It feels so nice when long held limitations are lifted.

For years I've been making beads that are ONLY SO long. Because I have been cleaning beads the same way for two decades! I have a diamond reamer that I use with water and a Dremel rotary tool. It has always worked, and I never thought I needed any other way.

Last week I went to Blue Moon Glassworks' Fireflies night *(where the local glass artists meet once monthly to share)*... Libby Leuchtman was doing a demo and had some beads that were maybe 4"L. How do you clean that???

I ended up buying a packet of silicon carbide grit... and with the help of a mandrel dipped into water and then grit - I learned just how to conquer the long beads. Repeatedly using the grit eventually coaxes the bead release from the holes + it doesn't remove glass... it doesn't taper the holes - just takes the bead release. SO NICE.

I was inspired this week to work in transparents - not giving a second thought to length of the hole (that I'd need to clean out...) and went to town. I made way more than what's shown on my page... but that's always the case! many smiles - Jill