Coring Chatelle Beads

Chatelle beads (if you don't know) are my big hole charm beads (5mm dia). Most people have heard of Pandora beads these are glass charm beads which thread straight onto the bracelet and they have a silver core to the hole.   I have named my charm beads 'Chatelles'. Can you see a connection to my ChatElaine Glass Art name?? 80))  Well I liked it!!


So I have been making Chatelles for sometime but unlike Pandora beads I don't silver core the holes. I have used grommets or rivets which you can glue into each end of the hole, these work ok but it depends on the hole width so can leave a gap in the middle of the hole core, not so good!!

However, I would like to core the beads properly but don't really have the right tools to do it. I decided last year to get some dapping punches as this was the cheaper option to achieve the coring because most of the coring tools/machines come from the USA. So getting them here is quite expensive with shipping of heavy equipment and the added customs charges probably on top as well, hence dapping punches!

Well now then, have I used them punches ...... N. O.  No!!

Couple of weeks ago a lampworking friend had a Meet-up at her place and guess what, she has a number of different coring machines and they were all out for us to try!!!  Yippeeeee!!!


She showed us how to use each one, what we needed to do and we were off 'out the blocks'   as quick as you like!!  Cutting the tubing to length, annealing the metal and into the machine to get it to lay down each side of the hole.

Here is my first bead cored in copper

 

Confritti  Heart in Pink with a little flower on the shoulder

I now have some copper tubing on its way and my dapping punches will get dusted off and taken out of the box!!  Very soon.

Been busy making beads lately so hope to have more to show you, hopefully, just so long as the kiln fairies are being kind.

Till next time

E x