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Author: Dale_Lynn, Contributing Editor
| OK... This is the last bead picture... It does prove that I have learned to shape glass in flame. |  |
| Well its the end of the week. The dimples are there. I seem to have the concept, now just to perfect the technique. As the week moved on, I pondered the problem of getting multiple beads the same size. I have gone to my internet sources and have come up with these solutions.
1. Make multiple beads on one mandrel. Thought it was going to be a challenge, it is, but easy to over come. You have to remember flash the "other" bead into the flame occasionally so it does not "shock" and crack 2. Mark cane at intervals and use the amount of glass between the marks for each bead. 3. Cut cane into individual lengths to represent one bead per length. 4. Just make multiple beads and match them to size later. 5. Use calipers to measure beads. 6. Use some sort of template with holes in it to "match" sizes during bead creation. Only problem with this concept is that most templates I have found are plastic. Just one touch with hot bead, and you have a new hole size. Have not really gotten anywhere the last part of the week. Beads are just not happening. Contemplating designing some sort of fixture to measure beads during creative process. Will have to think more on this. Played with introducing some brass and copper filings into beads. It was a disaster. Flame seems to burn most of the "color" out of the brass and copper. And trying to photograph or scan bead images has been a disappointment. Using scanner seems viable, beads seem to show up well, but background is shadowed, it has something to do with the light produced by the scanner not being reflected properly to "pickup" optics. I turn to digital camera and have better luck, even sharper images. The problem with digital camera is lack of control (inexpensive digital camera) over light. Flash does not light beads evenly so there is always a brighter spot off to one side and slightly above beads. Experiment with turning flash off and use ambient light. UGH, not enough light. Add more incandescent lights to illuminate beads. Looks real good to the "eye". Camera does not like it. Gives everything a "warm brown" tone. It has something to do with camera not being able to correct for "tungsten" lighting. It's not a pure or cold white like flash. Maybe I will have to get come color corrected bulbs at camera store and see if they over come the brownish tint "setup" lighting causes. I think this is the same problem that some color films have in traditional photography under ambient light conditions. Oh well. Maybe I will kick back and rest this Sunday afternoon. What's that? Beads made earlier are still cooling, need to look at them. Beads are becoming a demanding mistress. New phrase in my thought process?. 'Kiln envy", Sounds expensive. Week Eight- Well its Sunday morning again. Spent most of week practicing beads and photography. Spent most of this week prowling through junk shops, photo shops, hardware and home improvement stores, looking for clues and solutions for photographing beads. Dozens of ideas from internet searches and reading many different sites. Have come up with what I think will be a $50 mini foto studio concept that could be setup and taken down in just a few minutes. Might even fit all the parts, framework, backgrounds papers, photo floods and laptop computer for portable work in a large suit case!. Will have to work on the concept. Will have to document it. Probably about 4 or 5 pages long and about 6-8 graphics to illustrate how to do it! Had some good days and some bad days with the beads. Was working on a nice set on Friday, was working two beads on same mandrel so I could match size and pattern on beads? Did the classic mistake - forgot to keep "other" bead warm and when I finally thought about it, the bead heat shocked and shattered. SURPRISE! Also wish I would have a creativity flash! Getting tired of copying concepts others have already have done. One small flash was to marver bead into a concave shape in middle. Its different than the typical cylindrical fat bead or bicone. Designs are a problem too. Seem to select colors that do not go well together, some accent colors seem to disappear into main bead color and it just looks like a smudge on bead. I'm getting tired just making a bead, and rolling it in frit for a pattern. Also did a new page this week for my personal website. Just used cheap website creator program that does everything as GIF pictures on a background. No HTML involved. It's "cheap and dirty" but it works. Have also referred to a picture on web bulletin board of "custom" mount I have made for my Hot Head torch. Already two people want more details. So its take it apart and photograph it in "$60 Studio" and send out pictures via e-mail. Wonder if there is a market for this bracket. Maybe trade brackets for glass????? Oh well, time to get moving, going to flea market. Sunday is going to be a day of rest! Its Monday!.. Week nine!..(05-06-02) The first couple of days this week have just beat me to death. The bead photography is a real disappointment. Although I been sort of successful building my "$60 mini photo studio" (that is turning out to be another adventure) out of PVC pipe and fittings. I have been able to control the light and the presentation of the beads and whatnots. I still can't get lighting right for the digital camera. I previously bought 4800 degree Kelvin bulbs to combat the brownish ting to the pictures, that was not a total success, everything is now excursively GREY!.. Grrrrrr!. So back to local photo store. NO 3200 Kelvin bulbs! Off to Monterey... YES! 3200 Kelvin bulbs. Home again screw bulbs into photo floods. Set up camera, Take pictures, Aaaaaagh! The color is better but still not there! Becoming very disenchanted about my digital camera. |
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| This is a simple setup to photograph beads and jewelry. Over all cost was about $60.
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| Think I'll make beads... looking for ward to Saturdays meeting with Carol and Michelle.
Friday, Got to go the local people that support my new habit! Bought a couple of pounds of glass, some bead release and the Jim Kervin booklet on Jim Smircich. Great addition to my growing library, it now has two books. Saturday. Great day, get encouragement from Carol and Michelle about my beads. Although I am very critical of my beads they seem to think they are pretty good for the short time I've been doing this. Viewing Carol and Michelle's work is like viewing work in a whole spectrum way above mine. Guess I am going to have or work harder if I want improvement. Like they say, "no pain", no gain. Carol did let me try a few beads on her Nortel minor burner. It is also in a whole different world than the Hot Head torch. I know now what people mean when they say they have "torch envy". As I write this I contemplate what has brought me this far. My beads are not bad, the are just not that good. Also spreading all them out I realized I must be 30 to 35% on my way to a 1000 beads?. Also there is the realization I need to either buy or build a kiln or annealer. I like the challenge of the idea of building one, oh well, at least I can put some ideas down on paper. I really need to do something though, if I can anneal them I can safely give them away or sell them. Well maybe a big gold fish bowl and lots of pretty non-annealed beads in bottom of it and some goldfish? Sunday is mothers day, guess I will not do to much with beads and such, but will spend time with mother and take her out to dinner. Well Drat. Two weeks since last entry. Its now Memorial Day (celebrated, not traditional)(05-27-02). Not much in last two week. Tried to bid on a kiln on e-bay, and there was a proxy bit setup on it. It kept bidding up and it got two expensive so I quit that auction. So turned to internet and found a retailer that has kiln. Price is right, I order it! Next day I get call from retailer, "its out of stock" do I wish to back order it, it will be two to three weeks..ARGH! NO! Think I will find other source? Aaaah. Find another one on e-bay, price is right, only 8 hours left on auction "I wait". 10 min left on auction? I bid .. aaah I get it! Contact from seller is made, deal completed.. Kiln is now in hands of UPS, and scheduled deliver this Wednesday! Yeah! |
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| Left is the small kiln on stand. 115volt AC powered with infinite controller.
Right is picture of kiln chamber with beads on home made racks, ready for annealing. Opening measures 9 inch wide by 6 inched tall, and is 9 inches deep. |
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