Comments on: Sizing Holes in Polymer Clay Beads for Your Bead Stringing Projects http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/ "I learned by making mistakes... Now you don't have to." Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:03:14 -0700 hourly 1 By: Cindy Lietz@Studio by Sculpey Tools http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-19364 Cindy Lietz@Studio by Sculpey Tools Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:16:52 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-19364 Wonderful tip KreativeImpulse! I'll have to keep an eye out for a felt needle. Sounds handy! Wonderful tip KreativeImpulse! I'll have to keep an eye out for a felt needle. Sounds handy!

]]> By: KreativeImpulse http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-19079 KreativeImpulse Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:38:43 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-19079 I'm fairly new to polymer clay bead making so this may be old news for the experienced! Rummaging through my house to find a way to pierce holes in clay beads before baking I tried using a felt needle, and WOW it works fabulously! It's very very fine at one end and increases to TWO larger diameters as you progress up the shaft. The fine point helps get the hole started and if I desire a larger opening I just continue to push the needle in further. The 90 degree bend at the opposite end provides a great way to hold the needle and spin it as you pierce. You can also buy these needles with even larger diameters for the bigger beads. I'm fairly new to polymer clay bead making so this may be old news for the experienced! Rummaging through my house to find a way to pierce holes in clay beads before baking I tried using a felt needle, and WOW it works fabulously! It's very very fine at one end and increases to TWO larger diameters as you progress up the shaft. The fine point helps get the hole started and if I desire a larger opening I just continue to push the needle in further. The 90 degree bend at the opposite end provides a great way to hold the needle and spin it as you pierce. You can also buy these needles with even larger diameters for the bigger beads.

]]> By: Cindy Lietz@Clay Cane Leaf Beads http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-14216 Cindy Lietz@Clay Cane Leaf Beads Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:57:50 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-14216 Don't worry Sharon, I'm not going anywhere. Everything will still be here, until you are ready. I appreciate you letting me know and look forward to hearing from you when you return! Don't worry Sharon, I'm not going anywhere. Everything will still be here, until you are ready. I appreciate you letting me know and look forward to hearing from you when you return!

]]> By: Sharon Doran http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-13989 Sharon Doran Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:40:47 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-13989 I have not really gotten started with my bead making yet so I just want to make sure that even though you don't hear from my e-mail or sign-ups that I will not lose the ability to connect to your site. Thanks Sharon I have not really gotten started with my bead making yet so I just want to make sure that even though you don't hear from my e-mail or sign-ups that I will not lose the ability to connect to your site.
Thanks
Sharon

]]> By: Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Bead Making Course http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-13593 Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Bead Making Course Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:50:08 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-13593 Hi Diana! I'm sorry your original question wasn't answered. I looked for it but couldn't find it. Maybe it go put in a spam folder or something and fell into the internet abyss. Good thing you tried again. Maybe I can help! One thing that can help to get your holes centered is to make sure your piercing wires are absolutely straight. One little curve in the wire and the hole quickly veers off to the side. Also try spinning your bead in your fingers instead of the wire. This helps for some people. I hope that helps with your dilemma. I know how frustrating it can be to have something just not work for you. That is why I put together this site and my Polymer Clay Bead Making Course. In fact if you learn better through video you may find the course quite valuable. I show you how to pierce holes in your beads with lots of little tricks on which bead rack I use that comes with the perfect wires for piercing. As well little tips on using cornstarch and how to hold the bead to avoid fingerprints and so much more. It would save you a lot of time and research and it is much cheaper than taking a class. If you want more info on that, click the link by my name. Feel free to ask any more questions you have. I will do my best to help. Hi Diana! I'm sorry your original question wasn't answered. I looked for it but couldn't find it. Maybe it go put in a spam folder or something and fell into the internet abyss. Good thing you tried again. Maybe I can help!

One thing that can help to get your holes centered is to make sure your piercing wires are absolutely straight. One little curve in the wire and the hole quickly veers off to the side. Also try spinning your bead in your fingers instead of the wire. This helps for some people.

I hope that helps with your dilemma. I know how frustrating it can be to have something just not work for you. That is why I put together this site and my Polymer Clay Bead Making Course.

In fact if you learn better through video you may find the course quite valuable. I show you how to pierce holes in your beads with lots of little tricks on which bead rack I use that comes with the perfect wires for piercing. As well little tips on using cornstarch and how to hold the bead to avoid fingerprints and so much more.

It would save you a lot of time and research and it is much cheaper than taking a class. If you want more info on that, click the link by my name.

Feel free to ask any more questions you have. I will do my best to help.

]]> By: Diana http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-13493 Diana Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:58:39 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-13493 MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS NEVER ANSWERERED. I NEEDED TO KNOW HOW TO FIND THE CENTER OF A HOMEMADE BEAD. MY CENTERS EITHER GO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. IS THERE A TRICK TO HOLDING THE BEAD AND FINDING THE CENTER? I HAVE FOUND ONLY ONE BEAD-MAKING KIT WHICH HAS HOLES FOR INSERTING THE SKEWER SUPPOSEDLY IN THE CENTER OF THE BEAD, BUT THAT CAN EVEN BE SOMEWHAT ELUSIVE, IF THE BEAD ITSELF ISN'T TOTALLY CENTERED IN THE MOLD. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS DILEMMA. I DON'T WANT TO KEEP MAKING THESE EXPENSIVE MISTAKES. OR PLEASE GUIDE ME TO WHERE I CAN FIND THIS INFO WITHOUT A LOT OF TIME, RESEARCH AND EXPENSE. tHANK YOU FOR ANY AND ALL HELP. MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS NEVER ANSWERERED. I NEEDED TO KNOW HOW TO FIND THE CENTER OF A HOMEMADE BEAD. MY CENTERS EITHER GO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. IS THERE A TRICK TO HOLDING THE BEAD AND FINDING THE CENTER? I HAVE FOUND ONLY ONE BEAD-MAKING KIT WHICH HAS HOLES FOR INSERTING THE SKEWER SUPPOSEDLY IN THE CENTER OF THE BEAD, BUT THAT CAN EVEN BE SOMEWHAT ELUSIVE, IF THE BEAD ITSELF ISN'T TOTALLY CENTERED IN THE MOLD. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS DILEMMA. I DON'T WANT TO KEEP MAKING THESE EXPENSIVE MISTAKES. OR PLEASE GUIDE ME TO WHERE I CAN FIND THIS INFO WITHOUT A LOT OF TIME, RESEARCH AND EXPENSE. tHANK YOU FOR ANY AND ALL HELP.

]]> By: Cindy Lietz@Beads and Beading Podcast http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-13376 Cindy Lietz@Beads and Beading Podcast Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:08:35 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-13376 Thank you intothedawn! You are so right about the distortion! Putting just a small hole in the bead and then drilling larger later is a much better idea! Thank you intothedawn! You are so right about the distortion! Putting just a small hole in the bead and then drilling larger later is a much better idea!

]]> By: intothedawn http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-beads-sizing-holes-bead-stringing/3431/#comment-13342 intothedawn Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:33:50 +0000 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/?p=3431#comment-13342 This is a really helpful little tidbit of info! I tend to use leather or silk cording on many of my necklaces and you're right-- its hard finding beads with holes that large. And when I've tried to carefully make large holes in polymer clay beads before baking, the beads often end up deformed. I will have to try hand drilling. This is a really helpful little tidbit of info! I tend to use leather or silk cording on many of my necklaces and you're right– its hard finding beads with holes that large. And when I've tried to carefully make large holes in polymer clay beads before baking, the beads often end up deformed. I will have to try hand drilling.

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