Question:
I just got the Dawn Cusick book, "Making Bead and Wire Jewelry". She has
some gorgeous rectangular glass bead pendants where the bead has a routed
groove around the side. She quotes Geri Omohundro in a little sidebar
which says "Routering a groove around your favorite bead is an easy way to
create stunning, one of a kind pendants. Start with a flat, square-edged
bead at least 3/16 inch thick. ... Working with a jewelry grinding bit and a
compatible handheld power tool, set the bit so the groove will cut in the
middle of the bead's edge. Grind into the edge of the bead just the
thickness of your chosen wire."
Okay, I'll cheerfully admit to tool ignorance here. What "compatible
handheld power tool" is she referring to? I'm guessing a Dremel, but, as I
said, I'm ignorant. With what do you hold the bead while you rout it? I'm
guessing not your fingers, lest you grind a groove into them as well.
I'd love to be able to to do this, so any pointers would be much
appreciated.
And I made my first wire and bead necklace this afternoon. I alternate
between loving it and thinking I should enter it into the Ugly Necklace
Contest.
Answer:
-Working with wood more than glass in the past this is my view.
I would probably think that it is the Dremel tool also. But I would think that
the bead be put in a vice and rout it one side at a time.
-If I remember shop class correctly (I took this in middle school, so I may be
off) the tool is called a router. I remember using it for wood, but there are
probably bits that can do the same to glass (you can't use wood bits for glass,
they'll wear down way too quickly). Also my Dremel can do the same thing. It's
also lighter than a router, so I would assume you would have better control
with small objects. Dremels are cheap for all the uses you can get out of them.
I think mine cost about $30-35 and came with a couple attachments.
