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How to Enlarge a glass bead hole
Using a Glass Grinder
I use many of the beadroller tools by Donna Felkner of CG Beads. Until recently, the largest size mandrel I could use was the 3/16" size. This size would be just a bit too small if I wanted to silver or copper core a bead for a Pandora bracelet. 3/16" hole was a perfect size for the narrower Troll bracelets though. So I needed to make the hole 1/4". You could use a drill press with a 1/4" diamond drill bit, but I found that using my glass grinder was so much quicker. For me, anyway.
This is a quick tutorial on how to make a larger bead hole using a glass grinder with a 1/4" diamond bit. Pardon the crude surroundings. It's a workshop.
Safety Glasses Required!!!
This picture shows the set-up I have with the grinder bit sticking through the smaller shelf attachment on top of the grinder surface. This is a Glastar grinder. I have a bowl of water sitting next to the bead that I'm going to work with. I didn't bother to clean the bead release out of it because the grinder bit will take care of that. The bead I'm using was made on a 3/16" mandrel.
Be sure you have plenty of water in your grinder. It should be shooting out of the spout of the smaller shelf attachment. Now I'm taking the picture with my right hand so keep in mind, gripping the bead firmly with both hands is recommended. Turn on the grinder. I start by dipping the bead in the bowl of water, then centering the bead on top of the grinder bit. Press gently. You'll start to feel the glass grind away as you gently push the bead down on the bit. Press down no more than 3-5 seconds at a time.
Lift the bead from the grinder bit and give it a dip in the water. If you notice in this picture, the grinder bit appears white. That's because it needs water. So by lifting the bead from the grinder every 3-5 seconds and dipping it in water, it will keep the bit lubricated, and it will also keep your bead from overheating and cracking. Do this about 4 or five times.
You will see the hole getting bigger on one side. Now you'll need to flip the bead over and repeat everything for the other side.
Take care to get the bead centered so your hole will be even throughout the bead. This is where using 2 hands will come in handy because you'll need to grip the bead firmly when the grinder bit comes completely through. If you let go, the bead will spin on the grinder. If this happens, turn the grinder off before removing the bead.
The grinder bit is now through the hole. While the grinder is still turned on, I sometimes grip the bead firmly, and gently move the bead around so as to even out the hole, taking care not to make the hole any bigger.
Now you're ready to core the bead with 1/4" tubing. Tutorials for this are all over the internet. My favorite is found here:
Until I can afford the beadroller with the 1/4" mandrel allowance, I can make the holes of my disc beads larger for coring with silver or copper.
I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial. If you have any questions about it, just e-mail me at jsavina@netnitco.net
Have fun!
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