Melting beads on wire

It all began with me reading an issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. Amongst the letters to the editor was one, commenting on Jill Ericksons Easy Torch-Fired Enamel Necklace (Art Jewelry, July 2007). To make larger drops, she had put a seed bead onto the headpin before dipping in enamels. At the time I was interested in enameling but did not have the tools or supplies for it. So I didn't think much of it, even though I bought the project.

Then one day I got my first butane torch. After making copper headpins and "playing" around with my new toy, I came to thing of that comment. So I put a cheap leftover seed on one of my headpins (pickled), held it in the fire and hoped for the best (no exploading glass). I liked the result so I kept on experimenting. I also discovered a few things, knowing close to nothing about working with glass and torches:

• The beads stick to the headpin before the shape begins to distort.
• Some glass changed colour, certain colours faster than others. Probably overheated it as I wanted quick results.
• Don't heat the bead too fast or use large beads.
• The headpins need to cool down slowly.
• I cracked my largest seed bead, but not the flowerbell bead (instead, I melted most of the shape away on one side).
• You can place more than one bead on the same headpin or wire and they will melt together.
• You can melt one bead, then place another on it and return the pin to the torch.
• I'm very abusive towards my beads.
• I don't know anything about lampworking or melting glass: it's all trial and error, no understanding of the process or how to repeat certain results.
• I like playing with fire.
• But I still don't have this urge so many others have to give lampwork beadmaking a try.
  
• I am careful when I do this.

Later, I read The Bead Book Magazine, isssue 11. Here Debbie Rijns melt a 3-4 mm swarovski bicone bead onto a silver clay brooch, using a butane torch. She melts the crystal until if forms a smooth cabochon. She writes: "I discovered that because Swarovski crystals have such a high lead content, when fired with a butane torch, they are able to take that high heat without cracking or breaking apart".

This I haven't tried yet. A bit too fond of my swaros, I think, even if I'm no big fan of them.

The pieces in the photo above are just my first trials. If I have the time, I'll probably keep melting beads in the future, but so far those are more or less all I've made. I did mention this on a forum and another jewelry-maker, inspired by my simple experiments, made a couple of black swaro pins. Doesn't it look just like berries?