How to make glass beads

Learn to make lampwork glass beads

If you are a creative person and are looking for the "perfect" medium - one that you love and leaves people in wonder about what you do - then you should read on and learn about making glass beads.

The upside of making lampwork beads is that relatively speaking, not a lot of people are doing it (although it has been picking up new beadmakers in the past few years). The downside is the investment that is required into the proper supplies and equipment.

Some merchants would have you think it is easy to make glass beads so long as you buy their starter kit. What they don't tell you is that lampworking is a skill that is only learned with a lot of time and practice. What is worse is that these certain merchants make money by teaching people how to make substandard beads that are prone to breaking.

This lens was made to give you a leg up in your quest to learn the fine craft of making lampwork glass beads. Because the better the quality of the beads you make, the more respected you will become as a beadmaker.

Don't miss some awesome books from Amazon and some pretty cool lampwork designs on CafePress products that I recommend, at the bottom of the page. And don't forget to sign my guestbook so I know you stopped by!

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Lampwork Beads - Table of Contents

What the Heck is Lampworking?
Recommended Bead Links
Lampworking books on Amazon
Did You Paint That??
Glossary
Books about beads
Before You Begin Making Glass Beads
Recommended Beginner Book
11 Essentials for Beginner Lampworkers
Recommended Intermediate Lampworking Book
A Note to Jewelry Designers about Lampwork
Why You Get What You Pay For
Lampwork Beads by Nichole Byers
Reader Feedback

What the Heck is Lampworking?

An introduction to lampwork bead making

The term "lampwork" is used to describe handcrafted glass beads that are made by melting glass rods with a torch. And no, the beads are not used on lamps (unless you want to use them on lamps). The word "lamp" is a nod to ancient times when the glass was melted with the flame of an oil lamp. Nowadays, the craft is also called "flameworking". Some people call it "glassblowing" which for the most part is a misnomer when referring to beads.

Lampwork beads vary in style from artist to artist. They can be elegant, flowery, whimsical, tribal, rustic, contemporary - the number of styles is only limited by the imagination of the artists.

Lampwork beads are typically used in jewelry, but can be used in objects as well, such as drawer knobs, candlesticks, pens, serving utensils, and more.

Stay tuned for the next module, which will be an overview of how lampwork beads are made. Same bead-time; Same bead-channel.

Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads in a Muffin Tin!

How to Make Glass Beads on YouTube

See artists make glass beads!

If you have no idea how to make glass beads, check out these videos! After seeing the work (not to mention the expensive equipment) that goes into creating beautiful lampwork beads, you will be hard pressed to complain about the cost of good quality beads!

curated content from YouTube

Lampworking books on Amazon

Books to help you learn how to make lampwork beads.

It is Cindy Jenkins' fault that I started making glass beads. Her book, Making Glass Beads, is so great for beginners, if you can only buy one her book would be it.

When you are confident at the torch, pick up Corina's Passing the Flame book. This book reveals a lot of the key hints and tricks that are necessary to progress as a beadmaker, such as encased bubbles, use of difficult colors such as rubino oro, and much more.

Making Glass Beads

by: Cindy Jenkins

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/23/2009)

Beads of Glass

by: Cindy Jenkins

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 11/23/2009)

The Complete Book of Glass Beadmaking

by: Kimberley Adams

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 11/23/2009)

The Art & Soul of Glass Beads: 17 Bead Artists Share Their Inspiration & Methods

by: Susan Ray, Richard Pearce

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)

Did You Paint That??

How lampwork beads are REALLY made!

It is a running joke how often lampworkers are asked "How did you get that real flower in there?" or "Did you paint that yourself?" But to someone who has never been exposed to handcrafted glass beads, it is difficult to imagine how glass beads are made (and just to be safe, no - they are not painted, and no - there are not real flowers in a bead!)

A lampworker typically has a studio (usually in their home) that is stocked with his or her equipment and tools as well as oodles of glass and frit (frit is simply ground up glass sometimes used for decorating a bead). The glass is purchased by the pound and comes in rods that typically measure about 13 inches long and have a quarter inch diameter.

The beadmaker lights up her torch and heats the kiln, and flashes her mandrel (that has been coated with a layer of bead release) in the flame. Then, the glass is slowly warmed up in the edge of the flame and eventually heated up to a near-molten state.

The hot glass is applied to the mandrel, and the beadmaker skillfully rotates the mandrel so it recieves an even coat of glass in the size she desires. Once she has the colors and the size she desires, she can decorate the bead with glass stringer, frit, or other decorative elements.

When the bead is complete, the beadmaker allows the bead to cool to the point where it is no longer glowing, and then inserts in in the kiln to be annealed (and NO! A fiber blanket does not properly anneal a bead!). Annealing is very important, and if you are a jewelry designer, you should be sure the lampwork beads you use are annealed for the safety (and satisfaction) of your customers.

And one thing to remember is that a lampwork bead IS made of glass, so it needs to be treated accordingly in order to prevent cracks or breakage.

Hmmm... I think I need a glossary module.

Glossary

A Little List of Lampwork Jargon for Lampwork Newbies

ANNEAL:
This simply means to cool the bead down in a slow and controlled manner (with a kiln). The reason lampwork beads must be annealed is because the nature of glass is such that it develops stress points and fractures when it cools off too fast and that stress can cause cracking at any time - right away to weeks or years later). Slowly cooling the bead in a kiln ensures that the bead contains the least amount of stress possible, which means the bead can last a lifetime without cracking with proper care.

A crock of vermiculite does NOT anneal lampwork beads. It may cool them slowly enough to not crack immediately, but it is not hot enough or slow enough to truly anneal them in order to reduce the internal stress fractures in the glass.

BEAD RELEASE or BEAD SEPARATOR:
A mud-like slurry that is applied to part of the mandrel and is allowed to dry. The bead release allows the bead to easily come off of the mandrel. If the molten glass is applied directly to the steel mandrel, it will be permanently bonded to the mandrel and virtually useless.

MANDREL:
A long thin steel rod that the bead is constructed on. When the bead is removed from the mandrel, a hole results.

STRINGER:
A very thin "string" of glass that a beadmaker makes by grabbing a little glob of molten glass with tweezers/pliers, then pulling it into a stringer that makes detail work easier. Well, easier with practice, anyways. It's actually kind of hard to balance a thin stringer of glass with a 2000 degree flame.

Books about beads

Lampwork Bead Books on Amazon

Here are some more neat bead books to learn more about lampwork beads and collectible beads.

Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry

by: Karen Leonardo

Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 11/23/2009)

1000 Glass Beads: Innovation & Imagination in Contemporary Glass Beadmaking (500 Series)

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 11/23/2009)

Collectible Beads: A Universal Aesthetic (Beadwork Books)

by: Robert K. Liu

Amazon Price: $65.00 (as of 11/23/2009)

Glass Beads from Europe: With Value Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

by: Sibylle Jargstorf

Amazon Price: $22.76 (as of 11/23/2009)

Beads of the World: A Collector's Guide With Price Reference

by: Peter Francis

Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 11/23/2009)

Before You Begin Making Glass Beads

Educate yourself in advance so you know what you need to learn about lampwork beads.

When the decision is made to start making lampwork glass beads, it is tempting to go on a shopping spree for everything you think you need. However, it is important that the first steps taken are becoming familiar with the craft so you don't stock your studio with tools and equipment that you really don't need or neglect to purchase the items that you DO need.

Some merchants would have you think it is easy to make glass beads so long as you buy their starter kit. What they don't tell you is that lampworking is a skill that is only learned with a lot of time and practice. What is worse is that certain merchants make money by teaching people how to make substandard beads that are prone to breaking.

I strongly advise that the first thing you do, before you buy any lampwork equipment or supplies, is to join a few forums dedicated to making glass beads (see my list of links below). By networking online with other bead artists, you can hear straight from the horses' mouths how the best studios are equipped. This will help you spend wisely so your initial investment isn't wasted.

Recommended Beginner Book

Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jensen

Making Glass Beads

by: Cindy Jenkins

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/23/2009)
List Price: $14.95

This is the book I started out with, on my HotHead torch (a single fuel torch, great for beginners on a tight budget). It offers step-by-step photos of making basic bead designs. Cindy Jenkins is a very kind and friendly person, not to mention she is a hoot! If you ever have the opportunity to meet her, you are in for a treat.

11 Essentials for Beginner Lampworkers

The things you need to get started making glass beads

1. Ventilation fan and hood

2. Torch and air/gas hoses

3. Fuel (MAPP gas or Propane/Oxygen, depending on your torch)

4. Kiln (digital controller preferred to pyrometer)

5. Rose didymium glasses (NOT clear safety glasses)

6. Mandrels

7. Bead release

8. Glass rods (start with soft glass such as Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, Creation Is Messy)

9. Shaping tools (at minimum, a graphite marver and a brass "stump shaper" tool)

10. Rod nipper tool

11. Long-nose pliers or large tweezers (for pulling stringers)

Recommended Intermediate Lampworking Book

Passing the Flame by Corina Tettinger

Passing the Flame: A Beadmaker's Guide to Detail and Design

by: Corina Tettinger

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)
List Price: $75.00

If you can't get beyond basic bead designs or you need help in intermediate techniques such as making encased florals or using stringer, you need this book. Actually, if you don't have this book, you need it. It is *totally* worth the price, and it helped me SO much.

The style of the book is unlike any you've seen before, and being that the book is self published and the author wasn't an English major, there are plenty of spelling and grammar errors. But that is part of the charm, and reading this book with its casual and conversational tone will make you feel that you know Corina.

James Kervin Books

Kicking it up a notch - advancing your lampwork beadmaking skill

Please don't scroll past these booklets just because Amazon doesn't have a photo of the book cover... If you can't get in a class with the bead artists he features, his books are the next best thing. I highly recommend them (there are 2 Kervin book modules).

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Glass Beadmaking

by: James Kervin

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)

Bronwen Heilman: Vitreous Painting Techniques for Glass Beadmaking

by: Jim Kervin

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)

The classic bead shapes of Jim Smircich and his amazing control of heat

by: James Kervin

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)

Gail Crossman Moore's Borosilicate Beads of Nature

by: Jim Kervin

Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)

Magazines About or Featuring Lampwork

Read the latest news and learn new lampwork techniques

All of these magazines are great for information, but more importantly, for inspiration! They all feature lampwork glass beads, bead artists, and often demonstrate some of the more simple lampwork techniques.

Bead & Button

Amazon Price: $28.95 (as of 11/23/2009)

Beadwork

Amazon Price: $22.95 (as of 11/23/2009)

A Note to Jewelry Designers about Lampwork

Why use ARTISAN lampwork beads instead of cheap imported lampwork beads?

If you design your own jewelry with beads, you no doubt know that there are basically two different types of lampwork beads: the artist-made beads that are expensive, and the Chinese/Indian import beads that are cheap. So, what is the difference? And why does it matter what you use in your designs?

Well, let me put in in a different terms. What is the difference between Saks and Kmart? Or the difference between Jimmy Choo's and Payless? Or the difference between a diamond and rhinestone? Do you see where I'm going here?

Basically, you get what you pay for. Read further to find out why.

Why You Get What You Pay For

Artisan Beads vs. Cheap Imports

THE BEADS:

Artisan beads are unique and one-of-a-kind creations that originate in the mind of an artist. Cheap imported beads are mass-produced, and are very often poor copies of artisan beads. The factories have representatives that attend bead shows and actually purchase artist beads for the purpose of shipping off to the factory and having rip-offs made.

Aesthetically speaking, artisan beads are cleaned and examined to make sure they are free of defects and cleaned of all bead release so they are immediately ready for the designer to use. The factory beads are not. They are sold with bead release still in the holes (that is the white powdery stuff), and are often cracked or have little bits broken off.

THE GLASS:

The glass rods used by bead artists is clean and clear of inclusions and the colors have depth and beauty. It is tested by the glass manufacturers to ensure it is not only high quality, but compatible with like-glass and consistent. The glass is typically made in Europe (Effetre, Vetrofond, Lauscha, etc.) or the U.S.A. (Bullseye, Double Helix, etc.), and there is at least one good brand made in Japan (Satake).

The glass used in foreign factories is made with low quality glass that looks dirty upon close inspection. No care is taken to test the glass for compatibility, resulting in breakage. Also, bead factories do not anneal their beads - for them, kilns are an unneeded expense and waste of time.

THE BEAD MAKERS:

Artisan bead artists have invested a lot of time and money into learning their craft and acquiring the proper materials and equipment so they can use their imaginations. It is because of this investment that bead prices are higher, particularly for the more experienced bead artists.

Factory bead makers are paid very little, and many factories (such as those in China and India) utilize child labor. They work in sweatshop conditions. Because a bead factory is selling to the masses, the bead makers aren't concerned with using their imagination or "creative vision" and the beads have no life to them. Their concern is simply to produce as many beads as possible, as fast as possible.

Here is an even better article about lampwork quality at The Annealer Magazine

Lampwork Links

Artisan Lampworkers

If you are (or know) an artisan lampwork bead maker, post the link here!
When adding your link, please be sure that you add the http:// at the front, otherwise your entry will not point to your website. I'm afraid that links that don't work as well as multiple posts of the same link will be deleted.

How to make glass beads

Learn to make lampwork glass beads

Lampwork Beads - Table of Contents

What the Heck is Lampworking?

An introduction to lampwork bead making

Recommended Bead Links

How to Make Glass Beads on YouTube

See artists make glass beads!

Lampworking books on Amazon

Books to help you learn how to make lampwork beads.

Did You Paint That??

How lampwork beads are REALLY made!

Glossary

A Little List of Lampwork Jargon for Lampwork Newbies

Books about beads

Lampwork Bead Books on Amazon

Before You Begin Making Glass Beads

Educate yourself in advance so you know what you need to learn about lampwork beads.

Recommended Beginner Book

Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jensen

11 Essentials for Beginner Lampworkers

The things you need to get started making glass beads

Recommended Intermediate Lampworking Book

Passing the Flame by Corina Tettinger

James Kervin Books

Kicking it up a notch - advancing your lampwork beadmaking skill

Magazines About or Featuring Lampwork

Read the latest news and learn new lampwork techniques

A Note to Jewelry Designers about Lampwork

Why use ARTISAN lampwork beads instead of cheap imported lampwork beads?

Why You Get What You Pay For

Artisan Beads vs. Cheap Imports

Lampwork Links

Artisan Lampworkers

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