Basic Beginner Beadmaking Class

One Day Class

(above photos show just a portion of the techniques you will learn during the beginner class)

Please wear long sleeve cotton shirt as well as jeans or other long pants and closed shoes (tennis shoes are okay) to your class.  If you have long hair, please bring something to tie it back away and out of your face. 

Kits for beginning beadmaking may be offered at the class for an additional fee. 

What you will learn:

1. SAFETY!        

            Eye protection, appropriate clothing for flame working

            Proper Ventilation

2.  Equipment:             

We will go over the basic equipment used in beadmaking         

3. Physical and Chemical properties of glass:

Different types of glass (hard glass, soft glass, different brand names)

COE’s and compatibility

Annealing, annealing range, annealing point, and strain point 

4. Beadmaking basics:  (You will actively participate in this portion of the class and will make numerous beads to take home with you)

            Avoid thermal shocking

Winding glass on, laying down an even “footprint”

Positioning of the hands

Adding extra glass

Where to work in the flame

            Using heat and gravity to help shape the bead

Making even and dimpled ends

            Basic shaping with graphite and brass tools           

5. Preparations and clean up: You will be shown these techniques as the beads will not be ready until the day after you make them.  You will either pick   your beads up, or they will be mailed to you.

            Removing beads from the mandrel

Cleaning bead holes

Other topics may also be covered as they arise during class or as time allows.