This is one of the most helpful videos for people making wooden beads, who might have rotary tools, but not the more extensive set-up. Stay well my friend. 😊🌎✨
What a fantastic video!! I've been playing with twigs/sticks for mark making. Love to make beads and this is the most instructional video I've seen. So beautiful and the way you taught everyone was perfect!!! Thanks!!
Thank you very much for showing this. I thought I had to get a lathe to make such beads, which is too expensive for me. Now I know that I can use my old Dremel instead - with good results. You rock!
You good sir make a wonderful instructional video, very easy to follow with a pleasant voice. I am a builder of many things, from boxes to furniture to sculpture or anything that suits my creative mind at the time. I have been thinking about creating jewelry lately and this video was very inspirational. Cheers!
Such a great idea! I saved stems from our rose bush (very straight ) and easily got rid of the green. They have dried out all year nice and solid will try & make beads from them now. Already has hole in it.
Horizontal View Thanks for your comment. I like the sound of the rose wood! If there is already a hole in it make sure it's a tight fit on the shaft so it stays in place when spinning it. Good luck. G
Incredible. I'm totally blown away. Thanks for sharing your talents. Could you have cut the wood with the Dremel too as well? I've saved this video and I will be following you. You're an inspiration and your video was informative without all the fluff. Thanks again.
Was searching for Burr tutorials and came across this one. Absolutely brilliant tutorial. Once I show my granddaughter this I will lose my Dremel on Saturday afternoons, lol. Thanks for sharing your wonderful skill and talent.
+Jim Hannard Your very welcome Jim. Hope you granddaughter enjoys making them. When I find the time, I will be doing some more to show how I make the various designs. Thanks for subscribing. G
Awesome!!! That allen key trick to hold the bead is genius, I guess I can try and make it as close as possible to a sphere because I want to try and make a ball joint for a wooden toy I'm planning to make
Thanks for your kind comment. Your project sounds interesting. I guess you could make a sphere. You may need to finish off the areas around the holes by hand after you have removed it from the shank. I did once up size the whole thing to make a bigger bead with a full sized drill and bigger allen key! If you need the ball joint to be bigger. Good Luck. G
Oooh man o man thanks !! Finally an actual DIY video on wooden beads where i dont have to invest 100's of $$ in equipment. I was about to try a rock tumbler to make them . Curious to see if that works . Thanks.
I wanted to thank you for this video, it is very easy to follow and your beads are fantastic. My process of making wooden beads takes me days to make enough for one bracelet. You are very good at instructional videos. Thank you!
+Wiltshire Man Thanks Sandy. And thanks for subscribing to my channel. Although there isn't much to look at! There is one I did a while ago on a sprit burner I made.
Hello- thanks for you video. I am 71 years old here in Chattanooga, Tn and just yesterday made some beads like you do. I had a problem getting my hole in the center. I just need to make some more I reckon. Thanks Franklin
If you want to get your diameters more accurate and consistent I suggest putting a strip of wood across your sand paper that the allen key can bounce off of as a guard so you don't go below a set height. At high speed the allen key will 'feel' and act like it's a cylinder turning the edges into guides. So 3mm hole is 1.5mm from centre point, you want a 10mm part, that's 5mm from centre point, so subtract 1.5mm from 5mm and you have the size of your guard. If you use a 3mm mandrel at all times just deduct 1.5mm from half of the size of the end product you want and Bob's your mothers brother.
Man, this idea to use a hex bit is simply ingenious. I have seen all kinds of solutions such as a rubberised mandrels, threaded bolts etc etc. This should work for polymer clay beads too.
Great video! I've been seeking a simplified method for creating handmade beads using basic hand held tools. This video thus far beats other videos I have found. Great job!
Brilliant idea, I'll definitely use this! I saw a wood turning tip of applying shellac while the piece is spinning which I suspect would give a robust high gloss finish, it dries really quickly on rotating parts.
Just great! I definitely will give this a 'spin' lol. Did you think about using arrow shafts? You can get cedar and bamboo arrow shafts, this way you could skip the initial shaping process, plus the cedar has a fine but distinct smell of cedar wood (of course only as long as you don't treat it with wax or anything else). The shafts are usually available in 5/16" - about 8mm, and 11/32" - which is about 8.7mm. Thanks for showing! ATB, Bernhard
+Waldwärts Thanks Bernhard. Thats no a bad idea! Although I do like the process of going out and harvesting the twigs in my local woodland. I've found that sometimes you can find some dead standing twigs, they can have a nice darker colour to them. G
Found this link via Sandy @Jackloreknives, excellent tutorial. I made a spool for my sewing threads using a similar method, except I used a normal drill. I'm now looking to adapt it a little to shape copper and brass beads.
Fiddling about while watching this video, and not liking beads, I decided to make Tafl pieces. Burning them dark brown and spinning a cylinder with a rounded cone end I then took a carving knife and ran a circle a half inch from the top with 5mm gap, then sliced a /_\ stop cut in that gap, carved another circle (all still on the mandrel at this point) a quarter inch down, and shaved between the two circles leaving the shape I left out as the nase or nose guard of his helmet. I now have a white head, face, neck of a viking with a helmet and armor on. I'm now adding the fine details of a face, and even detailing his armour, with each being mostly stop cut detailings which are stark white on the black. So if you think this guys method is only good for beads, get creative!
For your hair!? That's a great idea. If you use the Dremel the hole will not be big enough for your hair to go through. So I would suggest that you make a larger bead the way I've shown then drill a bigger hole through at the end. Good luck. Let me know how they turn out. G
This video is great! I’ve already made a bunch of beads! However, I would like your advice on how to make the bead hole larger once the bead is complete. I need to make the hole large enough to use in my macrame (the size of a pony bead hole). A drill is too aggressive. I had some success routing it out with one of my dremel buts, but I was hopi g you may have a suggestion if the best bits for the task. Thank you!
Hi Jessi. Thanks for your comment and kind words. I have had the same issue when wanting a bigger hole in the bead and agree that drilling it out after its made is not practical. So let's say you want a 4.5mm hole. You need to drill the initial hole in the blank at that size. You will then also need an Allan Key the corresponding size so that it will be a firm fit when spinning. However, this will likely be too large to fit in your Dremel chuck! So after you have cut the "L" bit off it, put it in a chuck of a regular drill leaving about 20-30mm sticking out. Then with the drill spinning, hold a ribbon of sand paper around the end and hold it there to grind that section down to a smaller diameter until it's small enough to fit in your Dremel chuck. You may need to experiment with different grits and types of sand paper. You could even use a small metal file if you are careful. I hope that makes sense and is a help to you. Good luck and be careful doing it. Don't forget your eye protection! G
Lol didn't even have to watch the video, just saw the title and the thumbnail and said "well that is a brilliantly simple solution." One of those things that is so simple but so clever it kind of makes me mad I didn't think of it.
Hey Uncle G. Great video. On my first one, all was well until I tried to darken the ends. I didn't appear to be getting much darker and when I added more force, the color came but I also significantly wore down the bead. I was using corrugated cardboard. This made me ask a few questions: What approximate speed on the Dremel? Do you find that green wood works better? I was using a dry dowel. Did you apply downward pressure on the cardboard or will light pressure eventually darken the wood if left longer? Thanks, Philip.
Hey Philip. Glad to hear you have given it a go! I've used many different materials to spin the beads against to get the burning textures. You will find it varies quite a lot. I have used different types/hardness of wood, folded newspaper and solid cardboard. I even tried Deer antler once. I think it helps if it is quite dense, as that makes it easier to get the friction to build without having to press hard. I also tend to use hard woods like Ash and Oak for my beads. If you are using a pre-made dowel. It may be a soft wood that doesn't respond to the burning as well. This could be why it is wearing away. I tend to spin them at a mid speed on the Dremel. I hope that helps. G
Hi Aditya, I suspect Dremel would have a problem with the health and safety issue of them possibly flying off!! But thanks for your kind words and for watching. I hope you give it a go. G
+Mark Taylor Hi Mark, I think if you are always going to be using your Dremel in the workshop as I do, one with a cord is better and cheaper that a cordless model. I have an old one that has just two speed settings that lives in my Dremel drill press and I recently bought the 3000 model which has a variable speed setting on it. this helps with the various stages of the process as some parts need higher speeds than others. I'm planning on doing a few more videos to show how I make some of the other designs soon. Thanks for watching. G
This is one of the most helpful videos for people making wooden beads, who might have rotary tools, but not the more extensive set-up. Stay well my friend. 😊🌎✨
What a fantastic video!! I've been playing with twigs/sticks for mark making. Love to make beads and this is the most instructional video I've seen. So beautiful and the way you taught everyone was perfect!!! Thanks!!
Thank you for your kind words Patty. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and hope you give it a go. G
Thank you very much for showing this. I thought I had to get a lathe to make such beads, which is too expensive for me. Now I know that I can use my old Dremel instead - with good results. You rock!
Yes. Low cost equipment
You good sir make a wonderful instructional video, very easy to follow with a pleasant voice. I am a builder of many things, from boxes to furniture to sculpture or anything that suits my creative mind at the time. I have been thinking about creating jewelry lately and this video was very inspirational. Cheers!
Don Duhan Thank you for your kind words Don. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you give it a go. G
Such a great idea! I saved stems from our rose bush (very straight ) and easily got rid of the green. They have dried out all year nice and solid will try & make beads from them now. Already has hole in it.
Horizontal View Thanks for your comment. I like the sound of the rose wood! If there is already a hole in it make sure it's a tight fit on the shaft so it stays in place when spinning it. Good luck. G
Incredible. I'm totally blown away. Thanks for sharing your talents. Could you have cut the wood with the Dremel too as well? I've saved this video and I will be following you. You're an inspiration and your video was informative without all the fluff. Thanks again.
Was searching for Burr tutorials and came across this one. Absolutely brilliant tutorial. Once I show my granddaughter this I will lose my Dremel on Saturday afternoons, lol. Thanks for sharing your wonderful skill and talent.
+Jim Hannard Your very welcome Jim. Hope you granddaughter enjoys making them. When I find the time, I will be doing some more to show how I make the various designs.
Thanks for subscribing. G
Awesome!!! That allen key trick to hold the bead is genius, I guess I can try and make it as close as possible to a sphere because I want to try and make a ball joint for a wooden toy I'm planning to make
Thanks for your kind comment. Your project sounds interesting. I guess you could make a sphere. You may need to finish off the areas around the holes by hand after you have removed it from the shank. I did once up size the whole thing to make a bigger bead with a full sized drill and bigger allen key! If you need the ball joint to be bigger. Good Luck. G
Oooh man o man thanks !! Finally an actual DIY video on wooden beads where i dont have to invest 100's of $$ in equipment. I was about to try a rock tumbler to make them . Curious to see if that works . Thanks.
These are beautiful. I've been making beads out of wood, quartz rock and glass with my dremel for years and I'm always looking for new ideas
I wanted to thank you for this video, it is very easy to follow and your beads are fantastic. My process of making wooden beads takes me days to make enough for one bracelet. You are very good at instructional videos. Thank you!
Thank you for that video.. I love the all natural approach!.. Two Thumbs up!
Using an Allen key to grip the bead-to-be is genius! I've been using threaded rod and fixing the wood with nuts. This is so much faster. Thank you!
Graham,
This is a first class tutorial. Clear and to the point. Very welldone. Just subbed too.
Sandy
+Wiltshire Man Thanks Sandy. And thanks for subscribing to my channel. Although there isn't much to look at! There is one I did a while ago on a sprit burner I made.
Hello- thanks for you video. I am 71 years old here in Chattanooga, Tn and just yesterday made some beads like you do. I had a problem getting my hole in the center. I just need to make some more I reckon. Thanks Franklin
Thank you! This video just changed my life!
If you want to get your diameters more accurate and consistent I suggest putting a strip of wood across your sand paper that the allen key can bounce off of as a guard so you don't go below a set height. At high speed the allen key will 'feel' and act like it's a cylinder turning the edges into guides. So 3mm hole is 1.5mm from centre point, you want a 10mm part, that's 5mm from centre point, so subtract 1.5mm from 5mm and you have the size of your guard. If you use a 3mm mandrel at all times just deduct 1.5mm from half of the size of the end product you want and Bob's your mothers brother.
Excellent idea and process. Thank you for sharing your 'how to' vid. I will try this with my Dremel. Thanks!
Everything about this tutorial is brilliant!
This is a great video and thank you so much. Your technique and suggestions very helpful.
Man, this idea to use a hex bit is simply ingenious. I have seen all kinds of solutions such as a rubberised mandrels, threaded bolts etc etc. This should work for polymer clay beads too.
+Nick Spirov As long as the material is soft enough for the hex to push into, is should work. Hope it helps. G
I absolutely loved this. Great work on the bead and video!
Thanks for watching Josh. Hope you give it a go.
You did an excellent video with clear vocals and editing and of course visual! Thank you a tone for posting! ~Suzanne
Excellent bit of tuition. I'm certainly going to try your technique. Thanks for sharing.
That was brilliant! Thanks for the very useful tutorial; I want to immediately go off to my shed and try it.
I'm glad you liked it, Michael. I'm sure you can use the general technique to come up with your own designs.
You are a creative artist and craftsman and wonderful teacher..thank you.
Great video! I've been seeking a simplified method for creating handmade beads using basic hand held tools. This video thus far beats other videos I have found. Great job!
How do you make them exactly all the same size? Great Idea thank you for sharing this information and doing a great job explaining how it's done.
Great work my friend looks like I be making a few of them thank you for sharing & taking the time to make these video's
Regards
Steve
Very helpful, well explained video. One of the best I have seen for using a dremel. Thank you.
Brilliant idea, I'll definitely use this! I saw a wood turning tip of applying shellac while the piece is spinning which I suspect would give a robust high gloss finish, it dries really quickly on rotating parts.
Brilliant tutorial!! You've given so many neat tips throughout the whole tutorial! I've shared of course!! Wonderful!!!!
Thank you for your kind words Aims. Glad you liked it. G
How much watt for that dremel?
Such a clear and easy to follow tutorial, thanks so much 👍🏻
Wow o am getting sticks now. This looks fun. And a fairly easy set up.
Excellent video! Your voice is very soothing and use very well for teaching.
Merci!
Thank you for your kind words Merci. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you give a try. G
Good idea using a piece of hex key for a shank. Good video.
Just great! I definitely will give this a 'spin' lol. Did you think about using arrow shafts? You can get cedar and bamboo arrow shafts, this way you could skip the initial shaping process, plus the cedar has a fine but distinct smell of cedar wood (of course only as long as you don't treat it with wax or anything else). The shafts are usually available in 5/16" - about 8mm, and 11/32" - which is about 8.7mm.
Thanks for showing!
ATB, Bernhard
+Waldwärts Thanks Bernhard. Thats no a bad idea! Although I do like the process of going out and harvesting the twigs in my local woodland. I've found that sometimes you can find some dead standing twigs, they can have a nice darker colour to them. G
Cool! Thanks for the demo. Nicely done.
Wow! I'm quite impressed. Thank you for sharing your technique. I can't wait to try it.
Love this video. The bead turned out so nice.
Thank you for an excellent tutorial, for making it look like it will be doable for me. Greetings from Australia.
Great video thank you for sharing your amazing talent 👏
Brilliant guide to make the black line color 🤩🤩🤩
Very nice video. Thank you very much. Be sure to wear a mask when doing this so you won't breathe the dust.
Simon Potter you gotta collect the dust and just snort it
Great video. You've given me plenty of ideas to try. Thanks for that.
Wow, what a wonderfully detailed video with such beautiful results. Very clever. Thanks for sharing.
Great demonstration. Thanks for posting.
Well I'm halfway there I own a dremmel! Great video thanks for sharing.
Found this link via Sandy @Jackloreknives, excellent tutorial. I made a spool for my sewing threads using a similar method, except I used a normal drill. I'm now looking to adapt it a little to shape copper and brass beads.
+Ash W I like the sound of the copper & brass beads. Thanks for watching. G
Simple but effective, absolute genius thank you
You're welcome. I hope you give it a go. G
Great video. So easy too. I will definitely be making some of these.
Thanks mate, very helpful!
Fiddling about while watching this video, and not liking beads, I decided to make Tafl pieces. Burning them dark brown and spinning a cylinder with a rounded cone end I then took a carving knife and ran a circle a half inch from the top with 5mm gap, then sliced a /_\ stop cut in that gap, carved another circle (all still on the mandrel at this point) a quarter inch down, and shaved between the two circles leaving the shape I left out as the nase or nose guard of his helmet. I now have a white head, face, neck of a viking with a helmet and armor on. I'm now adding the fine details of a face, and even detailing his armour, with each being mostly stop cut detailings which are stark white on the black. So if you think this guys method is only good for beads, get creative!
You even polish it easily also🤯😀 you rock !!
Thank you, that's easy and I have such a waste amount of branches I will make some beads for my hair. Thanks again sir.
For your hair!? That's a great idea. If you use the Dremel the hole will not be big enough for your hair to go through. So I would suggest that you make a larger bead the way I've shown then drill a bigger hole through at the end. Good luck. Let me know how they turn out. G
Thank you I enjoyed your video I have dremel and think I may have try , I love wooden Beads.😁
Wow very helpful now I want to make some wood beads
what a great video! we are having so much fun making beads.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comments. G
Lots of great tips. Thanks.
I truly enjoyed this tutorial. Thanks
Uncle G, love this tutorial, thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Nancy. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hope you give it a try. G
I'm so glad I found this video.
Great, clear, explanation and very helpful! Thanks so much :)
This video is great! I’ve already made a bunch of beads! However, I would like your advice on how to make the bead hole larger once the bead is complete. I need to make the hole large enough to use in my macrame (the size of a pony bead hole). A drill is too aggressive. I had some success routing it out with one of my dremel buts, but I was hopi g you may have a suggestion if the best bits for the task. Thank you!
Hi Jessi. Thanks for your comment and kind words. I have had the same issue when wanting a bigger hole in the bead and agree that drilling it out after its made is not practical. So let's say you want a 4.5mm hole. You need to drill the initial hole in the blank at that size. You will then also need an Allan Key the corresponding size so that it will be a firm fit when spinning. However, this will likely be too large to fit in your Dremel chuck! So after you have cut the "L" bit off it, put it in a chuck of a regular drill leaving about 20-30mm sticking out. Then with the drill spinning, hold a ribbon of sand paper around the end and hold it there to grind that section down to a smaller diameter until it's small enough to fit in your Dremel chuck. You may need to experiment with different grits and types of sand paper. You could even use a small metal file if you are careful. I hope that makes sense and is a help to you. Good luck and be careful doing it. Don't forget your eye protection! G
OMG!!. This is so simple.. Why didn't I think of this.. LoL THANK YOU !!
Splendid video. Thank you very much.
Very clever I see you are a man that thinks for his self I like that
Thank you for your kind words. G
It was just fun watching this video. Thanks.
Really cool! Thanks for sharing. Gonna to make a couple over the weekend ;)
Lol didn't even have to watch the video, just saw the title and the thumbnail and said "well that is a brilliantly simple solution." One of those things that is so simple but so clever it kind of makes me mad I didn't think of it.
Thanks! It just kind of developed through a need to do something with limited tools. I hope you give it a go. G
Excelente idea, thank you for sharing
Hey Uncle G. Great video. On my first one, all was well until I tried to darken the ends. I didn't appear to be getting much darker and when I added more force, the color came but I also significantly wore down the bead. I was using corrugated cardboard. This made me ask a few questions: What approximate speed on the Dremel? Do you find that green wood works better? I was using a dry dowel. Did you apply downward pressure on the cardboard or will light pressure eventually darken the wood if left longer? Thanks, Philip.
Hey Philip. Glad to hear you have given it a go! I've used many different materials to spin the beads against to get the burning textures. You will find it varies quite a lot. I have used different types/hardness of wood, folded newspaper and solid cardboard. I even tried Deer antler once. I think it helps if it is quite dense, as that makes it easier to get the friction to build without having to press hard. I also tend to use hard woods like Ash and Oak for my beads. If you are using a pre-made dowel. It may be a soft wood that doesn't respond to the burning as well. This could be why it is wearing away. I tend to spin them at a mid speed on the Dremel. I hope that helps. G
Thank you! That does help.
Nice, great looking bead
Absolutely amazing. Thanks.
Brilliant, Uncle G.
Absolutely cracking video mate, will give this a go soon, can you make more bead videos plz :)
Loved it and shared it!! I'll try to do it myself, I got to do more than 50 of those.
Very nice tut. All I need is a twig. Look forward to your other shapes. Ps the one with the angles on is a bicone shape.
+Nitty B Bicone.... I like it. Thanks for your comment. G
Thank you for this tutorial!!!
Wow .... You should get a Premium from Dremel for showcasing their Product so elegantly !! Well Done !!
Hi Aditya, I suspect Dremel would have a problem with the health and safety issue of them possibly flying off!! But thanks for your kind words and for watching. I hope you give it a go. G
only one word, " BRILLIANT "
I love this tutorial! Its a very creative idea what you do! thanks for sharing!
Great tutorial,will be trying this out myself now.Thanks :)
Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoyed this! Thankyou making this video!
Great video i am definitely going to try this and will also try it on deer antler thanks
Absolutely brilliant - Thank you
God made you remarkable. This is so good that it is INTIMIDATING. Awesome!
Hi Jacosta, Thank you for your kind words. Once you understand the technique it's really not that difficult to do. I hope you give it a go. G
Liked this video! Do you know how to make a leaf pattern on a large bead? Can you use a dremel for that somehow?
Very clever idea!
I love the beads.What dremel would you recommend for doing your beads and other small woodworking crafts?
+Mark Taylor Hi Mark, I think if you are always going to be using your Dremel in the workshop as I do, one with a cord is better and cheaper that a cordless model. I have an old one that has just two speed settings that lives in my Dremel drill press and I recently bought the 3000 model which has a variable speed setting on it. this helps with the various stages of the process as some parts need higher speeds than others. I'm planning on doing a few more videos to show how I make some of the other designs soon. Thanks for watching. G
Thanks for the reply.I will buy the 3000 as i like that one best. Mark
Thank you for the nice video
Great video and technique buddy. Subbed and voted
Thanks so much. Have you any more videos?
Top vid. Thumbs up.
hello what if i want a pure round ball without hole in middle?
Very Nice ...Excellent
So easy your the best
brilliant tutorial! thank you.
Omg. I was terrified at the start of that sick distortion in audio. I got mad that my tinnitus is back.
Thank god i pressed pause.
Phew!