ends are less stable and may break and are sharper and may cut the string or the
wearer.
If too
much pressure is used when shaping the glass with tools, the bead release may
break and mar the surface of the bead. Bead
release does not come off of the outer surface of a bead.
Metal
tools used on hot glass should be cold to prevent them from sticking.
Once the hot glass has touched a cold surface, the surface of the glass
is now cold and needs to be re heated.
Round - can be made by gravity alone, shaped on a flat marver or the
easiest way of all is to use a marver with half spheres carved into it.
Ring - Take a round (or mostly
round) bead and rotate it very quickly.
Disk - Take a round (or mostly round
bead and flatten two sides on the marver or with pliers.
Oval
- a variation of round
Cylinder - roll the bead across
the surface of the marver with a small amount of downward pressure.
The ends may need to be pushed with the edge of the marver to make them
even all the way around.
Mellon - start with a round,
ring, oval or cylinder and roll it straight across the ribbed side of the marver.
Segmented - The easiest way that
I have found to form these is to start with a cylinder and squeeze the middle
with pliers as the bead is rotated.
Facited - push various sides down
on the marver.
Rectangle - start with a cylinder
then push each of the four sides down onto the marver.
Straighten out the ends on the marver.
You could also start with a round and end up with a square.
Triangle - start with a cylinder
then push each of the three sides down on the marver.
Straighten out the ends on the marver.
Cone - start with a cylinder
then roll the bead across the marver at an angle and in an arc.
Straighten out the ends on the marver.
Rutad - start with a mellon then
press on the center with a pick while the bead is rotated.
Bi Cone - start with a cylinder then
roll each end at an angle as with a cone. Straighten
the ends.
Reverse Bi
Cone - start with a cylinder then form a center line like the segmented.
Roll each half as with the bi cone.
Spiral -
start with a cylinder then roll diagonally across the ribbed marver.
Pliers can be used to flatten and pull
and twist.
Scissors
can be used to cut and twist.
Patterned
pliers can be used for shapes and textures.
Metal
(buttons and leather stamps) and jewelers sand can be used to imprint.
Baroness Betha of Bedford - Helene2@bellatlantic.net
Class Handouts
Making Glass Beads - Shaping Glass Beads - Coloring Glass Beads