I thought I'd list a few ways to get that dratted stuck bead off the mandrel. Luckily it hasn't happened to me that often, but when it does it is usually one that I've worked on for longer than usual, grr. So I've tried a few methods - please use common sense and if needed wear goggles, gloves, hold bead with a cloth, get someone else to do it ;-)
1. Soak in water for a few hours. You could try warm water with some washing up liquid. If you forget and leave it for a few days, I have found that the mandrel will rust and leave a stain at the bead hole. Oh well, that's what bead caps are for...and if the bead comes off, hurray.
2. Soak in vinegar or cola.
3. Soak in Cillit Bang grime and lime. (This is also good to remove the dark reduction sheen you often get on turquoise glass). This is my favourite method at the moment.
4. Place the offending mandrel and bead in the freezer for a few minutes. (If you forget, it doesn't seem to harm the bead). The theory is that the steel contracts more than the glass, however if they are both contracting away from each other, that can only help methinks. Or place the mandrel on an ice pack for a few moments.
5. Place the mandrel in a vice so you can get a good grip on the bead. I haven't tried this but it makes sense. I use cheap locking pliers which have a similar effect.
6. Use WD40 spray. It hasn't worked for me as yet but I would imagine you'd have to dry the bead release enough so that the oil can creep in to the bead hole. Hmm, I might put a stuck bead in the oven to dry out thoroughly before I try that again.
7. Whack the end of the mandrel furthest from the bead against a hard surface. The vibrations may work something loose
*If you have other tips for removing a bead I'd love you to add them in comments*
When all else fails, popping the mandrel in my ultrasound cleaner often does the trick!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip - I've never come across that one!
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