Rods and stringers

[jessisedai]

Hello,

I was wondering what the difference was between glass rods and glass stringers. Also, what is a reputable online source for buying more glass? I'm looking for consistent color in my beads (making over 100 of the same color), so a random assortment isn't going to work very well for me. Where do you get your glass?

Thanks,

Jessi

[ReLo442]

first off, before anyone flames you, pick up a lampworking book and read it. That is one of the most basic things in glass blowing. also we would need to know what kind of glass your using which if you dont know what a stringer is you probably dont know the COE or even what that means. you normally buy color by the pound, or partial pound, so you pick exactly what color you want and they ship it. Id give you some distibutors but i dont know if you want soft glass (probably) or boro. there are a few different COE's in soft glass too, some for bead work, some for fusing, some for slumping. Before you ask anymore question go get you a lampwoking book. there are plenty of books dedicated solely to bead making. I know this because I bought a few when I started lampworking.

[Gold Fire Glass]

Hello,

I was wondering what the difference was between glass rods and glass stringers. Also, what is a reputable online source for buying more glass? I'm looking for consistent color in my beads (making over 100 of the same color), so a random assortment isn't going to work very well for me. Where do you get your glass?

Thanks,

Jessi

The Lampwork Etc. forum might help with all that too. Lot's of nice well informed bead men & women over there.

[Aymie]

You are already making beads but don't know what a stringer is? I am very confused by this.

[Julian]

A stringer is a rod of glass that's under 3mm or so.

Mainly the folks around here work boro glass. While they are available for soft glass, color pre-made into a stringer size isn't available for boro. Boro color rods generally come in 4-12 mm sizes, usually about 6 mm. Therefore to get stringer sized rod you have to pull it yourself from something thicker.

[Aymie]

Glass alchemy sells stringers.

[menty666]

What they said, plus I'll chime in that you might see the term "noodle" used. BullsEye (BE, COE 90) sells flat stringers that they sell as noodles in addition to stringers, which for them are another SKU.

As for where to get the glass? That often depends on the glass type and what you're looking for.

[menty666]

Glass alchemy sells stringers.


They sell shards too, which I don't get. It's not that hard to coil, blow a bubble out and smash it. I guess if you just want some of a particular color you don't have rods of, ok, but still.

[Aymie]

The shards are really flat, which means it was a really big bubble they smashed. And I love them. Too pricy to buy, but I wish I could.

[Julian]

Alright, stringers. Yeah, their shards are really expensive... I can't picture paying $15 for an ounce of semi-raw color.

[Aymie]

Neither can I. But they are so cool. I used them on some hitters, just tagging and wrapping and cooking them in just enough to be crack safe. They looked like little continents in the ocean. And the amazon night shards fumed enough to make a nice color changing hitter, even though only about 1/4 of the piece was colored. I got my money's worth for sure. I am seriously considering trying the jamboree. It's my favorite color.

[Julian]

No doubt, shards are great fun! I guess it's whether you want to make your own. I see why people who just do mandrel beads and don't blow all day would want to buy premade shards.

I used to use some chunks from pieces that cracked as shards, which worked pretty well even when they were 5-6 mm thick. The best were these sections that were rough powder, gold fumed and encased... the shards over stuff were better than the pieces themselves.

[jessisedai]

Hello,

I'm working on a deadline and in grad school, so when I get a chance (aka Winter Break) I'll be able to read a lampworking book cover to cover. So yeah, I'm fairly ignorant, but that'll get better with time. I got a beadmaking kit from Amazon.com, and I've been talking to various individuals who work with glass beads, so my experience is very spotty. I am currently working with the 104 COE glass rods that came with the kit, but I'm burning my way through them very quickly.

What are some good online sources for more information?

Thanks!

[Julian]

Gold Fire's suggestion, http://www.lampworketc.com is good for info on soft glass and beadmaking, forum style. Or here of course... as far as general info, I'm not really sure what to suggest.

[RedToroBoro]

You tube has a ton of bead tut's. You can get some information there for sure.

[Aymie]

Bead making books are the one kind of lamp working book that can be found in a book store. It won't be as in depth as something like contemporary lamp working, but it will cover basic safety and terms such as stringer and rod.

[Boozeclues]

my local library had The complete book of glass beadmaking by Kimberley Adams it was pretty good you might want to check yours for it or see if you can order it from another library.

http://www.mountainglass.com is my fav supplier but I always get lured into shopping at http://www.dichroicimagery.com/.