INFO - TIPS & MINI TUTORIALS
HOW TO USE A CGBeadroller AND/OR CGBead-Press
Using a CGBeadroller tool is a process.
In general, cavities are nothing more than a flat surface with predetermined curves.
The best method is to press/push your hot gather into the desired cavity,
heat and repeat, until you either have the shape you want, or are close.
Remember, you're simply using the curve in the graphite surface.
Now it's time to heat and roll to even out the last little imperfections.
TIPS
* The slot is a guide that helps you roll the bead straight, so the hole runs 'straight' through the bead, and not at an angle, kind of like the earths axis is at a slight angle. If you choose to use a smaller mandrel in a bigger slot, it will have a bit more 'wiggle room', more attention is needed to keeping it level.
* Roll your beads gently. Using too much pressure pushing glass, instead of shapes it. CGBeadrollers are simply marvers that are not flat. If you roll a bead on a flat surface with too much pressure it will push the glass and you'll get a lopsided beads. Same thing with CGBeadrollers.
* Don't shape your glass when it is too hot, too much pressure on a too hot bead can push the glass where you don't want it to go and make it a chore to realign.
* The long and narrow paddles were designed for making more than one bead on a mandrel. Simply make a bead, then move up or down the mandrel to make the next bead.
* Beadrollers can be used as a half press, like you would use an optic mold.
* In general, beads are formed on the rim as the bead comes up and out of the cavity. This also allows you to visibly see what the glass is doing so you can compensate.
* To get nice ribbed beads, watch the glass as it comes up out of the cavity. You will be able to see the ribs form on the rim of the cavity.
* Footprints tend to spread out as you roll a bead, so make the footprint shorter than the cavity, this will assure a professional looking puckered end.
* Try using only part of the cavity. Finish one end of the bead, then move to the other end of the cavity to shape the second end.
* Cavities can be used as a measuring guide, to measure the same amount of glass. As an example, for two fish beads the same size.
* Unlike a flat marver, the curve surface of the cavities touching more raku frit on a bead, makes color pop easier and more consistent.
* Cavities also make it easier to marver in surface decoration, like stringers and murrini.
* Try smashing your beads, starting with a well shaped base will produce a well shapped focal tab, etc.
* Ends can also be shaped on the side of the marver paddle instead of inside the cavity. Place the mandrel in the slot and the bead on the outside of the marver, marvering against the side of the marver paddle.
MINI TUTORIALS
LONG BEADS THAT TAPER:
1) Start by filling the smallest end first. If you add a bit too much glass, it's easier to roll the glass 'out' of the smaller end than 'into' it. If you are right handed it's easier to add glass to the right side of a bead, so start at the left. (If the cavities small end is on the right side of the paddle, simply hold the tool upside down.)
2) If needed, add a small stringer or dots to the very end, this will help fill the cavity and get a nice plump end.
3) Keep adding sections until the other end of the bead is reached.
4) Now you can finish off the bead on the right side the same way you finished off the first end.
TUNNELS & PLUGS:
1) Lay down a footprint shorter than the 11mm wide cavity. Don't worry, as you marver they grow because people tend to use more pressure than needed to shape, so start short.
2) Lay down your glass on the outer rims. As you shape the glass will fill in the curve without overfilling it.
3) The bead is formed on the upstroke coming out of the cavity, just like in all of the beadrollers, a tip learned from marble making. Pay attention to it coming out of the cavity, you can see it conform to the cavity shape. If it spills over into the mandrel/punty slots, you are using too much pressure when rolling.
BAROQUE, GETTING GOOD ENDS:
1) think of the bead as two separate barrels (one long one with a shorter fatter one on top of it), and a donut in the middle. I make the long barrel first and get the ends right, then move up to the fatter barrel, and then to the donut. As you move up this keeps your direct flame away from the already formed ends.
2) when I'm done with the bead if the ends are still lacking, I add a couple of small dots to those end donuts, heat and press into the mold to help get them flattened, then roll to shape.
STEPPED STUBBY BICONE & STEPPED BICONE:
1) I conciser these two as a bit more advanced. Take into consideration that I'm not making beads on a regular basis anymore, so my learning curve took a couple of tries, but the results are worth the effort. I did discover a couple of tip that I'll pass along. Make the entire foot and get yourself nice clean ends done up front. Then build up the consecutive 'steps', rolling the bead in the roller to help form the layers. To get the final shape, there were two ways that worked for me
2) One is to hand form the bead into a straight sided bicone, then gently roll the bead on the rim of the cavity until the steps start to form, gently and gradually pressing it into the cavity (rolling).
3) Second, and the one that worked best for me, is to press the bead into the cavity, turn 180 degrees and press again. This will obviously squash some glass out onto the rims (like when you have too much glass when using a press). Heat slightly, now turn the bead 90 degrees and press the squashed side of the bead into the cavity, turn 180 degrees and press the other squashed side. This will center the bead, and now you can start to heat and roll, heat and roll, until you have the steps formed.
BICONES:
1) Make the foot shorter than the cavity.
2) Build up the bead the same way you would any bicone, since there are several different methods, do what works best for you. I make a barrel and build up one side first, from the middle out, then the other side, rolling it in the cavity as I go so I can see where I need to add glass.
3) After you're happy with the bead, lightly heat the surface and give it a quick roll.
4) On the ribbed versions, think of the cavity like a canyon with a canyon rim, concentrate on rolling the bead on the rim closest to you, not the bottom of the cavity.
HOLLOW BEAD (by Angie Gemsa):
1. Wind a barrel of glass onto the mandrel, slightly smaller than the width of your chosen round cavity.
2. Marver so that it's fairly even.
3. Add a 4 or 5 wrap spiral of glass at either end of the barrel.
4. Start adding one wrap of glass to each spiral, applying it slightly to the side toward the other end of the bead.
5. Continue until the spirals are ready to meet in the middle of the bead.
6. Add your final wrap of glass to connect the two spirals, ensure there are no gaps anywhere in the bead, then hit the bead with heat gently but thoroughly.
7. When the glas seems fairly evenly soft, shape in the beadroller cavity.
8. Repeat the heating and shaping process, adding more glass if necessary, until you bead is the right shape.
DISC:
1) Make the footprint just a bit more narrow than the cavity, this is required to achieve a puckered end.
2) Add glass to build up and form your bead.
3)When you have enough built up and shaped, roll the bead on the bottom part of the rim (rim, as in, like the rim of a canyon) instead of on the bottom of the cavity. That will force the glass into the peak of the mold.
