Silver cores - aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhh!!!!!!!!

[Rainbow]

I need some help!!! After using nearly 3/4 of my silver tubing, I have only one bead I am reasonably happy with..aarrgghh! 

I have tried using the Impress Bead Liner (artintheround) and following the instructions as given by them and by Charlotte, but although I feel I am turning the handle equally, I am getting an uneven finish. One side appears flatter than the other, which you will probably tell me is to do with the turning!!

I am also using Maria Louisa's dies but can't yet work them out either!! Has anyone used these that can help?

Apart from the 3.6mm rule for cutting the silver, is there any other that anyone prefers to use?

I'm sorry to bombard with all the questions, but am now feeling suicidal!!

[sarah t]

there is a really good tutorial with pics....

.http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=12737.0

might help ?

[deeko1968]

sorry , im no help with silver cores .
But im sure Helenp done some write up on the site about how she does her cores.

Hope im right with this info.
Deeko

[dinah46]

Are you sure that you are using the correct peg for your tubing in the Impress.  I love this tool and find it very reliable but you need to ensure that the peg is the right size. If you follow the link posted by sarah there is an excellent tut on it by Charlotte.

[Rainbow]

Thanks everyone but that is the link I have been using.

I am using 5mm tubing, for a 4mm mandrel so which peg should I be using? I have chosen the one which the pipe sits over comfortably, which I hope is the right one.  I have got the press on loan from Julie (Lush Lampwork) whilst she is on holiday, but as she kindly offered it the day before she left, we didn't have chance to discuss it!

[theflyingbedstead]

Hi Alison,

Sorry to hear that you are having problems...Dave marks all but one of his pegs with ink either at the base or top of the peg, which identifies which size it is.  I have my list at home, so if you can let me know what colour and which end the mark is on then I can work out if you are using the correct one, and let you know tonight.

[Rainbow]

Hi Charlotte

From what I can see in this light!, I have one green, one blue and one with nothing. I'm not sure what colour is in the machine, but as the machine is not mine, I don't want to fiddle around with it too much!! The 4mm silver tubing I'm using is covering the peg and appears to fit snuggly, so do you think this is the right one? Maybe I'm being too fussy because my mum says they look fine!!

[Maria Louisa]

Alison,

I've spend all day today learning to core a pandorabead that will show perfect in the end.
I had help from a silversmith in doing this.
I'm going to write a tutorial the next couple of days but hope I can give you a little head start already.
We've started with using a tube cutter to shorten the silver tube in the right size, 1,5mm extra at each side of the bead.
Than we did the polishing from the outside with a file (for metal, not wood, a very fine one) or you can use sandpaper for metal (600), after the outside we've polished the inside of the tube.
Every unevenness is a potential for the tube to crack at that point. Or to make ungly collars because the unevenness from the inside will end up under your silver core and when you push with your dies, you will see this in your end result. This is also when you start up with a bead with little beadrelease inside it. This dirt will transfer to your dies and will give marks in the silver tube. So keep your dies always clean.
Then we glowed the silver, cooled it down in water and cleaned it in the 'vitrex'.
After checking again on uneveness on the outside and the inside, maybe file again, we started coring.
You have 2 dies which are the same, a little flatter than the others.
I've used one of these flatter dies as the bottom side and the one with the sharpest point angle at the top. We started with these 2 dies. Use your beadliner, rotate your tube regularly and make a little collar, just enough so your bead can rest on it without the tube going right through your bead.
Then turn and do the other side. Just a tiny little collar.
Then use the same flatter die for the bottom and the other die (not the sharpy point but the other one) to go from there. Don't forget to rotate the tube all the time and to switch to the other side also regularly, this is so your collar will become even on both sides. If you don't switch ofter enough you will end up with a big and with a little collar (hope I use the right word for this).
Turning often is very important, the 2 different dies do different things.

[turnedlight]

I haven't tried any yet, so I'm not well qualified to speak up, but have you practiced with copper at all?

[Nina A]

I practised with some stainless steel tubing,    (item number Item number: 250483856259 )  from ebay,    -  I'm still not confident enough to use real silver.

( the tubing also works quite well when dipped for mandrells for a bigger bead,  I find that the inner of the bead cools down at the same rate as the outer so I have less cracking.  They don't last as long as a good solid mandrel but at £15 for 10 x 1 mtre lengths it's not bad value.)

[theflyingbedstead]

Thank you for the link Nina - that's a great idea...I have just left a bid for some of those to give them a try too, as steel looks very stylish.  My OH has some stainless steel and titanium jewellery already, so these would be great to go with them.

I didn't look out the peg size list I have, but getting the right size peg for the Impress is important.  I tried to make do with a near size for an odd piece of tubing, and the results were uneven like you described.

If you want to change the peg, you will need to undo the handle at the top - do NOT unscrew the peg from below as Dave said that this has been carefully calibrated to work properly!  I think that I have explained the process in my tut though.

Maria Louisa is right; tube prep is very important and you need to keep turning the bead as the peg at the bottom is a different shape and does a different job to the conical piece at the top.  Also, you need to keep the bead centred on the tube, as the bead can effect the way the silver is formed.

[theflyingbedstead]

Right...I have finally found the email from Dave about peg markings...

The ends or slots of the Centering Pegs are color-coded as follows:
5 mm OD / 4.1 mm ID (.200 inch OD / .162 inch ID)  - Purple on end
5 mm OD / 3.8 mm ID (.200 inch OD / .150 inch ID)  - Green on end
5.5 mm OD / 4.2 mm ID (.216 inch OD / .165 inch ID) - Blue in slot
6 mm OD / 4.6 mm ID (.240 inch OD / .181 inch ID)  - Black on end
6 mm OD / 5.1 mm ID (.240 inch OD / .201 inch ID) - Aqua on end
3/16  inch OD / .156 inch ID (4.8 mm OD / 4.0 mm ID) - Plain
1/4 inch OD / .218 inch ID (.635 mm OD / 5.5 mm ID) Plain
Special peg for 4.37 mm ID - Dark blue on end

So Alison, the peg that you need is one of the plain ones.  If you are still having problems then you could try keeping the turns small...say 1/4 turn (at least to begin with) and check the ends after each 2nd turn to make sure that they are even.  If you check the first few turns this will also give you an idea of how each end shapes the tubing, so that you can make little adjustments if you need to. Copper tube would be great to practice with as it is nice and soft...I am not sure what the stainless steel tube will be like to use, but I am itching to find out!

I hope you have better luck with your next bead!

[Rainbow]

Thank you everyone for your help on this.  I think I will take your advice and try and practice on some copper tubing before I waste anymore silver!
We had tried on some brass tubing we had but it wasn't the best thing to try on because it is so much harder.

The thing I'm a little confused with is the positioning of the bead during the process.  I was told the other day that you shouldn't hold the bead but let it fall, yet it's also been mentioned to hold the bead in the middle whilst working the tube. Which one?? !!

Maria Louisa, I would be really grateful if you could email me your instructions when you have had time to do them, thank you 

Thanks again everyone, I hope it will all fall into place soon!!!

[theflyingbedstead]

The thing I'm a little confused with is the positioning of the bead during the process.  I was told the other day that you shouldn't hold the bead but let it fall, yet it's also been mentioned to hold the bead in the middle whilst working the tube. Which one??

I keep my bead in the centre.  If you let it drop then the bottom peg is not being given the space to shape the metal and do its job...also glass does not like being flared! 

[Maria Louisa]

Where did my text go?
Allright new attempt.

Allison,
I've spent all evening writing down everything I know about lining a bead, but it's in Dutch. I hope to receive the photo's Miriam made today soon so I can add these to clarify. I've send my text to 2 persons to see if I didn't left anything out or maybe they could add some tricks too. After I've got their remarks back I will start to translate everything (4 pages already without the photo's) in English. I hope to finish this within one or two weeks. I will try to hurry this.