Rule of Thumb #1 – When dipping your mandrel into the bead release, the SLOWER you pull it out, the THINNER it will be on the mandrel. Therefore, the faster you pull it out, the thicker the bead release will be on the mandrel.

Rule of Thumb #2 – The mandrel should be perpendicular when dipping into and out of the bottle of bead release. This keeps the bead release the same size all the way around the mandrel. If the mandrel is dipped at an angle, there will be a ridge on one side of the bead release and the center hole of the bead will not be round.

Double or Triple Dipping Mandrels for Larger Hole Beads:

(when you don’t have a Large Hole Mandrel) from Janie Jones.

Janie uses Fusion Products Int’l Bead Separator purchased from Frantz. So these instructions are written for that particular bead release. You may want to try these instructions with your bead release on a couple of mandrels before doing a bunch of them.

1. Dip the mandrel into the bead release, pulling it straight out, but not too slowly, letting the bead release drip back into the bottle. After approximately 15 seconds, place the mandrel vertically to dry.
2. After the mandrel has air dried until the bead release is dull and lighter in color, you can repeat step 1. This will give you a double coating for a larger hole bead.
3. If you want a triple dipped mandrel, repeat step 1 again, making sure you let it dry really well before going to step 4. The most Janie has ever dipped is three times, making sure she let it air dry well between each dip.
4. After about an hour, gently heat the entire dipped area farther out in the flame, softly, before you begin heating it to a glow.

Hint from Alice’s Extraordinary Bead Release:

Double dip for a larger hole in the bead.
This works best if you let the first coat partially dry (not shiny wet,) or dry it with a blow dryer, and then dip the second time.

From Arrow Springs:

If you would like to read all Arrowsprings has to say about their bead release and how to dip mandrels, read about it on their website:
They have a totally different way of making thicker bead release.

For The Middle Mandrel Dippers:

Easy Ways to Dip Mandrels with Bead Release in the Middle of Mandrel video is here.
There is also another way to dip mandrels in the middle and you can purchase it on Ebay. You can google it as “Glass Art Supply Polyurethane Bead Release Lampwork” – they cost $10.00 plus shipping which is pricey. Works great, I have one and have used it many times. (I bought mine for much less from a teacher.)

I made a home-made one that works well, just to see if I could. I used a men’s deodorant lid, cut slits in the ends, and added hot glue around the bottom of the slits on the inside of the lid, to prevent the bead release from leaking. The glue stays malleable enough for you to press down and get the bead release on your mandrels. Much cheaper.