Bead Shapes & Heat Control

Item Name:

Bead Shapes & Heat Control

SKU:

BK59

Description:

Bead Shapes & Heat Control is a soft cover booklet focused on the classic bead shapes of Jim Smircich and the heat control techniques used to produce them. It is written as a step by step instructional guide that walks through making simple, classic glass beads such as the torpedo shape bead, with emphasis on manipulating glass through controlled heating, shaping, and coloring.

This booklet is valuable in lampworking because beadmaking is fundamentally a heat management exercise. When you understand how to place heat, hold heat, and remove heat at the right time, you gain better control over symmetry, surface quality, and clean shaping. Even if you do not make beads as a finished product, the shaping and heat control lessons translate directly to small sculptural work, decorative elements, and any flame formed component where you need crisp lines and predictable form.

Author: Jim Kervin
ISBN: 9780965145862
Format: Soft cover booklet, 33 pages

How it is used:

Use Bead Shapes & Heat Control as a bench side reference while practicing bead shaping and flame control.

• Read through a project and identify the target bead shape and the key heat control moments that define the form.
• Practice the steps on mandrel based beads, focusing on keeping the bead evenly heated while you establish the base shape.
• Use the shaping sequences to improve consistency, especially on elongated forms like torpedoes where uneven heat quickly creates lopsided results.
• Apply the heat control concepts to other lampworking tasks such as small handles, knobs, sculptural details, and clean transitions where you need the glass to move only where you intend.

Dimensions:

• 8 inch x 11 inch