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Make Glass Beads From Broken Bottles (+video)

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11 comments

Mar 21, 2010. 1:35 PMjimmiek says:

I used to do lampworking/flameworking making animals, fish, etc. many, many moons ago (before the Cheap stuff came in from overseas and broke me) , you've inspired me to get off my duff and start experimenting with it again, it sounds like it's making a comeback, (I still have my torch and some other tools). When we made beads back then, you could just use baling or tie wire, let the bead cool a bit, stretch the wire while it was still red hot, and the bead would slide off ..... no releases or plasters ..... things change!
Nice instructable for recycling the colored glass, Thanks!!

Mar 22, 2010. 2:25 PM

nepheron (author) says:

What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?/
Please explain the whole bail wire thing. It sounds fascinating! I've never in my life heard of that before!!!
How did you stretch the wire? Did you have to stretch it far?

It is very important to keep methods from dying.
Certain glassworking skills have been forgotten over the eons, and this may be one of them. I like collect these methods and keep them alive. Pass on the knowledge!
Thank you!!!!!!!!
-Nepheron

Mar 30, 2010. 5:48 PMWurdBendur says:

Just use any cheap wire you can get at a hardware or farm store, except make sure it's not galvanized because heating zinc is a good way to poison yourself.

When it's red hot, you can pull on the ends to stretch it.

Mar 18, 2010. 8:11 PMSilver Buttons says:

I have a hard time finding glass beads with large holes for stringing on leather cord. I've often joked that I may have to learn to make my own beads just so I can find some I like with the right size holes--now I will know how to do it!

Mar 22, 2010. 5:30 AMbonecholampworks says:

Yes, large hole beads can be hard to find...
You might have some success (if you don't get around to making your own!)
by searching for Troll, Pandora, or Biagi beads, or their knockoffs.
(they're specifically made large hole beads, the holes go from 3.5 mm to 5 mm, fits on most cording & chain,
Good Luck!

Mar 22, 2010. 8:19 AMSilver Buttons says:

Thank you for the advice! I will look for those.

Mar 18, 2010. 10:55 AM

mjursic says:

Nice! Now supposing you wanted to adhere the glass to the spoke. Would there be a problem with expansion differences? Would it adhere? I guess I could try, but I wonder if you already have?

Mar 18, 2010. 12:14 PM

nepheron (author) says:

Steel has a low COE (expansion). If you made a bead directly on the spoke without any bead release, you would have what us lampworkers affectionately call a "garden stake". In most cases, the glass won't crack off. It will stick on the spoke forever... unless you beat it with a hammer. LOL

Mar 18, 2010. 7:47 PMcaomhan says:

another word for wires with beads stuck directly to them are 'hair pins.'

for those who want something dressier than a #2 pencil...

B^)

Mar 18, 2010. 4:48 PM

mjursic says:

Cool. Now I will. I'll let you know. Now when I go to use the plaster just for the beads, can I use regular plaster of paris? Thanks again,
Mike

Mar 18, 2010. 5:29 PM

nepheron (author) says:

Yep! Just remember: plaster may undergo a chemical change when in the flame! DO NOT use it in a non ventilated room, and don't touch the baked plaster around the bead. It might chemically burn you (it may be highly alkaline), but It has not had any effect on me when I've used it.
Also, allow the plaster to cure onto the rod. This make take 3 hours!
Apply the plaster in a thin layer or it will crack off in the flame...it will take some fidding to get right! If the plaster is too thin...the bead won't come off...

Good luck!

Sep 29, 2010. 4:53 PMthepelton says:

It sounds to me like it might be a good idea to make your plaster covered rods late at night, and use them the following day after a good night's sleep.

Mar 18, 2010. 7:31 PMchristian2gothic says:

what if you wanted to glass to coat or stick to other kinds of metals as a form of decoration?
how does the glass stick to stainless steel or aluminum? or is the melting of point of aluminum lower then glass?
and does this affect the color of glass when it sticks to metal?
does the glass bond to the metal because the metal is porous and the glass fills in the pores? or does something else cause the glass to bond to the metal?

Mar 19, 2010. 5:47 PMlotusduck says:

Maybe real gold leaf would work? Fake gold leaf is just aluminum and the color might burn off.

Mar 19, 2010. 6:12 PM

nepheron (author) says:

I've melted fake gold leaf into glass. The effect is QUITE unusual...and difficult to describe. I sort of looks like yellowed parchment paper was wrapped around the bead...

Sep 29, 2010. 4:58 PMthepelton says:

I have done some guilding with real gold leaf. Naturally, it is more expensive than the fake, but you get what you pay for. Some red glass has traces of gold in it.

Mar 19, 2010. 5:47 AMlazemaple says:

Melting point of aluminum is 1220f' and glass around 1700'f and higher
I'd be concerned about the noxious fumes from aluminum.

Sep 29, 2010. 4:56 PMthepelton says:

Definitely. Aluminum is toxic. I got rid of an aluminum sauce pan after eating some macaroni out of it that tasted metallic.

Mar 18, 2010. 8:29 PM

nepheron (author) says:

Aluminum will melt before glass does.

The glass will likely flake off those surfaces, but it WILL change color.
other than that I have no idea. It sounds like you are talking about cloisonné, which is not my specialty.
:)
-Nepheron

Mar 16, 2010. 8:29 AMvadios says:

Interesting but very tedious work with glass.

Mar 16, 2010. 7:57 PM

nepheron (author) says:

It is tedious, but like all things, practice makes perfect. It's like learning to ride a bike!

Mar 17, 2010. 1:23 AMwocket says:

eep! I just realised that your flame heating your beadrelease! big no no. small pockets of superheated watervapour often become trapped under the brittle heated release and pop off unexpectedly. if it hits an eye your in big trouble. it also makes the bead release unstable and prone to cracking and flaking off as you work the glass.

:)

Mar 18, 2010. 12:06 PM

nepheron (author) says:

My bead release is flame dry. I buy it because it can do this. If I let it get dry in the air, it sort of 'cures' into a rock hard lump of cement... LOL

Mar 18, 2010. 6:10 PMwocket says:

this is my fav bead release, which you can make yourself for about $10 for 3kg

http://www.glassline.net/forums/showthread.php?p=728

Mar 18, 2010. 6:51 AMartinct says:

What would you suggest? instead of heating the bead release he should.....? I'm interested in your answer.
Art

Mar 18, 2010. 6:03 PMwocket says:

yep, let it air dry if you can. just putting it into the flame like that will cause problems, even flame dry release. ussually you have all of your mandrels (stainless steel rods) set up with air dried bead release all ready to go. you can drill a wooden block with appropriate sized holes, dip your release and put it in the drying block. come back in an hour or so, or even a day.

If you are going to flame dry, even with flame dry release, you hold the mandrel high over the flame so that it gently warms the release, turning the mandrel constantly so that you get even heating. the process takes only a minute more and you get much sturdier release and not much chance of super heated water vapour popping the release onto you.

it's important to have a sturdy release so that if you want to start doing things like making flowers in the glass, which involves a lot of dot work and some pushing with a tungsten pick, you don't have the release crack and the bead forever sticking to the mandrel.

Mar 18, 2010. 6:54 PM

nepheron (author) says:

I've used the same bead release in the same way for the past three years. It works fine without air drying.

Mar 18, 2010. 8:48 AMgregr says:

You could let the bead release dry for a few hours before using it.

Mar 18, 2010. 6:31 AMbonecholampworks says:

(Psst...lots of bead releases are now flame ready)
Fireworks, Bucket O Mud, and Fosterfire all have "wet to torch" products.
However, it's not "stick it in the fire" ready, you've got to slowly burn off the water & vapor, or yes, you'll have the problem mentioned above.
No different than introducing the glass too fast. Pop. Ouch.
:(

Mar 18, 2010. 12:08 PM

nepheron (author) says:

Yes, I prefer flame dry bead release :)
I slowly evaporate the water, then I'm good to go.
If you use plaster as a release, DO NOT flame dry it...it explodes LOL

191

Mar 18, 2010. 1:33 PM

scoochmaroo says:

This is a great tip to include in your introduction.

The videos are great in demonstrating how long it takes to do each step, and how much time the glass should spend in the flame at each stage.