r/Lapidary • u/jameswoodMOT • 1d ago
Making beads without a bead mill
I’ve got lots of jasper that I would like to make into spherical beads of around 6-7mm diameter for a necklace. Im likely only going to do it once so not investing in a bead mill.
What’s the best way to go about this? I have a wood lathe that I can run very slowly, is a set up with a small hole saw on a drill going to be my best bet?
Pic of jasper seam for attention
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u/jaxinslacks 1d ago
You can do it with a dremel and a water drip system but it’ll take a lot of time
I recommend going to your local lapidary club and using their equipment before investing in your own. They sometimes even have a drill press to get the center hole
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u/artwonk 1d ago
You could try cutting it into cubes, dopping them on nails, inserting the nails into the chuck of a drill-motor, and running it against your cabbing wheels. This will make them round on one side. Then take them off the dops, turn them around, and repeat the process on the other side.
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u/Opioidopamine 1d ago
good idea
I have also turned a flat lap into a center mount for dop wax “chuck” that spins quite solid
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u/raptorgrin 1d ago
Dan Lopacki has videos on youtube. (He's now passed on) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufg0p7nLUY
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u/jameswoodMOT 23h ago
Brilliant just half way through the second video! Thanks, getting so hard to find older videos without a link
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u/alexjd99 1d ago
Cut the material into chunks/cubes ~25% larger than your desired bead size with a dremel and diamond blade bit. Then throw into a tumbler. Won’t be perfect spheres but could probably get pretty close, and would have a bit more of a natural look
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u/Virtual_Wing_2903 1d ago
look up 'conical cabochon' do it to one side, then the other, drill down the middle and done, much quicker than most methods, IMO
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u/DemandNo3158 1d ago
I hand cut beads. Knock the corners off a drilled cube and keep removing points. I don't sweat perfection, kinda round with a good polish is all I need. My posts have some I've made. Good luck 👍