View entire thread: OT Incoming
Posted by Roberta Zollner on Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:35 AM Post subject: Re: OT Incoming
I bet there are people who'd pay good money for that stuff on Ebay! And if you've had it long enough, your mother may
have forgotten exactly what she gave you, buy it off Ebay, and give it back to you! That's what I'd call recycling!
Roberta in D "NightMist" <nightmiste@gmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:45192a60.45183827@news.madbbs.com... [quote:10f4186e25] Some of it isn't too gawdawful. The peasanty stuff is
sometimes even kind of nice. The shining expanses of eye bleeding polyester though....*shudder* I think somewhere
around here I have a hip length blouse she sent last year that is shiny poly, gathered elastic neck and cuffs, 3/4
balloon raglan sleeves, elastic waist (that I can only keep my bosom over top of by constant effort) with I swear
-yards- of fabric below it, and in a truly horrifying green, orange, and blue violet, paisly print. It has huge wooden
beads hanging from little ties at the neck and cuffs too. And she always sends stuff that either fits like a tent and/or
is cut so I have a real struggle with my *ahem* upper chest. (mum has been a AA her whole life, ditto my sister) One of
the reasons I am always tempted to shake a little flour over the sewing machines to make them look dusty, is if she
thinks I am sewing clothes it is call for an emergency shopping trip. Since my gramma raved over the quilts I showed
her, mom has mellowed a bit about my quilting. Thank heavens! NightMist On 25 Sep 2006 12:59:42 -0700, "Leslie
& The Furbabies in MO." quilteacher@yahoo.com> wrote: As a 1960s former hippy wannabe- I'm jealous! Wish I
could find that kinda stuff in my small town before it goes out of fashion..... AGAIN! LOL Good luck with the folks....
I feel your pain. My parents are hinting at making a trek to MO. (groan!) Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
NightMist wrote: I have parents incoming within the next couple days. I will need an emergency shipment of patience
pronto! This is their first visit since my little brother got squashed, so my mom is liable to be a bit...ummm...soppy?
We get along ever so much better when they are 1500 miles away. I just know I am going to get impolite comments on
having three sewing machines in the kitchen. Thank heavens I can do the grand tour and show them where the machines are
moving to. NightMist cleaning, baking, and locating all the ugly hippy dippy clothes mom sent me (not that I have to
wear them, just refresh my memory on them). -- The wolf that understands fire has much to eat. -- The wolf that
understands fire has much to eat.[/quote:10f4186e25]
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View entire thread: OT Incoming
Posted by NightMist on Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:46 PM Post subject: Re: OT Incoming
Some of it isn't too gawdawful. The peasanty stuff is sometimes even kind of nice. The shining expanses of eye
bleeding polyester though....*shudder* I think somewhere around here I have a hip length blouse she sent last year that
is shiny poly, gathered elastic neck and cuffs, 3/4 balloon raglan sleeves, elastic waist (that I can only keep my bosom
over top of by constant effort) with I swear -yards- of fabric below it, and in a truly horrifying green, orange, and
blue violet, paisly print. It has huge wooden beads hanging from little ties at the neck and cuffs too. And she always
sends stuff that either fits like a tent and/or is cut so I have a real struggle with my *ahem* upper chest. (mum has
been a AA her whole life, ditto my sister) One of the reasons I am always tempted to shake a little flour over the
sewing machines to make them look dusty, is if she thinks I am sewing clothes it is call for an emergency shopping trip.
Since my gramma raved over the quilts I showed her, mom has mellowed a bit about my quilting. Thank heavens! NightMist
On 25 Sep 2006 12:59:42 -0700, "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." <quilteacher@yahoo.com> wrote:
[quote:8afa65d2e0]As a 1960s former hippy wannabe- I'm jealous! Wish I could find that kinda stuff in my small town
before it goes out of fashion..... AGAIN! LOL Good luck with the folks.... I feel your pain. My parents are hinting at
making a trek to MO. (groan!) Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. NightMist wrote: I have parents incoming within the
next couple days. I will need an emergency shipment of patience pronto! This is their first visit since my little
brother got squashed, so my mom is liable to be a bit...ummm...soppy? We get along ever so much better when they are
1500 miles away. I just know I am going to get impolite comments on having three sewing machines in the kitchen. Thank
heavens I can do the grand tour and show them where the machines are moving to. NightMist cleaning, baking, and
locating all the ugly hippy dippy clothes mom sent me (not that I have to wear them, just refresh my memory on them). --
The wolf that understands fire has much to eat. [/quote:8afa65d2e0] -- The wolf that understands fire has much to eat.
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View entire thread: OT Update re; Fixing Tricia
Posted by Jenn/Jalynne on Sat Sep 02, 2006 4:05 AM Post subject: Re: OT Update re; Fixing Tricia
When going for an interview, you should dress for a position slightly higher than the one you're going for. This kind
of stuff is what my mom taught when she was teaching high school. I am very fortunate to have two professional type
parents, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can. -- Jenn/Jalynne quilting, beads, scrapbooking, cross stitch and
other 'crafti' obsessions http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jalynne29/my_photos Live! http://kinneykreations.com
"Tricia" <cricket527@e-garfield.com> wrote in message
news:1157143240.402698.87650@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com... [quote:daa61de9a6] Pauline wrote: What type of a job are
you interviewing for? Your blouse & slacks are beautiful for a more casual environment. Or - perhaps the area you
live in is also best suited for blouse & slacks, rather than a more tailored look? I know today's business world
dresses more casual, but sometimes for that interview, you can make a great impression if you're really buttoned down.
Not necessarily a suit or even a skirt, but 3 coordinated pieces might pull things together nicely? It *was* a part
time secretary/assistant in a community college computer lab. I had seen the person who had done the job previously and
I do believe that in general, my outfit was fitting for the atmosphere -- I mean it certainly wasn't a corporate job or
a job as a secretary in a fancy laywer's office or anything like that. Although I guess an over-top would have probably
rounded it out better....like a blazer or something. Also - I would also suggest cutting all your nails to the same
length. Especially while you are interviewing. It looks like you have pretty strong nails, but when they break - as
hard as it is, cut or file them all down so they are even. It will just add to that pulled together look. Ack! I'm
scared to -- well, scared isn't the word, but hesitant -- I'm still not used to the fact that my nails actually grow. I
worry if I cut them on purpose, they'll change their minds and not grow back *snicker* Tricia [/quote:daa61de9a6]
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View entire thread: OT proposed discussion: How did you learn to be a "woman" r
Posted by Jenn/Jalynne on Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:15 AM Post subject: Re: OT proposed discussion: How did you learn to be a "woman
With eye makeup (shadow, liner and mascara), you want to replace it about every 4-6 months, because of risk of eye
infections. I don't buy expensive makeup for this reason. Lipsticks and foundation can be kept for a year, but
usually no longer than that. I don't buy expensive makeup for this reason. Normally, I just wear a tinted
moisturizer, a little blush, and mascara, but i work in a warehouse with boys who don't care...LOL. -- Jenn/Jalynne
quilting, beads, scrapbooking, cross stitch and other 'crafti' obsessions
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jalynne29/my_photos Live! http://kinneykreations.com "Tricia"
<cricket527@e-garfield.com> wrote in message news:1156816113.764360.126990@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
[quote:eb52bb450e]Wow! thanks. Okay, I do own (although they are old) eyeshadow in a nice collection of browns and
greens (I have hazel eyes), a brown eyeliner pencil (somewhere...that one probably does need replacing) and a lipstick
color that honestly is too wrong for my coloring for daily wear but dramatic for nightwear -- oh, and a nice
goldish/peach lipgloss. I don't even know where to start with my eyebrows. I don't think they are unruly growth wise
-- just extremely light -- except for the errant dark brown hairs that show up now and then. Nails are growing the last
few years for the first time in my life (the positive side of the hormone issue). I finally found my nailfile (had
temporarily been using one of those emery boards from a high end hotel bathroom kit) and curved off the edges last
night. They aren't a uniform length but they appear to be healthy. I rarely polish them because I usually make a mess
with the polish but every so often I try it. I got my wardrobe colors good. I'm comfortable with that. I can't always
find what I want but I no longer buy the stuff that really isn't my coloring anymore -- least not in dress up clothes.
Shoes -- every day wear is a pair of new balance gym shoes (tennis shoes, whatever they are called nowadays). They were
doctor recommended for support. Dressy I have two pairs of Mushrooms, modest heel -- navy blue and ivory/cream. Thanks
mini Mini! That was a lot to process.... Tricia mini Mini wrote: I learned from my mother & friends mothers, my
girlfriends, reading magazines and practicing to see what I like. I've changed my style over the years. But basically, I
learned - A little goes a long way - You have to work with what you have. - Make up is to enhance not to cover up. You
need four things for day: That's it: _eyeshadow_ in brown/tan/beige, (depending on how light or dark you are), ie
neutral colors _eyeliner_ that is a little darker than your eyeshadow (pencil, dont' get the liquid stuff, that's
advanced level!), _brow pencil or powder_ the color of your brow, _lipstick_ in a color that is the color of your lips
but just a bit darker. Use a tiny bit and blend slightly with your fingers. Get your eyebrows shaped professionally. It
is worth the investment. You will be surprised how much better your eyes look! Keep yourself neat and tidy. Take care
of your nails. They don't have to be long claws, just clean & tidy. Stick with classics and neutral colors: dont'
try to be trendy. Buy the best you can afford in natural fabrics, in your correct size, get them altered if they don't
fit properly. Then take care of them. Invest in well made leather shoes, and take care of them (keep them clean &
polished). Our feet are much more important than most people treat them. Work with what you have: if you have straight
hair work with that. If you have curly hair work with that. It is little use trying to fight it if you dont' have
experience and an investment in lots of product. Keep your hair clean & tidy. Get a good hair cut and keep it
healthy and tidy. Find a good product for flyaway or dry hair. (but a little goes a long way. Don't drown your hair in
product) That's it. All my wisdom I impart on you, my child, and you will look a million dollars! ;o)
[/quote:eb52bb450e]
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View entire thread: New QI!!! and dog toys
Posted by Georg on Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:19 PM Post subject: Re: New QI!!! and dog toys
Charlotte Hippen wrote: [quote:c09665e6c4]I think I'm going to do like blackrose (I believe) suggested and cut strips of
fleece for tug of war toys. I think I'll also sew up some bone and basic shaped toys using it. I wonder if baby
(human) toys made from fleece would work. I've seen a couple of ball variations on the internet that I may try. Sorry I
don't know the links right now, but will try to remember to post them later. I will also post any results I have with
them for you. I think someone (for some reason I want to say butterfly but am probably wrong) used some embroidery
minkie patterns for making cat toys. If your interested, it should be in the archives since I read it here.
[/quote:c09665e6c4] The caveat with giving puppies human toys- make sure there are no buttons or ribbons to chew off
and that it is stuffed with stuffing and not beads. Otherwise, it ought to be okay. Tyson's trip to the vet to be
neutered turned into a happy ending for him - someone there saw him and thought of a home for him, so he'll go
straight to a happy forever home. I am pleased. (yes, I have checked out the home/new owner). -georg
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View entire thread: Etal metal fabrics on sale
Posted by Estelle Gallagher on Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:54 PM Post subject: Re: Etal metal fabrics on sale
Yep it worked but you do have to be a bit patient and hold it quite close and of course keep moving, I did start to
scorce at one stage but noticed in time! "Kathy Applebaum" <KathyA@KayneyNOSPAMQuilting.com> wrote in
message news:fQcsg.168138$F_3.148722@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net... [quote:5fc54504f8] "Estelle Gallagher"
<gallagher11@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:ZsKdnYxUAfAY0SzZRVny3g@bt.com... I just got (Thursday) a mixed
sample/scrap bag and of course had to try it out immediately!!I cut out petals from the bronze, and sculptured,curled
them with my heat gun, the flower sewed to the handbag very nicely and then I sewed on beads too! I liked working with
it!Trying to come up with more ideas to use the other colours! Oooh, thanks for the heat gun idea! I never thought of
that. *rubbing hands in glee* -- Kathy A. (Woodland, CA) Queen of Fabric Tramps http://www.kayneyquilting.com ,
mailto:KathyA@KayneyNOSPAMQuilting.com remove the obvious to reply [/quote:5fc54504f8]
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View entire thread: Etal metal fabrics on sale
Posted by Kathy Applebaum on Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:31 PM Post subject: Re: Etal metal fabrics on sale
"Estelle Gallagher" <gallagher11@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:ZsKdnYxUAfAY0SzZRVny3g@bt.com...
[quote:b049e71c9c]I just got (Thursday) a mixed sample/scrap bag and of course had to try it out immediately!!I cut out
petals from the bronze, and sculptured,curled them with my heat gun, the flower sewed to the handbag very nicely and
then I sewed on beads too! I liked working with it!Trying to come up with more ideas to use the other colours!
[/quote:b049e71c9c] Oooh, thanks for the heat gun idea! I never thought of that. *rubbing hands in glee* -- Kathy A.
(Woodland, CA) Queen of Fabric Tramps http://www.kayneyquilting.com , mailto:KathyA@KayneyNOSPAMQuilting.com remove the
obvious to reply
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View entire thread: Etal metal fabrics on sale
Posted by Estelle Gallagher on Sun Jul 09, 2006 7:35 PM Post subject: Re: Etal metal fabrics on sale
I just got (Thursday) a mixed sample/scrap bag and of course had to try it out immediately!!I cut out petals from the
bronze, and sculptured,curled them with my heat gun, the flower sewed to the handbag very nicely and then I sewed on
beads too! I liked working with it!Trying to come up with more ideas to use the other colours! -- Estelle UK http://u
k.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gallagher11@btinternet.com/album?.dir=c431&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a
//uk.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." <quilteacher@yahoo.com> wrote in
message news:1152380700.273727.309280@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
[quote:5c3da4e0fe]http://www.sewthankful.com/TheBIGDEALPage.html Scroll down to the bottom of the page. NAYY- you're
welcome! Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. [/quote:5c3da4e0fe]
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View entire thread: On hand piecing and crazy quilting...
Posted by teleflora on Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:47 AM Post subject: Re: crazy quilting...
Ok, I really enjoyed looking at your site. Thank you so much for posting. I am jealous of your Morel hunting. It
wasn't a good year for us, too dry last winter. I noticed that your husband carries his haul in a plastic bag. We
always did too until I read that you should use an open weave type sack, an onion sack or the like. The article said
the spores will drop through and make more mushroom fields next year. And girls, you will notice that there are no
distinguishing landmarks as to where Lisa hunts for her beloved Morels. Mushroom hunting is kind of like diamond
hunting. You guard your "Good Spots"! Right, Lisa? Your work is beautiful. I just now came out of my room.
I've been trying to come up with some kind of organized way to keep my new obsession (Crazy Quilting) under control.
I don't want to just lump in my fabric and embellishments with all my other quilting, beading stashes. Maybe I need a
separate room. Hmmmmm. Cindy "Lisa Caryl" <caryl@nospamnetins.net> wrote in message
news:e8krkj$rla$1@news.netins.net... [quote:0f511526e0]On to crazy quilting questions...do you pin pieces on as you go
or just hold it in place to sew? How do you make sure you are getting a 1/4" seam allowance (I should know what it
looks like without measuring, but I don't yet)? Anything else you can tell me from your own list of do's and don'ts
would be appreciated. Hi Dannielle, You'll find good info on crazy quilting here: http://www.caron-
net.com/classes/classmayfiles/clasmay1.html And here: http://www.cqmagonline.com/ This is a free online magazine
devoted to crazy quilting My friend Martha also has a very unique, interesting piecing method that is described along
with photos on another friend's blog: http://www.allisonaller.com/cblog/index.php?/archives/2006/06/06.html and, if you
look at this link, you can see some of Martha's amazing work in our class here:
http://www.allisonaller.com/cblog/index.php?/archives/2006/06/05.html but I warn you, some of Martha's work is risqué
and includes photo transfers of female nudes. I don't find it offensive, but some people might. Seam allowance is not
an issue in cq'ing as far as the piecing goes. Something to keep in mind is that some of the fabrics you may use ravel
badly so you may want a larger seam allowance or, cut the fabric with pinking shears or a rotary pinking blade. For the
outside seam allowance, I leave extra fabric all the way around, sometimes as much as an inch because cq blocks almost
always shrink as you work on them. Machine base around the perimeter of the block, along the edge of what will be the
finished size. You can remove that basting later if your block does shrink. Do not do bead embellishment within
1/2" or so of this line so you dont break beads when sewing blocks together. Press. Just as in sane quilt making,
your block needs to lie flat. A hint for you- lower your iron temperature and consider using a pressing cloth when
dealing with multiple types of fabric......a piece of advice I should have followed myself this evening. Don't even
ask. Use any fabrics you want in your cq pieces, but do shy away from acetates as they do not hold up well. Cottons are
perfectly fine to use, I do all the time. Shop thrift stores and garage sales for silks and other fancies, keep your
eyes peeled for fancy buttons on those same garments. Only buy what you absolutely LOVE. Make plain buttons work as
fancy embellishment by sewing them on with seed beads, either tradtionally, or create loops or dangles with the beads.
Velvet is tricky to use, velveteen a bit easier, but not as flashy. I do quite a bit of crazy quilting, you can see
some of the pics of my work at the link in my siggy line if you want. Hope you have fun in your cq adventure :-) --
Lisa Caryl http://www.picturetrails.com/quiltygurl caryl@"nospam"netins.net remove the obvious to reply
[/quote:0f511526e0]
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View entire thread: On hand piecing and crazy quilting...
Posted by Lisa Caryl on Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:33 AM Post subject: Re: crazy quilting...
[quote:f99fa4b715]On to crazy quilting questions...do you pin pieces on as you go or just hold it in place to sew? How
do you make sure you are getting a 1/4" seam allowance (I should know what it looks like without measuring, but I
don't yet)? Anything else you can tell me from your own list of do's and don'ts would be appreciated.
[/quote:f99fa4b715] Hi Dannielle, You'll find good info on crazy quilting here: http://www.caron-
net.com/classes/classmayfiles/clasmay1.html And here: http://www.cqmagonline.com/ This is a free online magazine
devoted to crazy quilting My friend Martha also has a very unique, interesting piecing method that is described along
with photos on another friend's blog: http://www.allisonaller.com/cblog/index.php?/archives/2006/06/06.html and, if you
look at this link, you can see some of Martha's amazing work in our class here:
http://www.allisonaller.com/cblog/index.php?/archives/2006/06/05.html but I warn you, some of Martha's work is risqué
and includes photo transfers of female nudes. I don't find it offensive, but some people might. Seam allowance is not
an issue in cq'ing as far as the piecing goes. Something to keep in mind is that some of the fabrics you may use ravel
badly so you may want a larger seam allowance or, cut the fabric with pinking shears or a rotary pinking blade. For the
outside seam allowance, I leave extra fabric all the way around, sometimes as much as an inch because cq blocks almost
always shrink as you work on them. Machine base around the perimeter of the block, along the edge of what will be the
finished size. You can remove that basting later if your block does shrink. Do not do bead embellishment within
1/2" or so of this line so you dont break beads when sewing blocks together. Press. Just as in sane quilt making,
your block needs to lie flat. A hint for you- lower your iron temperature and consider using a pressing cloth when
dealing with multiple types of fabric......a piece of advice I should have followed myself this evening. Don't even
ask. Use any fabrics you want in your cq pieces, but do shy away from acetates as they do not hold up well. Cottons are
perfectly fine to use, I do all the time. Shop thrift stores and garage sales for silks and other fancies, keep your
eyes peeled for fancy buttons on those same garments. Only buy what you absolutely LOVE. Make plain buttons work as
fancy embellishment by sewing them on with seed beads, either tradtionally, or create loops or dangles with the beads.
Velvet is tricky to use, velveteen a bit easier, but not as flashy. I do quite a bit of crazy quilting, you can see
some of the pics of my work at the link in my siggy line if you want. Hope you have fun in your cq adventure :-) --
Lisa Caryl http://www.picturetrails.com/quiltygurl caryl@"nospam"netins.net remove the obvious to reply
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View entire thread: OT: Happy Canada Day - Life in general
Posted by Jenn/Jalynne on Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:41 PM Post subject: Re: Happy Canada Day - Life in general
((((((Carole))))))) I totally understand how you're feeling. I battled a horrible case of it until a little over 2
years ago. just don't do too much too soon! -- Jenn/Jalynne quilting, beads, scrapbooking, cross stitch and other
'crafti' obsessions http:/pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jalynne29/my_photos Live! http://kinneykreations.com
"C&S" <sawdust-nospam@primelink1.net> wrote in message news:e8641n01qdq@news3.newsguy.com...
[quote:1ba74f8940]To all our Canadian friends, Happy Canada Day! I am finally starting to feel better after my 4th
surgery from damage caused by the endometriosis. Having your abdomen cut open twice in 3 months is not my ideal of a
good time. However, being surrounded and supported by wonderful friends across the globe and being in the care of
competent and compassionate physicians/specialists made this curve ball, which looks like it will finally stop curving
soon enough, more tolerable. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! I am looking forward to quilting
again. Prior to this last surgery I took my Bernina to the dealer for a good cleaning and tune up. Can't wait to get
it back and take it for a spin! I think I need another machine. How did I think I could live with just one? It is
always a pleasure to read and see what everyone has been up too. Carole Champlain, NY [/quote:1ba74f8940]
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View entire thread: Question: Does anyone know how to make shaker boxes?
Posted by Melissa in Seattle on Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:09 AM Post subject: Re: Question: Does anyone know how to make shaker boxes?
Hi Kate, I've only done it once, many times over for a recipe swap (Azzy's Wakey Wakey Eggs n Bakey Recipe Swap) ...
and I loved it and should do more shaker boxes because it adds so much! I made a fried egg. I used foam for the egg
because I liked the texture. First I created a pattern on cardboard from an old box and cut that out and laid it on my
material (the foam). The I drew the outline of my template onto the foam. I did it twice for one egg, a bottom portion
and a top portion. On my egg I had it worked out that the egg yolk would contain the beads so on the top section of
"egg white" I had to cut out an additional circle which would form the yolk area. (the bottom egg white needed
to be closed in order to create a bottom where the beads would roll across so it did not receive the extra cut-out.
Now, because egg yolks are a different color (obviously) than egg white I used the same circle template that I used to
create the yolk in the top egg white to cut out a yellow piece of paper for the background of the shakerbox area. I
didn't have foam strips but rather foam squares that I used to life the top egg white and bottom egg white to create the
lift needed to insert the beads. I think foam strips would work better because you want to create as much of a wall as
possible to keep your beads in and the smaller your beads (fortunately mine were big) the less of a gap in the walls are
needed because you don't want those little beads to escape or your shakerbox will eventually be empty! So I had to use
the foam around the edge of where my beads were going to be in order to contain the beads. Then I also needed to use the
foam around the inside wall of my design so the entire shakerbox was of the same thickness. (This'll make sense once you
get to that stage). To create the viewing window for the shakerbox bead area I used the thick non-acidic plastic that
is sometimes used with stickers and other scrapbooking essentials (ie envelopes from creative memories stickers). I
always keep those because they are photo safe and can be cut for just this purpose. (a tip I'd read here on the ng a
long time ago.) Then I just attached it. No, it wasn't perfect but then again it was my first time. Here's a link to
see how it turned out: http://community.webshots.com/album/555154177zYEnFf Good luck! Melissa in Seattle
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View entire thread: Cutting accurately enough for welding joints
Posted by Don Foreman on Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:08 AM Post subject: Re: Cutting accurately enough for welding joints
On 3 Oct 2006 17:28:08 -0700, "gwpm57" <laserviews@msn.com> wrote: [quote:0b0da4516f]I am just a home
project, do-it-yourself, OK, hack, welder, but like to do a good job. I have made several tables, carts, shelves,
racks, etc. using my abrasive cut off saw, and the joints are pretty bad. Things come out OK in the end with jigs and a
lot of grinding. But I'd like to invest in another method of cutting steel that will give me nice straight accurate
cuts. This would be a horizontal band saw, a power hack saw, or a cold saw I assume? I see band saws on ebay for $200
to several thousand dollars. Can someone offer advice on what to look for, to avoid, etc.? I don't have a vertical
band saw, which I'd like and see that some of the horizontal saws can be operated in a vertical mode. Would I be making
compromises I'd regret with this sort of saw? Thanks, Bob [/quote:0b0da4516f] Are you sure your problem is with the
cutting? Joints that are both strong and pretty can be made even with torch-cuts. Sequence of welding to control
distortion makes more difference in carts, shelves, racks etc than precision cutting. Careful thought to what the
metal will do when the joint cools and shrinks is the key. Tack, check, bump, tack some more, check again, bump
again, then clamp to expedient jigging and run final beads. Useful aids to persuasion include a really big brass
hammer and occasionally a 10-ton portapower.... I also agree with the recommendation of a Milwaukee or Porter-Cable
portable bandsaw. I have a Milwaukee. It's one of the most useful tools I own. Reports differ on the efficacy of the
HF knockoff: some have found the cheapo satisfactory while others have not.
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View entire thread: Question for the woodworkers in the crowd...
Posted by KyMike on Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:54 PM Post subject: Re: Question for the woodworkers in the crowd...
stans4@prolynx.com wrote: [quote:46ba6faf19]Charles V. Craig wrote: Hi all, Sears had a rather rinky-dink version but
it was cheap. I haven't been to the local woodworking machinery show in the last couple of years but there were a
couple of designs that were a lot more flexible at past shows, could be had up to 6' long. Just spendy, started in the
$500 range. I haven't seen any plans for same, IIRC, the Sears version was patented. All were variations on a theme,
a couple of tubes for ways, a plastic carriage to hold the router, adjustable for depth and aircraft cable to run the
thing back and forth. The headstock had a square cup to hold the work and it could be indexed, don't know how many
index holes. Tailstock rode on the tubes and had a similar cup that freely rotated. The index part was connected to a
drum with two helices on it, same pitch as the cable diameter, one to take up, one to feed out. Crank on the end. Lots
of pulleys. The only way I could see to change the pitch of the cut helix was to change the cable drum diameter. Might
have been something like change gears on the higher-end models, but I sure didn't see any on the ones at the shows. I
think the indexing gear could be disengaged from the cable drum and locked so longitudinal flats and flutes could be cut
and the crank could be disengaged from the cable drum with the carriage locked so grooves and beads could be cut around
the circumference. "Router Crafter" is what sticks in my mind. The Sears version had very limited space
between the centers, like 18" or 24", would be a short railing or bed post. Not too useful for turning out
architectural decorations. The longer versions at the shows were a lot more interesting to me, but no immediate use for
same and no place to park it. The workpiece examples they had were neat, but I wondered how long it took to produce
each one. I also think there was a tracer function to reproduce a flat template in the round. Nothing that a good
mechanic couldn't duplicate, given a sight of the original. Stan [/quote:46ba6faf19] Router-Crafter is correct. I
found it listed in the 1986-1986 Sears tool catalog as stock # 9 HT 2525C. It was described as ideal for making chair
and table legs or decorative posts up to 3 inches square, 36 inches long. Maximum length of spirals was 22 inches long.
Its overall dimensions were 45 x 8 1/2 x 7 inches and it would fit any router that would accept 1/4 inch diameter bits,
according to the catalog. There is a picture of it and it looks fairly simple, mostly a parallel set of guide bars that
carry the router mounting platform, along with a head and tail stock. The headstock is turned by a hand crank and there
appears to be a set of pulleys and cables that pull the router platform along the guides at the same time. Price in
1986 was $74.99. The catalog also lists, but does not show, a # 9 HT 25256 Drive Adapter ($10.99) to replace the
original spindle, that allows a cut to be made over the full length of a workpiece. Sears also had a device called a
Bowl-Crafter for $79.99 that would turn a router into a sort-of lathe for short work up to 5 1/4 inches long, and from 2
1/2 to 10 inches diameter. Mike
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View entire thread: Question for the woodworkers in the crowd...
Posted by Anonymous on Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:49 PM Post subject: Re: Question for the woodworkers in the crowd...
Charles V. Craig wrote: [quote:bcd8dc5da5]Hi all, Sears USA (don't think Sears Canada did) used to\still does carry an
attachment\accessory for routers that enabled a person to make fluted & spiral table legs, posts, cut threads, etc.
Kinda like a combo lathe and milling machine for routers. I can't remember what they called it, and can't seem to find
it on either of their web sites. Does anyone have any info on this contraption? Availablility? Maybe a set of plans to
make my own? My darling wife bought me a router for Christmas a couple years ago, and I haven't used it much. This
particular accessory has always interested me, but I've not really researched it until now. Thanks, Charles
[/quote:bcd8dc5da5] Sears had a rather rinky-dink version but it was cheap. I haven't been to the local woodworking
machinery show in the last couple of years but there were a couple of designs that were a lot more flexible at past
shows, could be had up to 6' long. Just spendy, started in the $500 range. I haven't seen any plans for same, IIRC,
the Sears version was patented. All were variations on a theme, a couple of tubes for ways, a plastic carriage to
hold the router, adjustable for depth and aircraft cable to run the thing back and forth. The headstock had a square
cup to hold the work and it could be indexed, don't know how many index holes. Tailstock rode on the tubes and had a
similar cup that freely rotated. The index part was connected to a drum with two helices on it, same pitch as the cable
diameter, one to take up, one to feed out. Crank on the end. Lots of pulleys. The only way I could see to change the
pitch of the cut helix was to change the cable drum diameter. Might have been something like change gears on the
higher-end models, but I sure didn't see any on the ones at the shows. I think the indexing gear could be disengaged
from the cable drum and locked so longitudinal flats and flutes could be cut and the crank could be disengaged from the
cable drum with the carriage locked so grooves and beads could be cut around the circumference. "Router
Crafter" is what sticks in my mind. The Sears version had very limited space between the centers, like 18" or
24", would be a short railing or bed post. Not too useful for turning out architectural decorations. The longer
versions at the shows were a lot more interesting to me, but no immediate use for same and no place to park it. The
workpiece examples they had were neat, but I wondered how long it took to produce each one. I also think there was a
tracer function to reproduce a flat template in the round. Nothing that a good mechanic couldn't duplicate, given a
sight of the original. Stan
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View entire thread: Home sheet metal stamping help needed!!!
Posted by super88 on Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:33 PM Post subject: Re: Cudos to Robin S. was Re: Home sheet metal stamping help
Ok, I like the ideas you guys are giving me. A lot of is re-asserting what I kinda thought. Before I posted this
question, my idea was to make the female dies to "exact" size. Use draw beads where appropriate (hence the
questions) and press the sheet into the female with a hollow punch, just the ID of the part, to get the recess pressed
into the panel. I have tried hammerforming as one person mentions, It works well for a lot of things, but I know this
can be done with a lot less work. Everyone seems like they need a good laugh. I've posted pictures on Photobucket.
Please be kind. I should at least get an "A" for effort. I just took these today. It's been several months
since I visited this project, so things have gotten a little rusty. http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n50/tdeborde/
Keep in mind this was just a quick throw together to see how close I could get before I invested any real time or money
on materials. Let me know your thoughts. J. Nielsen wrote: [quote:d8acc6ad5b]On 27 Sep 2006 09:20:17 -0700,
"super88" <tdeborde@gatecom.com> wrote: Thanks Dan. I did do this with the first few, but didn't like
the hardening caused by the weld. It can (has) be done that way. But it's only 1" deep, there must be a hillbilly
way of doing this. It sounds as if you need to control the sheet at the corners only. You don't need a pre-loaded
binder as such, but some means to keep the corners from wrinkling. A piece of flat steel bolted diagonally across
each corner might just do the trick. How's that for a hillbilly approach <g The shape of the blank sheet is
important; If you cut corners (pun intended) the corners will draw/form more easily. Remember, you'll need *less*
material in the corners than on the sides. If you do the draw in steps, you could try annealing the critical parts (the
corners) between the draws. The sheet will work harden when cold forming. Heating to cherry red will normalize the
material. -- -JN-[/quote:d8acc6ad5b]
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View entire thread: Home sheet metal stamping help needed!!!
Posted by super88 on Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:58 PM Post subject: Re: Cudos to Robin S. was Re: Home sheet metal stamping help
Robin, WOW!! I have to say that I really appreciate your encouragement. I had thought about just using the draw punch,
but there is a slight impression in the center of the panel I'd like to get from the stamping. My whole dilemma was
where to place the draw beads, and if I understand correctly, around the corners is where I'd want them. I will follow
your direction to the best of my ability (or lack of) and see what happens. I'm still planning my next attempt, so it
may be a few weeks before the first try. I currently have about 10 hours work in the first 10 or so I made using a
welded up bar stock skeleton of a male and female die. The panel is about 21" x 30". I can sell then and
afford to buy a real press with the profits if I can make then successfully. Hence the need for one but the desire for
50. If it helps, a cutaway of the panel would look something like below. __ | | ___ |_I Tim Robin S.
wrote: [quote:76961a8055]super88 wrote: Robin, Thank you so much for you explanation!!! That is exactly the kind of
input I need. I am an Auto Tech and self taught bodyman. The part I'm needing to make is actually an inner door panel
from a late 1920's car. I suspect the original part was crush formed, but since I don't have the proper equipment,
that's not happening. That was how I performed my first attempts, and the panel is perfect, except for the corners.
From a die maker's perspective, the panel usually is never "perfect". Indeed, cars go *out* of production with
cosmetic and dimensional issues still in the dies. Just too expensive/difficult to fix. The part is slightly concave,
wich I've managed to achieve. I will try using the draw bead approach (When I said binder, that's actually what I meant)
Surface finish is not terribly important. At that point, you should only really be worried about thinning in the rads.
When you shine a light from the top of the rads down, if you see any slight shadow which looks like a line running along
the rad, that's probably thinning. Mind you, this isn't easy to see, but you should be at least aware of it. You should
ease off the bead until it disappears. If your panel splits at the beginning, remember these areas as they will continue
to be in danger of thinning/splitting even after you think you've gotten rid of it. I'm by no means a die maker, but I
have set myself on a mission. It's not a very complex piece, which is why when I look at it I say," I can make
this". If I fail, I fail. But if I succeed...oh the pride. I would like to get 50 parts out, but I only need one. I
looked into having the part made, and your estimate was about right, even for the short run. BTW, the Die is poured of
alloy. (yes I built a smelter capable of 50 lbs Al). If I succeed, and even if I don't, I'd be happy to share the
results. Any more suggestions would be great. I'm open to any ideas. Well, unfortunately the actual technique required
to tryout your die is not something I can write about. Remember that the draw punch (male) is master to the cavity.
Further, cavity is then master to the binder. I'm not sure how much spotting you'll end up doing, but *never* adjust the
draw punch! It must stay flat and straight in all respects. Do not grind it. Only stone and polish it as required. I
wouldn't even recommend using a draw cavity really (the female part) given your requirements. Basically the binder must
hold the sheet metal before the draw punch makes contact. Once the panel is held, the punch is pushed into the sheet and
the sheet is drawn over it (all motion is relative). So, one half (we'll say the "lower" as it would be in
toolmaking terms) will have your draw puch, and your binder, which sits above the top of the draw punch when the die is
open, and below the bottom of the rads on the draw punch when the die is in the closed position. So that's two main
parts. The third (on the "upper" side) will be a ring which faces the binder. The ring will have pockets to
accomodate the draw beads on the binder. Given your requirements, it should be sufficient to have the ring and the
binder be as flat as can be made, ideally surface ground, but machined would likely work (indeed, perhaps having just
cold-rolled finish would work for you). Balance blocks probably won't be necessary to get your one or 50 parts. The
binder and the ring should be of adequate thickness to not flex when the punch goes through. You didn't specify the
outside dimensions of your panel, but probably steel plate roughly 3/4-1" thich would be alright. You may get away
with less (you won't know any of this until you try). Since your production run is so small, you can probably just use
c-clamps or whatever to hold the panel between the binder and ring. Nuts to the springs. A note on beads. You may find
it much simpler to just weld the beads on and spot them into the pockets on the ring (use a die grinder with carbide
burr to make the pockets). The beads cannot have a "welded" finish. They must be welded too large and then
ground down until they are straight (with rads over which the metal flows) and have only bare metal. Again, hard to
describe, easy to show. Mig or stick is your best bet. Whatever will stick to the binder. Understand that if the panel,
during drawing, flows over the beads and then off the beads completely, you will get excessive flow at the end of the
stroke. What I'm saying is that you need to make your blank panels big enough such that they do not get sucked past the
beads once the panel is hit. Mind you, you *can* use this to your advantage when performing tryout. If you're not
getting enough flow, cut your blank back in the torn/thinning areas and you'll notice greater flow (similar effect of
actually grinding the beads). BTW, grinding straight beads is done with a disc grinder using the flat face of the disc.
Do NOT use the bloody edge of the grinder wheel! You will take the straightness out of the bead and it's a pain to get
it back. Remember to always recreate your rads once you've reduced the height of the bead. Not having rads will give you
splits and thinning (and overall wacky results). Grinding beads which follow a rad is done with a die grinder. Use a
carbide burr to remove material quickly, and always finish with a pink stone to give a nice finish and to cut the rads
again. Stoning your beads after grinding them is *highly* recommended unless you're getting huge splits down the panel,
in which case stoning them is only a drop in the bucket. The above are general guidelines. Your milage *will* vary.
Keep your expectations low and you'll be surprised by your results. How many hours did you plan on investing in this
little diddy? Can you sell the panels? Regards, Robin[/quote:76961a8055]
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View entire thread: Home sheet metal stamping help needed!!!
Posted by Robin S. on Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:20 PM Post subject: Re: Cudos to Robin S. was Re: Home sheet metal stamping help
super88 wrote: [quote:2983d243c5]Robin, Thank you so much for you explanation!!! That is exactly the kind of input I
need. I am an Auto Tech and self taught bodyman. The part I'm needing to make is actually an inner door panel from a
late 1920's car. I suspect the original part was crush formed, but since I don't have the proper equipment, that's not
happening. That was how I performed my first attempts, and the panel is perfect, except for the corners. From a die
maker's perspective, the panel usually is never "perfect". Indeed, cars go *out* of production with cosmetic
and dimensional[/quote:2983d243c5] issues still in the dies. Just too expensive/difficult to fix. [quote:2983d243c5]The
part is slightly concave, wich I've managed to achieve. I will try using the draw bead approach (When I said binder,
that's actually what I meant) Surface finish is not terribly important. [/quote:2983d243c5] At that point, you should
only really be worried about thinning in the rads. When you shine a light from the top of the rads down, if you see any
slight shadow which looks like a line running along the rad, that's probably thinning. Mind you, this isn't easy to see,
but you should be at least aware of it. You should ease off the bead until it disappears. If your panel splits at the
beginning, remember these areas as they will continue to be in danger of thinning/splitting even after you think you've
gotten rid of it. [quote:2983d243c5]I'm by no means a die maker, but I have set myself on a mission. It's not a very
complex piece, which is why when I look at it I say," I can make this". If I fail, I fail. But if I
succeed...oh the pride. I would like to get 50 parts out, but I only need one. I looked into having the part made, and
your estimate was about right, even for the short run. BTW, the Die is poured of alloy. (yes I built a smelter capable
of 50 lbs Al). If I succeed, and even if I don't, I'd be happy to share the results. Any more suggestions would be
great. I'm open to any ideas. [/quote:2983d243c5] Well, unfortunately the actual technique required to tryout your die
is not something I can write about. Remember that the draw punch (male) is master to the cavity. Further, cavity is
then master to the binder. I'm not sure how much spotting you'll end up doing, but *never* adjust the draw punch! It
must stay flat and straight in all respects. Do not grind it. Only stone and polish it as required. I wouldn't even
recommend using a draw cavity really (the female part) given your requirements. Basically the binder must hold the sheet
metal before the draw punch makes contact. Once the panel is held, the punch is pushed into the sheet and the sheet is
drawn over it (all motion is relative). So, one half (we'll say the "lower" as it would be in toolmaking
terms) will have your draw puch, and your binder, which sits above the top of the draw punch when the die is open, and
below the bottom of the rads on the draw punch when the die is in the closed position. So that's two main parts. The
third (on the "upper" side) will be a ring which faces the binder. The ring will have pockets to accomodate
the draw beads on the binder. Given your requirements, it should be sufficient to have the ring and the binder be as
flat as can be made, ideally surface ground, but machined would likely work (indeed, perhaps having just cold-rolled
finish would work for you). Balance blocks probably won't be necessary to get your one or 50 parts. The binder and the
ring should be of adequate thickness to not flex when the punch goes through. You didn't specify the outside dimensions
of your panel, but probably steel plate roughly 3/4-1" thich would be alright. You may get away with less (you
won't know any of this until you try). Since your production run is so small, you can probably just use c-clamps or
whatever to hold the panel between the binder and ring. Nuts to the springs. A note on beads. You may find it much
simpler to just weld the beads on and spot them into the pockets on the ring (use a die grinder with carbide burr to
make the pockets). The beads cannot have a "welded" finish. They must be welded too large and then ground down
until they are straight (with rads over which the metal flows) and have only bare metal. Again, hard to describe, easy
to show. Mig or stick is your best bet. Whatever will stick to the binder. Understand that if the panel, during
drawing, flows over the beads and then off the beads completely, you will get excessive flow at the end of the stroke.
What I'm saying is that you need to make your blank panels big enough such that they do not get sucked past the beads
once the panel is hit. Mind you, you *can* use this to your advantage when performing tryout. If you're not getting
enough flow, cut your blank back in the torn/thinning areas and you'll notice greater flow (similar effect of actually
grinding the beads). BTW, grinding straight beads is done with a disc grinder using the flat face of the disc. Do NOT
use the bloody edge of the grinder wheel! You will take the straightness out of the bead and it's a pain to get it back.
Remember to always recreate your rads once you've reduced the height of the bead. Not having rads will give you splits
and thinning (and overall wacky results). Grinding beads which follow a rad is done with a die grinder. Use a carbide
burr to remove material quickly, and always finish with a pink stone to give a nice finish and to cut the rads again.
Stoning your beads after grinding them is *highly* recommended unless you're getting huge splits down the panel, in
which case stoning them is only a drop in the bucket. The above are general guidelines. Your milage *will* vary. Keep
your expectations low and you'll be surprised by your results. How many hours did you plan on investing in this little
diddy? Can you sell the panels? Regards, Robin
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View entire thread: Sandblasting advice
Posted by Stealth Pilot on Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:53 PM Post subject: Re: Sandblasting advice
On 27 Jul 2006 07:15:01 -0700, "mlcorson" <mlcorson@njc-ids.com> wrote: [quote:28a2b808be]Hello all: I
am working on a series of metal, welded sculptures that I would like to gently sandblast or clean to bare metal without
texturing the metal. Mostly mild steel, hot rolled, cold rolled, etc. These include bars, pieces of sheet, pipe cutoffs,
tubes and bar stock. Some have mill scale some do not. I usually finish it to bare metal, remove cut lines, grind off
any imperfections. My point is that they are not super smooth even in their final form. In the past, I have typically
finished the surface to almost final form and then done my welding and assembly. Then, all is required is some touch up
to the final form. I put a lot of work into this pre-finishing and discovered it can greatly impede my creativity.
Sometimes I abandon a part that I spent a great deal of time working on. More often, I feel compelled to use it because
of the effort it took to prep it. I'd like to either speed up the pre-finish by softly sandblasting (without the tiny
pits) the pieces before assembly and/or hit them with something after assembly. I've heard of walnut shells, or plastic
sandblast media. Does anyone have experience with these? TIA -Mike St. Louis, MO [/quote:28a2b808be] from experience
beadblasting an entire aircraft. use a rounded blast media . glass beads of a type called ballottini come in many
grades.in my aircraft work I used two buckets full of them about eleven thousand times. I just swept them up and passed
them through a flyscreen filter to remove the detritus. I used AH grade to good effect. water washed dry sand which is
quite rounded also works really well. the way to prevent peening of the surface is to either reduce the pressure in the
airline or to direct the gun at an angle to the surface rather than perpendicular to the surface. my setup used one of
those taiwanese units sold in discount auto shops. they work quite well. at 120psi the beads will remove rust and peen
the surface with a finish that accepts paint really well. at about 80psi the action is gentler and at about 60 psi you
can have the gun perpendicular for quite some time with just a polishing action. btw you dont need to do all the
surface at once. just bead blast the welding areas first to clean them and then after the welding is all complete go
back over and finish the job. btw the use of a single compressor is futile ( I have months of experience behind the
comment) go and hire a trailer mounted compressor. these will give continuous air pressure for the duration of the job.
with a home workshop compressor you will be waiting for most of the time for pumpup to occur. I thought with a
15cuft/min unit I'd be ok but to me the hand nozzles all seem to need about 60cuft/min of air. ...and the job takes
forever. the bead blasting booth bears comment as well. you only need the thinest of plastic sheets to contain the
beads. I use a frame suspended from the ceiling which is draped in light weight plastic sheet paint drop cloths. when
pegged up at the corners it contains the beads really well. use air filters for your breathing air and a face mask and
gloves. my face mask is an old welding helmet with a clear plastic piece in the lens. I tape a piece of transparent
plastic sheet over the lens area and this takes all the abrasion. it gets replaced when it becomes frosted. Stealth
Pilot
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View entire thread: Sandblasting advice
Posted by edangell on Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:43 PM Post subject: Re: Sandblasting advice
"mlcorson" <mlcorson@njc-ids.com> wrote in message
news:1154009701.051901.289930@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com... [quote:4bfe6a2e5d]Hello all: I am working on a series of
metal, welded sculptures that I would like to gently sandblast or clean to bare metal without texturing the metal.
Mostly mild steel, hot rolled, cold rolled, etc. These include bars, pieces of sheet, pipe cutoffs, tubes and bar stock.
Some have mill scale some do not. I usually finish it to bare metal, remove cut lines, grind off any imperfections. My
point is that they are not super smooth even in their final form. In the past, I have typically finished the surface to
almost final form and then done my welding and assembly. Then, all is required is some touch up to the final form. I put
a lot of work into this pre-finishing and discovered it can greatly impede my creativity. Sometimes I abandon a part
that I spent a great deal of time working on. More often, I feel compelled to use it because of the effort it took to
prep it. I'd like to either speed up the pre-finish by softly sandblasting (without the tiny pits) the pieces before
assembly and/or hit them with something after assembly. I've heard of walnut shells, or plastic sandblast media. Does
anyone have experience with these? TIA -Mike St. Louis, MO Try glass beads, they leave a great
surface.[/quote:4bfe6a2e5d] Ed Angell
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View entire thread: Why all the fuss about white gold?
Posted by Frosty on Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:45 PM Post subject: Re: Why all the fuss about white gold?
I downloaded new messages from rec.crafts.jewelry on Sun, 15 Oct 2006 06:19:56 GMT, and "Peter W.. Rowe,"
<rec.crafts.jewelry@earthlink.net> vomited forth this bit of wisdom : [quote:d7c2b48754]On Sat, 14 Oct 2006
22:55:16 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry Frosty clause39@yahoo.com> wrote: I notice a lot of fuss on Orchid about
(nickel alloyed) white gold and the assumption that it's so difficult to work with, i.e., cracking and stuff. I have no
problem with it whatsoever. I wonder what all the brew-ha-ha is all about? Frosty A lot of this depends on just which
alloy you're trying to work with, and in what karat. The longtime "standard" 14K white gold, such as most
standard die struck findings are made of, isn't so bad to work with. But it's color isn't optimal either. White golds
vary from those with somewhat "softer" or warmer colors (ie, they're noticeably yellow tinged) to those that
are icy white, as white as the platinum group metals. Some of the original white gold alloys, often found in antique
items from the early part of the 20th century are pretty white. But if you've ever worked on these things, you know
that metal is rather hard, and quite brittle sometimes. And many times, these are 14K. In general, the 18K white
golds, if very white, are even worse. it's not that they cannot be worked, it's just that they're temperamental and
sometimes unpredictable. Annealing technique is critical to whether it's reasonably soft. Do it just a little wrong,
and you can cause fracturing, or even increase the hardness. And Casting these alloys in simpler equipment (torch melt,
for example) is difficult in terms of getting consist ant castings without porosity problems (something that's variable
in perception, since some goldsmiths simply aren't as pickly about porosity, often due to preferences for finishes on
the jewelry that don't show it as much, or simply that they've never worked with white gold that doesn't do that, so
they take it for granted) For some time, in our shop, we tried multiple variations of the super white, or at least
white enough so as to not need rhodium, 18K white golds. They all had problems somewhere. Few could be cast
consistently, using an electric melt, graphite crucible furnace or a torch to melt, with vacuum casting. Just too high
an incidence of castings with too much porosity. And the castings that weren't too porous, or those which we'd manage
to repair sufficiently via lots of burnishing and/or laser welding, were still problems when it came to setting the
stones. A constant stream of nasty language from the diamond setters, due to just plain hard metal, hard enough to make
raising beads and bright cutting difficult, or metal that just didn't want to move even with pretty aggressive
hammering. And just when they'd think they about had a ring all set, they'd find one or two beads cracking off. That,
at least, we could fix with the laser, but still... We finally gave up on the very white alloys. We're now using a
"soft" white gold alloy from Stuller. Still occasional problems with porosity, but not so amazingly bad all
the time, and the castings, once annealed, can be set without too much trouble. The downside is that the stuff very
much does need an rhodium finish when done, if you want the color to be truly white, as most of our clients want it.
And even this alloy isn't totally predictable. Every now and then we find odd inclusions in the metal. Whiter and
harder than the gold, but more aggressively attacked by acid. Not magnetic. Slightly crumbly when cut with a diamond
grinding point (the stuff tends to dull a bur). Not sure what it is. Either some unalloyed component that Stuller
didn't fully melt, or nickel carbides forming from the crucible (not sure about that, but someone mentioned the
possibility once...) or? Annoying. Usually found in chunks coming to the surface which, by the time I've ground out
the whole offending inclusion, leaves a 2-3 mm wide cavity in the ring I then have to fill in with the laser. So if you
have no trouble with nickel white golds, thank your lucky stars that you happen to be working with one of the more
tractable versions of the alloy. And if you'd like some physical exercise, obtain some of any of the superwhite 18K
alloys. Cast an ingot, roll and draw down to fine wire. Just see how hard you have to work to do that, compared with
yellow golds... Then melt the wire down into an ingot again, and repeat. See if you can get it to work the same way,
twice or three times in a row. Or, for real fun, use some of that wire to fabricate a nice cluster prong head for a
half dozen stones or so, and put a shank on it. Polish up, feel proud, and THEN try to set the damn thing with emeralds
or something else a bit brittle. See how much that damn springy wire makes it hard to get stones tight without breaking
them. Have fun. Peter [/quote:d7c2b48754] Yikes!! Well, I'll have to pass thanx anyway. Last year I made a platinum
wedding band for my wife. She said she wished her engagement ring was platinum too. I rhodium plated her 14KY engagement
ring. That was 9 months ago. It's still nice and white. Frosty (Nobody here has ever asked what this following bit of
Latin translates to, but I'll tell you now anyway: "Let's all wear mood rings!") -- Anulos qui animum
ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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View entire thread: Why all the fuss about white gold?
Posted by Peter W.. Rowe, on Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:19 AM Post subject: Re: Why all the fuss about white gold?
On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 22:55:16 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry Frosty <clause39@yahoo.com> wrote: [quote:ca99030bc6]I
notice a lot of fuss on Orchid about (nickel alloyed) white gold and the assumption that it's so difficult to work with,
i.e., cracking and stuff. I have no problem with it whatsoever. I wonder what all the brew-ha-ha is all about? Frosty
[/quote:ca99030bc6] A lot of this depends on just which alloy you're trying to work with, and in what karat. The
longtime "standard" 14K white gold, such as most standard die struck findings are made of, isn't so bad to
work with. But it's color isn't optimal either. White golds vary from those with somewhat "softer" or warmer
colors (ie, they're noticably yellow tinged) to those that are icy white, as white as the platinum group metals. Some
of the original white gold alloys, often found in antique items from the early part of the 20th century are pretty
white. But if you've ever worked on these things, you know that metal is rather hard, and quite brittle sometimes. And
many times, these are 14K. In general, the 18K white golds, if very white, are even worse. it's not that they cannot
be worked, it's just that they're tempermental and sometimes unpredictable. Annealing technique is critical to whether
it's reasonably soft. Do it just a little wrong, and you can cause fracturing, or even increase the hardness. And
Casting these alloys in simpler equipment (torch melt, for example) is difficult in terms of getting consistant
castings without porosity problems (something that's variable in perception, since some goldsmiths simply aren't as
pickly about porosity, often due to preferences for finishes on the jewelry that don't show it as much, or simply that
they've never worked with white gold that doesn't do that, so they take it for granted) For some time, in our shop, we
tried multiple variations of the super white, or at least white enough so as to not need rhodium, 18K white golds. They
all had problems somewhere. Few could be cast consistently, using an electric melt, graphite crucible furnace or a
torch to melt, with vacuum casting. Just too high an incidence of castings with too much porosity. And the castings
that weren't too porous, or those which we'd manage to repair sufficiently via lots of burnishing and/or laser welding,
were still problems when it came to setting the stones. A constant stream of nasty language from the diamond setters,
due to just plain hard metal, hard enough to make raising beads and bright cutting difficult, or metal that just didn't
want to move even with pretty aggressive hammering. And just when they'd think they about had a ring all set, they'd
find one or two beads cracking off. That, at least, we could fix with the laser, but still... We finally gave up on
the very white alloys. We're now using a "soft" white gold alloy from Stuller. Still occasional problems
with porosity, but not so amazingly bad all the time, and the castings, once annealed, can be set without too much
trouble. The downside is that the stuff very much does need an rhodium finish when done, if you want the color to be
truly white, as most of our clients want it. And even this alloy isn't totally predictable. Every now and then we find
odd inclusions in the metal. Whiter and harder than the gold, but more aggresively attacked by acid. Not magnetic.
Slightly crumbly when cut with a diamond grinding point (the stuff tends to dull a bur). Not sure what it is. Either
some unalloyed componant that Stuller didn't fully melt, or nickle carbides forming from the crucible (not sure about
that, but someone mentioned the possibility once...) or? Annoying. Usually found in chunks coming to the surface
which, by the time I've ground out the whole offending inclusion, leaves a 2-3 mm wide cavity in the ring I then have to
fill in with the laser. So if you have no trouble with nickel white golds, thank your lucky stars that you happen to
be working with one of the more tractable versions of the alloy. And if you'd like some physical exercise, obtain some
of any of the superwhite 18K alloys. Cast an ingot, roll and draw down to fine wire. Just see how hard you have to
work to do that, compared with yellow golds... Then melt the wire down into an ingot again, and repeat. See if you can
get it to work the same way, twice or three times in a row. Or, for real fun, use some of that wire to fabricate a
nice cluster prong head for a half dozen stones or so, and put a shank on it. Polish up, feel proud, and THEN try to
set the damn thing with emeralds or something else a bit brittle. See how much that damn springy wire makes it hard to
get stones tight without breaking them. Have fun. Peter
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View entire thread: the secret to a perfect crimp?
Posted by Marilee J. Layman on Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:40 AM Post subject: Re: the secret to a perfect crimp?
On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 17:24:54 GMT, "texastwostep" <atomicflare@gmail.com> wrote: [quote:ae966ffbbe]I am
using the side cutter already. maybe i'm just no good at this! [/quote:ae966ffbbe] Put some tension on the loose end,
use the side cutter, and the tiny bit you don't cut will go back under the bead. [quote:ae966ffbbe]Marilee J. Layman
wrote: On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:16:21 GMT, "texastwostep" atomicflare@gmail.com> wrote: I think I am doing
well on my crimping. The question I have is this: When I crimp the closing bead to put the clasp on, I leave enough
stringing wire to go through 2-3 beads. I have learned from some that I am supposed to nip the wire so that it doesn't
show. However, I have purchased jewelry that has the final extra length of wire, from the closing crimp, not appear
nipped, but instead placed directly under the bead, where no nip shows at all. Is there a trick to this? Is done with
tweezers to get that wire directly situated beneath the 2nd or 3rd closing bead to where the nip doesn't show, even upon
scrutiny? Use a side-cutter. -- Marilee J. Layman http://mjlayman.livejournal.com/ --[/quote:ae966ffbbe] Marilee J.
Layman http://mjlayman.livejournal.com/
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View entire thread: Bead show reports - chime in, everyone!!
Posted by Patti on Mon Nov 06, 2006 9:42 PM Post subject: Bead show reports - chime in, everyone!!
So, how was BABE? What did everyone buy? How about the Portland Bead Society show - how did Kalera and Paulette do? I
went to the Innovative show in NJ. I managed, with a lot of difficulty, to restrain myself. I bought some 6mm Bali daisy
spacers, some great lampwork beads in pairs from Nolly Gelsinger (Nolly's Folly), some 8mm jade and a diamond shaped
Jade centerpiece for myself and some square cut green calcedony for a bracelet for a customer. The show was in a much
better location this year, a Doubletree hotel as opposed to a noisy, hot, smelly armory. There were several lampworkers
there, lots of dealers with mixed Czech glass, one Swarovski dealer, two dealers with Bali, one of which had Karen Hill
Tribe as well, and several gem dealers. I thought the gem prices and quality were outstanding and wish I had more of a
budget. I also saw some interesting thin, Boro beads (deep purple with dichroic accents) in a curved, flat shape, these
are Italian glass or at least they had an Italian name on them, there were different shapes available, selling 5 for
$20.00. Nolly and I had dinner afterwards which was great fun. Patti
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View entire thread: Catching !
Posted by glass guy on Tue Nov 07, 2006 4:45 PM Post subject: Re: Catching !
Hello Cheryl: Yep, right side. She is doing amazingly well, using crutches now and went for a three block walk with
them yesterday. She is even talking about dancing now!! I am so grateful that she had no complications, I was hearing
horror stories about blood clots and infection that had me extremely worried. Thanks for the support! David
"Cheryl" <DragnBead@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1162875714.890618.158130@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com... [quote:3c5a6ab5bd]Hip replacement? Well - I am sure you
are a good cook, bottle washer, and nurse!!! hard to make time for beads when life is hectic -- I know...! Cheryl
glass guy wrote: Hello everyone: I apologise for not posting for awhile, have been busy with trying to keep up with
all of the stuff that life is about, at the moment I am the nurse person ( I cook, I clean, I install her socks),for my
DW, who is recovering from fairly serious skeletal type surgery. This leaves me in the envious position of being an
armchair expert on the subject, so I will now regale all of you with the interesting details of what she went th
[crash{]]] they cut off the top of her femur, th))smack!!!, Ow! I guess not, but I must say that ))thud]]Honey! the
....Honey!! Anyway, it's good to be back among my old pals here on good old RCB, I am still posting on eBay, same old
same old, focals five days a week. I think she is recovering well.... David [/quote:3c5a6ab5bd]
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View entire thread: Catching !
Posted by Cheryl on Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:01 AM Post subject: Re: Catching !
Hip replacement? Well - I am sure you are a good cook, bottle washer, and nurse!!! hard to make time for beads when
life is hectic -- I know...! Cheryl glass guy wrote: [quote:3c2b59dc09]Hello everyone: I apologise for not posting
for awhile, have been busy with trying to keep up with all of the stuff that life is about, at the moment I am the nurse
person ( I cook, I clean, I install her socks),for my DW, who is recovering from fairly serious skeletal type surgery.
This leaves me in the envious position of being an armchair expert on the subject, so I will now regale all of you with
the interesting details of what she went th [crash{]]] they cut off the top of her femur, th))smack!!!, Ow! I guess
not, but I must say that ))thud]]Honey! the ....Honey!! Anyway, it's good to be back among my old pals here on good old
RCB, I am still posting on eBay, same old same old, focals five days a week. I think she is recovering well....
David[/quote:3c2b59dc09]
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View entire thread: First time at the torch this past week.
Posted by Michael LeBlanc on Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:09 PM Post subject: Re: First time at the torch this past week.
I assumed it was fine since the woman I bought it off of was using it for her beads. But... now that you have explained
some of the differences... there is a bunch that is large pieces.. but then there is just as much that are small pieces
and/or strips. Thanks Cheryl! - Michael Cheryl wrote: [quote:03b076f34b]Michael - the dichro is probably NOT
compatible.... some people sell scrap theatre lens dichro by the pound - may be what you got... is this cut in little
thin strips about 1/4 inch wide - or is it broken up pieces ? If the pieces - it's prob old lenses -- it is not very
compatible with the soft glass you are using. anytime you are layering though - you really need annealing - stress
between the layers.... get a kiln!!! Cheryl [/quote:03b076f34b]
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View entire thread: First time at the torch this past week.
Posted by Cheryl on Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:42 AM Post subject: Re: First time at the torch this past week.
Michael - the dichro is probably NOT compatible.... some people sell scrap theatre lens dichro by the pound - may be
what you got... is this cut in little thin strips about 1/4 inch wide - or is it broken up pieces ? If the pieces - it's
prob old lenses -- it is not very compatible with the soft glass you are using. anytime you are layering though - you
really need annealing - stress between the layers.... get a kiln!!! Cheryl Michael LeBlanc wrote:
[quote:ce846d4772]Dawn, Thanks for the tip! I actually tried that very thing on Sunday night with just ONE bead (the
rest I put in the fiber pad which has been pretty successful thus far) and it turned out fine.. so I may attempt using
the vermiculite again. I made a handful of them last night and I am now starting to control my glass usage. We were
looking at some of my earlier ones and they were MONSTERS! My wife has since then challenged me to make crow beads for
her since that is the size she typically uses. Although I do keep telling her that these beads may not be durable
enough for her usage. I also noticed a pattern last night as I was scanning through the container that holds all of my
finished beads. Most of the 10 that have broken thus far are all ones that have dichroic glass in them. I think the
only ones that have survived are ones where there were only small pieces of the dichroic glass in them. I scored a hit
on picking up dichroics from a local woman that was getting out of doing glasswork.. bags and bags of it (about 3 lbs of
it) for $30.00.. and that price included the crock pot, lots of fiber pad, rakes and picks and what not, torch mount
marver, and a bunch of silver smithing supplies (which my wife is getting into). Anyhow.. I am thinking that since I do
not know the exact COE of the dichroics, that this might be the problem. I made the leap that since the prior owner was
working with a hot head torch then she would have to be working in softer glass.. so why would she have dichroics that
were different!? Perhaps that's a bad assumption on my part... but is there a way to tell COE (I wouldn't think so..
but figured I'd ask). One other thing my wife and I were talking about last night... since she, in the past, did a lot
of ceramics, is there a kiln out there that will do double-duty? Glass and Ceramics? Thanks again.... - Michael
Dawn >^..^< wrote: Hi Michael, Welcome to the group, and welcome to the wonderful world of melting glass!!! The
beads are cracking along the mandrel due to shock (cooling to fast). Back when I first started making beads I used the
crockpot with vermiculite in it for the first few weeks while I was learning. I kept it on high while I made beads,
adding them to the pot as I went. When I was finished, I just turned the pot off, and didn't touch them until the pot
was completely cool. (Tell your wife "No peeking!"....LOL!) Also, you want to keep your bead small, like maybe
10 - 12mm or so. This is a good method for just starting out while you're learning, but eventually you'll want to get a
kiln so you can properly anneal your beads. And once you do, you could even batch anneal the beads that survived the
crockpot. Good luck, and happy torching! -- Dawn "Art Insomnia" Web Site http://www.art-insomnia.com
Auctions http://tinyurl.com/qyva7 [/quote:ce846d4772]
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View entire thread: What are you working on now?
Posted by Kandice Seeber on Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:28 PM Post subject: Re: What are you working on now?
Well, nothing truly beady right now (other than making beads for sale), but for the last year I have been working on a
cross stitch - a large wizard. It's so cool - and I am finally nearing the end! It's in mostly dark purple colors,
with vibrant fuschia added in. I love stitching in the evenings after work. :) The cool thing about this particular
piece is that there are little gold celestial charms to put on it after all the stitching is done. Here's a really bad
picture of it I found online: http://www.marilyns.com/detail.cfm?ID=110 It's much brighter and more rich in person.
-- Kandice Seeber www.lampwork.net Vote for my site! http://tinyurl.com/bbcon [quote:e27e5ea697]Always a cool topic...
what are you working on now? I've just finished a bracelet made of opal chips - the real deal. I had ordered them from
FMG and was SO disappointed b/c they looked so dowdy on the strand. So I cut the strand and WOWZA did they pop when you
looked at them from the top! There is milk opal, jelly opal and pinfire opal all mixed together. I did a simple 3 row
peyote base out of clear 7/0's and attached the opal chips to the surface with 15's. Now I'm doing a similar technique
for the necklace. Will post pics when I'm done! I just got a lovely dichroic cab combo from Cheryl adorned with poly
clay ... and I'll work on that next. It feels good to be beading again. What about you? -- Karleen Page Member
International Jewelry Designers Guild (IJDG) Vibrant Jewels: http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm JustBeads:
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770 Join our Yahoo Group: vibrantjewels-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
[/quote:e27e5ea697]
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View entire thread: What are you working on now?
Posted by Shirley Shone on Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:25 AM Post subject: Re: What are you working on now?
The bracelet sounds great. I have ordered some chip beads to make some more Tree of Life pendants. Just having a rest
though because I have just made 76 Christmas cards, that part of Christmas is sorted. Shirley In message
<5I%Sg.280$Lv3.255@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>, Vibrant Jewels <vibrantjewels@earthlink.net> writes
[quote:98581c985f]Always a cool topic... what are you working on now? I've just finished a bracelet made of opal chips
- the real deal. I had ordered them from FMG and was SO disappointed b/c they looked so dowdy on the strand. So I cut
the strand and WOWZA did they pop when you looked at them from the top! There is milk opal, jelly opal and pinfire opal
all mixed together. I did a simple 3 row peyote base out of clear 7/0's and attached the opal chips to the surface with
15's. Now I'm doing a similar technique for the necklace. Will post pics when I'm done! I just got a lovely dichroic
cab combo from Cheryl adorned with poly clay ... and I'll work on that next. It feels good to be beading again. What
about you? [/quote:98581c985f] -- Shirley Shone shirley@allcrafts.demon.co.uk http://www.allcrafts.demon.co.uk
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View entire thread: Treasures, Aikos, Delicas, etc. vs. "regular" seed beads
Posted by Valerie on Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:31 PM Post subject: Re: Treasures, Aikos, Delicas, etc. vs. "regular" seed beads
And we like to hear! You're so informed about them, even someone who knows a bit about them learns something new from
you. Wanna get coffee so I can pick your brain? lol! -- Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.valeriebeads.com
http://valeriebeads.etsy.com Come join OrphanBeads, sales and trading for the financially challenged beader!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orphanbeads <dreambeadr@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1158941547.396299.97480@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com... [quote:08869c7d70] monique wrote: The Chinese and Taiwanese
are getting into the act as well Hi Monique, Actually, the Chinese and Taiwanese have been producing seed beads for
many years. But they never come very highly recommended. Not just because of the severe lack of uniformity in shape
and size, but also because the colors aren't very consistent. The process the Taiwanese, for instance, have used to
create their seed beads doesn't allow for a proper melting temperature for the glass, and so the beads tend to be very
"drippy" looking with lots of cracks and fissures in the glass that cut through beading thread like mad. There
is a little "thru the grapevine" going on that the Chinese are working on perfecting this, but so far I
haven't seen it. I understand that these cylinders are often preferred for peyote and square stitch, where it really
helps that all the beads be exactly alike, but I must admit a fondnes for the more donut-y shape of Czech seed beads and
some of the non-cylinder Japanese brands. I think cylinder beads are often more preferred for pictorial pieces in
Peyote and other off-loom stitches. Mostly so that the picture is legible. But any seed bead type, from any country can
be used for a patterned off-loom piece of beadwork. The end result will just have a different "feel" to it.
I think it's all about preference. What do people think--do you think that the traditional shape will get elbowed out
of the market? I think it's pretty unlikely. Seed beads have been around for 1000's of years. They morph over time,
and new versions surface, and some disappear again. But there is always a place for most kinds to remain in constant
use. Some countries have still not ever had an opportunity to work with Japanese seed beads at all. Or maybe in a
limited supply that is gifted to them by a visitor. The Hoichol Indians for instance will continue to prefer Czech beads
for their style of beadwork. The Saraguro woman prefer size 10 Czech seed beads. Many tribes in Africa have perfected
their seed bead work based upon the shape of a Czech seed bead, and I can't see them changing that now after the 1000's
of years of doing it. And then there are all the contemporary beadwork artists who's style or type of beadwork works
best as well with Czech beads. Bead embroidery is a good example of a newly resurfaced style of beading that is best
suited to using beads that are not always completely uniform. Will stores, with limited space or $$ to devote to
inventory, opt for the uniformity and broad palette of Toho, etc? That's possible. Actually, I think most stores with
limited space have a lot of decisions they need to make about what they can and cannot stock. And I think their best
choices for what they carry are based upon what their local market dictates. We stopped carry Czech seed beads about 6
years ago. It broke my heart as I use them often. But my local customers stopped buying them and my Internet customers
had other sources, which made the competition too great for me to justify stocking them. It was all about the business
decision, rather than a personal preference for me. Actually...I'm such an addict that my personal preference would
dictate that I stock every single bead ever known to man....it's my bank account that doesn't seem to agree with this!
LOL I think, if your LBS isn't carrying something you would like them to, you should let them know. They'll never know
these things unless their customers communicate with them. This doesn't mean they'll be able to get everything everyone
wants in stock, but it may help them to make their buying decisions. And if they aren't able to supply you with what
you need, consider the many reasons this may be. You may be the only one asking. Their budget may not allow for it at
this time. They may have limited space. Their competition may carry something similar and they have agreed to not
cross over too much. There are about a dozen more reasons as well.... I love talking about seed beads! Beki
http://www.whimbeads.com [/quote:08869c7d70]
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View entire thread: Treasures, Aikos, Delicas, etc. vs. "regular" seed beads
Posted by Anonymous on Fri Sep 22, 2006 5:12 PM Post subject: Re: Treasures, Aikos, Delicas, etc. vs. "regular" seed beads
monique wrote: [quote:f6b3d9c84b]The Chinese and Taiwanese are getting into the act as well [/quote:f6b3d9c84b] Hi
Monique, Actually, the Chinese and Taiwanese have been producing seed beads for many years. But they never come very
highly recommended. Not just because of the severe lack of uniformity in shape and size, but also because the colors
aren't very consistent. The process the Taiwanese, for instance, have used to create their seed beads doesn't allow for
a proper melting temperature for the glass, and so the beads tend to be very "drippy" looking with lots of
cracks and fissures in the glass that cut through beading thread like mad. There is a little "thru the
grapevine" going on that the Chinese are working on perfecting this, but so far I haven't seen it.
[quote:f6b3d9c84b] I understand that these cylinders are often preferred for peyote and square stitch, where it really
helps that all the beads be exactly alike, but I must admit a fondnes for the more donut-y shape of Czech seed beads and
some of the non-cylinder Japanese brands. [/quote:f6b3d9c84b] I think cylinder beads are often more preferred for
pictorial pieces in Peyote and other off-loom stitches. Mostly so that the picture is legible. But any seed bead type,
from any country can be used for a patterned off-loom piece of beadwork. The end result will just have a different
"feel" to it. I think it's all about preference. [quote:f6b3d9c84b]What do people think--do you think that
the traditional shape will get elbowed out of the market? [/quote:f6b3d9c84b] I think it's pretty unlikely. Seed beads
have been around for 1000's of years. They morph over time, and new versions surface, and some disappear again. But
there is always a place for most kinds to remain in constant use. Some countries have still not ever had an opportunity
to work with Japanese seed beads at all. Or maybe in a limited supply that is gifted to them by a visitor. The Hoichol
Indians for instance will continue to prefer Czech beads for their style of beadwork. The Saraguro woman prefer size 10
Czech seed beads. Many tribes in Africa have perfected their seed bead work based upon the shape of a Czech seed bead,
and I can't see them changing that now after the 1000's of years of doing it. And then there are all the contemporary
beadwork artists who's style or type of beadwork works best as well with Czech beads. Bead embroidery is a good example
of a newly resurfaced style of beading that is best suited to using beads that are not always completely uniform.
[quote:f6b3d9c84b]Will stores, with limited space or $$ to devote to inventory, opt for the uniformity and broad palette
of Toho, etc? [/quote:f6b3d9c84b] That's possible. Actually, I think most stores with limited space have a lot of
decisions they need to make about what they can and cannot stock. And I think their best choices for what they carry
are based upon what their local market dictates. We stopped carry Czech seed beads about 6 years ago. It broke my
heart as I use them often. But my local customers stopped buying them and my Internet customers had other sources,
which made the competition too great for me to justify stocking them. It was all about the business decision, rather
than a personal preference for me. Actually...I'm such an addict that my personal preference would dictate that I stock
every single bead ever known to man....it's my bank account that doesn't seem to agree with this! LOL I think, if your
LBS isn't carrying something you would like them to, you should let them know. They'll never know these things unless
their customers communicate with them. This doesn't mean they'll be able to get everything everyone wants in stock, but
it may help them to make their buying decisions. And if they aren't able to supply you with what you need, consider the
many reasons this may be. You may be the only one asking. Their budget may not allow for it at this time. They may
have limited space. Their competition may carry something similar and they have agreed to not cross over too much.
There are about a dozen more reasons as well.... I love talking about seed beads! Beki http://www.whimbeads.com
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View entire thread: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Posted by Valerie on Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:05 PM Post subject: Re: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Thanks Jerri! -- Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.valeriebeads.com http://valeriebeads.etsy.com Come join
OrphanBeads, sales and trading for the financially challenged beader! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orphanbeads
"Beadbimbo" <jerri@beadbimbo.com> wrote in message news:45112823$1@news.bnb-lp.com...
[quote:a8eb464cc5]Wow! Those are all gorgeous! -- Jerri www.beadbimbo.com "Valerie"
<valeriebeads@adelphia.net> wrote in message news:c6ydnbaHROccFI3YnZ2dnUVZ_oydnZ2d@adelphia.com... Hey all, Well
I haven't listed on eBay in ages (and it seems to change every time I do), but I figured it was about time. Nothing
particularly new, but you may be able to grab a bead set or a pendant for less than what is on my site if you take the
first bid (and luck out). I even listed one of the cutie dragon pendants for less if you take the bid and not the BIN.
But I'm also offering some of my polyclay canes that I use in my designs, which for those that like to make their own
polymer clay beads, may be a neat idea. I have bags and bags of cane that I don't use much of, and will probably never
get through it all, so I cut some and put it up for auction. Please take a look!
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZm2ir8QQhtZ-1 -- Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.valeriebeads.com
http://valeriebeads.etsy.com Come join OrphanBeads, sales and trading for the financially challenged beader!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orphanbeads [/quote:a8eb464cc5]
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View entire thread: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Posted by Beadbimbo on Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:38 PM Post subject: Re: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Wow! Those are all gorgeous! -- Jerri www.beadbimbo.com "Valerie" <valeriebeads@adelphia.net> wrote
in message news:c6ydnbaHROccFI3YnZ2dnUVZ_oydnZ2d@adelphia.com... [quote:3d6a74799c]Hey all, Well I haven't listed on
eBay in ages (and it seems to change every time I do), but I figured it was about time. Nothing particularly new, but
you may be able to grab a bead set or a pendant for less than what is on my site if you take the first bid (and luck
out). I even listed one of the cutie dragon pendants for less if you take the bid and not the BIN. But I'm also
offering some of my polyclay canes that I use in my designs, which for those that like to make their own polymer clay
beads, may be a neat idea. I have bags and bags of cane that I don't use much of, and will probably never get through it
all, so I cut some and put it up for auction. Please take a look! http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZm2ir8QQhtZ-1 --
Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.valeriebeads.com http://valeriebeads.etsy.com Come join OrphanBeads, sales
and trading for the financially challenged beader! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orphanbeads [/quote:3d6a74799c]
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View entire thread: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Posted by Valerie on Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:21 AM Post subject: AD - Polyclay goodies on eBay
Hey all, Well I haven't listed on eBay in ages (and it seems to change every time I do), but I figured it was about
time. Nothing particularly new, but you may be able to grab a bead set or a pendant for less than what is on my site if
you take the first bid (and luck out). I even listed one of the cutie dragon pendants for less if you take the bid and
not the BIN. But I'm also offering some of my polyclay canes that I use in my designs, which for those that like to
make their own polymer clay beads, may be a neat idea. I have bags and bags of cane that I don't use much of, and will
probably never get through it all, so I cut some and put it up for auction. Please take a look!
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZm2ir8QQhtZ-1 -- Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.valeriebeads.com
http://valeriebeads.etsy.com Come join OrphanBeads, sales and trading for the financially challenged beader!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orphanbeads
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View entire thread: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
Posted by windy on Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:00 AM Post subject: Re: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
I tried to email Beki but for some reason it won't go through so I will answer here. Hi Beki, I really do appreciate
you taking the time to answer my questions and explain the way of the world of beads. I don't have the order number
anymore but I first wrote an email to your website asking about brown seed beads and you were so kind to answer and
give me the numbers of the beads I wanted and I ordered them from you. I had already figured out by the replys from my
post on the newsgroup that you are a reputable company and do not deal in seconds... I am sure the problem lays with
the manufacture and a bad batch of beads that got by them. The problem I had is with #Tl1-F457b , which is just a
japanese seed bead, not delica or any speciality type bead. I am aware of the differences in uniformaity of seed
beads but these particular beads were way above the norm for seed beads. It may be because they are brown beads and as
you said some colors may behave differently than others and I know the brown beads are difficult to make (my bead lady
told me that, don't know really if it is true or not.) I would say about1/3 were unusable in my project I was making
(amulet bag which is usually done in delicas but wanted to try the seed) for the most part, it looked like when they
chopped off or cut them to size, something pulled them and they ended up with tails, or skinny to fat, just too
distorted to use. I also do hatbands and that would of not been diserable for that either. I don't want any money
back you were kind to suggest it....and I will try you again. also about the TOHO.... I had an empty seed vial the
same size as theirs is. Today, I noticed that the plastic vial that the TOHO came in looked really thick when you
look through it... I emptied the ToHOs into the other empty vial and guess what! it was 2/3s full. So I don't really
think that they are anymore cheaper than the ones at the beads store. I also want you to know that I wrote to your
website and they wrote back and told me that it is to be expected. That if I wanted uniformity, use delicas.... or
words to that order. It was a very polite letter and I was happy with the answer. I looked for the reply but I think I
must of dumped it. Thank you again for your answers and I will be ordering again someday soon. .......Windy Hedding
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View entire thread: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
Posted by Dr. Sooz on Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:48 PM Post subject: Re: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
Like I said...........Whimbeads ROCKS. I buy nearly all of my seed beads there, and I'm a Beadweaver with a capital B.
I love them. They're really there for you, and they sell great products too. And, as Beki said, never judge all online
companies by one company. That's like saying "I'll never buy from *any* storefront again, because I got a bad piece
of fruit from one store." Huh? ```````````````````````````````` dreambeadr@aol.com wrote: [quote:5e7ce27983] Hi
Windy, My name is Beki. I own Out On A Whim aka whimbeads.com I am really sorry to hear you had an unsatisfactory
experience with us. Please let me respond to a few of your questions, then let me know what I can do to make sure you
are happy. First, no, we do not sell seconds of any kind. We've been in business for over 20 years now and pride
ourselves on the high quality of merchandise we offer. And we are always prepared to stand behind it as well. Also,
please do not assume because you got some bad beads by purchasing online that every online transaction will end the same
way. Each company online is different just as each business you pass on a street is. I am responding from home, so I
am unable to research what your order may have been for, so if you would be so kind as to let me know what stock numbers
you ordered so that I can go pull the beads from the shelf and 1) check for quality, 2) discard if need be. I would
also like to refund your money for any beads you may have received from us that are not of the quality we state we
offer. Our Japanese seed beads come from the three major manufacturers in Japan. Miyuki, Toho and Matsuno. Please
check this link I have created for people to compare these beads as well as similar beads from the Czech Republic and
France: http://www.whimbeads.com/seedbeads/seed-compare.html You can see in the enlarged scans how the beads are all
slightly different in shape and size from manufacturer to manufacturer, but they remain fairly uniform within their own
category. That being said, seed beads will never be as uniform as a cylinder bead. The process to create them is not
the same. Also, there are certain colors that tend to run a little bit "off" in size. (this really needs to
be measured with exacting means, it's hard to see with the naked eye). This is due to the various characteristics of
the glasses used; some glass is softer than other glass and will tend to expand during the creation process, and also
any finishes that may be applied to the surface of the glass, such as metallic coatings (enlarging) or matting
(reducing). You also enquired: "I just found TOHO Treasure beads at wal-mart. I looked at their website and they
say that they are same as Muyki delicas. Has anyone tried these? They were a lot cheaper than the bead shop
delicas." These two beads are made by two different companies and while there are similarities in them, there are
also some major differences. The TOHO company produces two lines of cylinder beads. The Treasure bead, their first
generation of this shape bead, and the newly released Aiko's (named after the owners beloved wife), which are the
highest level, most precision cut beads on the market to date. The Miyuki company produces the Delica bead. Their only
line of cylinder beads. This bead is the most popular on the market partly due to it being marketed at the right time
and right place, and partly because of the large color selection, close to 1000 colors now. In basic weaving
techniques, such as Peyote and Brick stitch you should be able to combine the three brands with success. However, in
more precision work, such as loom work, I would not recommend it. The subtle slight variations in the beads will show
along the edge of the loomed piece. Also, when price comparing on cylinder beads, you will also need to be aware of the
quantity the beads are being sold in. Cylinder beads come in much smaller quantities than seed beads do and are
generally offered in small gram increments. So while you compare your LBS's price to a big box stores price, be certain
your LBS isn't offering the bead in a much larger quantity. In addition, while it is my political view regarding
companies like Wal-mart selling beads, I would like to suggest that you consider supporting your local bead stores
instead. First, you will not find people at Wal-mart who can answer the important questions you may have about the
various beads, second, your LBS supports your local economy by having your tax dollars continue to circulate in your
area. Please consider taking the time to check out a few of these links regarding this issue:
http://www.localbeadstores.com http://www.beadbugle.com/html/seed_bead_aspirations_-_ten_re.html (Ten Reasons to Support
Your Local Bead Store) http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=18746&webtag=ab-
beadwork (a discussion on the About Beadwork forum about Small Bead Stores going under) I hope I was helpful in
answering your questions. And I hope you will give me the opportunity to fix any problems you may have had with your
order from us. I realize my customer service department may have already responded to you regarding this issue, but
feel free to contact me directly. I can be reached at 800-232-3111 or by email: beki at whimbeads.com or dreambeadr at
aol dot com Happy Beading! Beki http://www.whimbeads.com[/quote:5e7ce27983]
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View entire thread: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
Posted by Polly S. on Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:54 PM Post subject: Re: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
OMTP I have to agree wholeheartedly w/ Kalera. What an great response, with a lot of information. I too had to read
the entire post!!! Yep! Class act you are! Polly Kalera Stratton wrote: [quote:781de65450]What a fabulous reply! I'm
not even a beadweaver, but I read the whole thing because it was full of so much information. Thanks, Beki... you're a
class act! dreambeadr@aol.com wrote: I ordered some brown seed beads from Whim beads and their were so many beads that
were misformed and the size was not uniform. They were size 11. Is this a common problem when you order online? Do
they use seconds? I probably will never order from them again. And if this is the norm, I will not order from online
again with any bead catalouge. Hi Windy, My name is Beki. I own Out On A Whim aka whimbeads.com I am really sorry to
hear you had an unsatisfactory experience with us. Please let me respond to a few of your questions, then let me know
what I can do to make sure you are happy. First, no, we do not sell seconds of any kind. We've been in business for
over 20 years now and pride ourselves on the high quality of merchandise we offer. And we are always prepared to stand
behind it as well. Also, please do not assume because you got some bad beads by purchasing online that every online
transaction will end the same way. Each company online is different just as each business you pass on a street is. I
am responding from home, so I am unable to research what your order may have been for, so if you would be so kind as to
let me know what stock numbers you ordered so that I can go pull the beads from the shelf and 1) check for quality, 2)
discard if need be. I would also like to refund your money for any beads you may have received from us that are not of
the quality we state we offer. Our Japanese seed beads come from the three major manufacturers in Japan. Miyuki, Toho
and Matsuno. Please check this link I have created for people to compare these beads as well as similar beads from the
Czech Republic and France: http://www.whimbeads.com/seedbeads/seed-compare.html You can see in the enlarged scans how
the beads are all slightly different in shape and size from manufacturer to manufacturer, but they remain fairly uniform
within their own category. That being said, seed beads will never be as uniform as a cylinder bead. The process to
create them is not the same. Also, there are certain colors that tend to run a little bit "off" in size.
(this really needs to be measured with exacting means, it's hard to see with the naked eye). This is due to the various
characteristics of the glasses used; some glass is softer than other glass and will tend to expand during the creation
process, and also any finishes that may be applied to the surface of the glass, such as metallic coatings (enlarging) or
matting (reducing). You also enquired: "I just found TOHO Treasure beads at wal-mart. I looked at their website
and they say that they are same as Muyki delicas. Has anyone tried these? They were a lot cheaper than the bead shop
delicas." These two beads are made by two different companies and while there are similarities in them, there are
also some major differences. The TOHO company produces two lines of cylinder beads. The Treasure bead, their first
generation of this shape bead, and the newly released Aiko's (named after the owners beloved wife), which are the
highest level, most precision cut beads on the market to date. The Miyuki company produces the Delica bead. Their only
line of cylinder beads. This bead is the most popular on the market partly due to it being marketed at the right time
and right place, and partly because of the large color selection, close to 1000 colors now. In basic weaving
techniques, such as Peyote and Brick stitch you should be able to combine the three brands with success. However, in
more precision work, such as loom work, I would not recommend it. The subtle slight variations in the beads will show
along the edge of the loomed piece. Also, when price comparing on cylinder beads, you will also need to be aware of the
quantity the beads are being sold in. Cylinder beads come in much smaller quantities than seed beads do and are
generally offered in small gram increments. So while you compare your LBS's price to a big box stores price, be certain
your LBS isn't offering the bead in a much larger quantity. In addition, while it is my political view regarding
companies like Wal-mart selling beads, I would like to suggest that you consider supporting your local bead stores
instead. First, you will not find people at Wal-mart who can answer the important questions you may have about the
various beads, second, your LBS supports your local economy by having your tax dollars continue to circulate in your
area. Please consider taking the time to check out a few of these links regarding this issue:
http://www.localbeadstores.com http://www.beadbugle.com/html/seed_bead_aspirations_-_ten_re.html (Ten Reasons to Support
Your Local Bead Store) http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=18746&webtag=ab-
beadwork (a discussion on the About Beadwork forum about Small Bead Stores going under) I hope I was helpful in
answering your questions. And I hope you will give me the opportunity to fix any problems you may have had with your
order from us. I realize my customer service department may have already responded to you regarding this issue, but
feel free to contact me directly. I can be reached at 800-232-3111 or by email: beki at whimbeads.com or dreambeadr at
aol dot com Happy Beading! Beki http://www.whimbeads.com [/quote:781de65450] -- Polly -- don't spook my groove...
email - webmaster at beadfulheart dot com yahoo id - aoncridhe
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View entire thread: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
Posted by Kalera Stratton on Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:15 PM Post subject: Re: TOHO TREASURE BEADS
What a fabulous reply! I'm not even a beadweaver, but I read the whole thing because it was full of so much
information. Thanks, Beki... you're a class act! dreambeadr@aol.com wrote: [quote:24ac01de93]I ordered some brown seed
beads from Whim beads and their were so many beads that were misformed and the size was not uniform. They were size 11.
Is this a common problem when you order online? Do they use seconds? I probably will never order from them again. And
if this is the norm, I will not order from online again with any bead catalouge. Hi Windy, My name is Beki. I own Out
On A Whim aka whimbeads.com I am really sorry to hear you had an unsatisfactory experience with us. Please let me
respond to a few of your questions, then let me know what I can do to make sure you are happy. First, no, we do not
sell seconds of any kind. We've been in business for over 20 years now and pride ourselves on the high quality of
merchandise we offer. And we are always prepared to stand behind it as well. Also, please do not assume because you got
some bad beads by purchasing online that every online transaction will end the same way. Each company online is
different just as each business you pass on a street is. I am responding from home, so I am unable to research what
your order may have been for, so if you would be so kind as to let me know what stock numbers you ordered so that I can
go pull the beads from the shelf and 1) check for quality, 2) discard if need be. I would also like to refund your
money for any beads you may have received from us that are not of the quality we state we offer. Our Japanese seed
beads come from the three major manufacturers in Japan. Miyuki, Toho and Matsuno. Please check this link I have
created for people to compare these beads as well as similar beads from the Czech Republic and France:
http://www.whimbeads.com/seedbeads/seed-compare.html You can see in the enlarged scans how the beads are all slightly
different in shape and size from manufacturer to manufacturer, but they remain fairly uniform within their own category.
That being said, seed beads will never be as uniform as a cylinder bead. The process to create them is not the same.
Also, there are certain colors that tend to run a little bit "off" in size. (this really needs to be measured
with exacting means, it's hard to see with the naked eye). This is due to the various characteristics of the glasses
used; some glass is softer than other glass and will tend to expand during the creation process, and also any finishes
that may be applied to the surface of the glass, such as metallic coatings (enlarging) or matting (reducing). You also
enquired: "I just found TOHO Treasure beads at wal-mart. I looked at their website and they say that they are same
as Muyki delicas. Has anyone tried these? They were a lot cheaper than the bead shop delicas." These two beads
are made by two different companies and while there are similarities in them, there are also some major differences.
The TOHO company produces two lines of cylinder beads. The Treasure bead, their first generation of this shape bead,
and the newly released Aiko's (named after the owners beloved wife), which are the highest level, most precision cut
beads on the market to date. The Miyuki company produces the Delica bead. Their only line of cylinder beads. This bead
is the most popular on the market partly due to it being marketed at the right time and right place, and partly because
of the large color selection, close to 1000 colors now. In basic weaving techniques, such as Peyote and Brick stitch
you should be able to combine the three brands with success. However, in more precision work, such as loom work, I
would not recommend it. The subtle slight variations in the beads will show along the edge of the loomed piece. Also,
when price comparing on cylinder beads, you will also need to be aware of the quantity the beads are being sold in.
Cylinder beads come in much smaller quantities than seed beads do and are generally offered in small gram increments.
So while you compare your LBS's price to a big box stores price, be certain your LBS isn't offering the bead in a much
larger quantity. In addition, while it is my political view regarding companies like Wal-mart selling beads, I would
like to suggest that you consider supporting your local bead stores instead. First, you will not find people at Wal-
mart who can answer the important questions you may have about the various beads, second, your LBS supports your local
economy by having your tax dollars continue to circulate in your area. Please consider taking the time to check out a
few of these links regarding this issue: http://www.localbeadstores.com http://www.beadbugle.com/html/
seed_bead_aspirations_-_ten_re.html (Ten Reasons to Support Your Local Bead Store)
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=18746&webtag=ab-beadwork (a discussion on
the About Beadwork forum about Small Bead Stores going under) I hope I was helpful in answering your questions. And I
hope you will give me the