Clean Your Holes!!!

I can't stress enough how important it is to clean your bead holes!

If you are a bead maker, this should be one step that you don't overlook because it makes your bead look as if it is not of high quality work, even if it is.

Marsha Neal Studio Porcelain Beads with holes in need of cleaning.

If you are a bead user, you know how frustrating it is to have paid for a great handmade bead (or commercially made ones too), only to have it arrive with sharp edges in the hole or glaze partially blocking the hole.

Depending on your skill level as a bead maker or collector, and the materials you are working with - you might be able to fix that situation.

Marsha Neal Studio Cone 5 Glaze Firing Arrangement

Since I like having the option of being able to glaze piece however I want (covered in glaze, specific areas glazed, etc) I also must accept that I might lose pieces to the hook it is being fired on (the glaze can run into the hole and fuse the hook into the pendant hole).

Marsha Neal Studio homemade Nichrome wire hook for suspending work.

As a bead maker, I prefer to fix any glaze hole imperfections before it arrives in the hands of my customer.

I don't want that piece they receive to be anything less than my best work.

Yes - I am a quality control freak. 

I adore well crafted, artfully interesting, handmade work.

 And I want my work to be held up to those same craftsmanship standards.

Marsha Neal Studio Porcelain Pendant - Hole before cleaning.

I don't want that piece they receive to be anything less than my best work.

Yes - I am a quality control freak. 

I adore well crafted, artfully interesting, handmade work.

 And I want my work to be held up to those same craftsmanship standards.

So for my ceramic beads, pendants, and buttons, I use a pointed diamond drill bit, cordless Dremel tool, bucket of water, towel, and protective eye goggles or glasses (flying bits of glass are not fun to have removed from your eye). 

And please remember to be smart when using water and electricity.

You don't want to electrocute yourself.

First, look at the hole to see where it needs cleaning.

Wet the bead by dipping it into the bowl, hold it tight (the rotary motion of the drill can make it fly out of your hand), turn on the drill, insert drill bit into hole, and clean the hole. 

I usually wet it again to rinse it, and do a visual check then a careful quick finger check to see if I got all the sharp or rough spots, dry with towel.

There is another reason for having tools like this on hand.

If you have a piece, and the bead hole is not quite large enough, you can make the hole larger.

The above buttons are going to be really cool closures on some leather bracelets - like these:

But the holes aren't quite large enough to fit the 2mm leather through it.

So put your hand up and smack your forehead if you are me, and have a duh moment.

If I can clean out bead holes to remove excess glaze (and it makes the bead hole larger - so you have to be careful to not go overboard with the drilling) - you can make these button holes larger for your friends!!!

So working with the same process above, enlarge these holes and make these older buttons usable for this project. Amazing! 

These buttons automatically get a new life outside of a small baggie on a shelf...

So now when you receive a piece and the hole is not perfect for what you need it for,

you have a bit more information to be able to determine if drilling the hole out will help you.

PS - if you are looking for any handmade buttons, check out this Beads of Clay Blog Post!

Want some of mine? Marsha Neal Studio Etsy is where to shop...