| DIY People: Making Glass Beads |
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Liz Hager's journey into making glass beads was much like that of the optimistic, locomotive in the children's classic The Engine That Could. While shopping one day, a glass-bead necklace caught her eye. After spending some time examining the necklace, she said to herself, "I think can make this." That moment of positive thinking led Liz into a hobby that has become one of her passions. "For the last five years, I've been making glass beads," she says. "It's a very portable hobby that can be done in-between car pool, laundry and cooking dinner. All you need is a torch, some glass and a few simple tools." Liz began her hobby by taking a class on bead making at a local craft school. The school enabled her to get hands-on experience with the tools and equipment she would ultimately have to purchase. Liz also suggests checking with stores that specialize in selling glass beads. "Bead shops frequently offer courses or seminars for people who want to learn," she says. "I definitely recommend taking lessons because I think it's much easier to learn a craft when there is someone to guide you." In addition to the class, Liz purchased books that featured color pictures of glass beads. From the books, she got inspiration and additional technical knowledge. After completing the bead class, Liz purchased the needed equipment and supplies. Her initial expenses were relatively modest. She purchased a torch head for about $35 and found canisters of gas at a local home improvement store for around $8 a canister. "I began bead-making using standard, over the counter, disposable tanks of gas," she says. "But I quickly learned about the limitations of disposable canisters and switched to a larger, refillable gas tank. The larger tank lasts longer, has more pressure, doesn't get as cold and is better for the environment. Plus, the gas for refillable tanks is cheaper." The one downside of using a refillable tank, instead of the disposable canisters, was the $120 deposit Liz was required to post. Over the Internet, she ordered imported, Italian glass rods from a store in Washington State. "There are many different colors of glass rods," she explains. "All about the thickness of a pencil. To make the beads, I heat the glass rods over the torch (figure A) and roll the melting glass onto a thin rod called a mandrel (figure B). Before I melt the glass, I coat the mandrel with liquid bead release. The bead release allows the glass beads to be removed from the mandrel after they have cooled." One other piece of equipment that Liz considers essential is safety glasses. Because of the large number of beads she makes and the amount of time she spends in front of her torch, Liz decided to spend about $100 to purchase glasses that filter sodium glare. A purchase she considered well worth the investment. Liz eventually did make a necklace like the one she admired in the store, but jewelry making was never really her goal. "I have fun making the beads," she says. "I really enjoy working with the glass, improving my skills and just seeing what kinds of beads I can create. My challenge is to find something to do with the beads after I make them."
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