I'm using my torch mounted graphite pad and my graphite paddle to flatten the bead into a disk. Then I'll use my paddle and a bent steel rake to shape the disk into a heart.

 Now my bead is the shape I want, it's time to cool it down. I dip it in and out at the very end of the flame, to allow the internal temperature to drop. Once it has cooled down sufficiently, I will turn off the oxygen and do a final cool-down in the propane flame.

Goody, goody ! It's time to put the bead in the Kiln to ANNEAL - A very important part of beadmaking !

The kiln does two crucial things. One, it holds the beads at a constant temperature around 940 degrees (thanks to my digital controller ! ) while I'm working,then it cools down the beads slowly.

This is part of the process called ANNEALING. It allows the molecular bonds which broke apart when the solid glass became molten (liquid), to reform slowly and completely. If glass is not annealed properly, it will often develop cracks due to "stress" in the glass.

The second part of the annealing process is cooling the glass down slowly, at a precise rate, so that no cracks develop in the glass. This usually takes five or six hours. When a glass bead has been properly annealed, it is pretty durable and should still be around when future archeologists dig up our remains !

And here you have it.... the finished bead. All that's left to do now is to soak the mandrel in water to loosen the bead release, remove the bead and clean out the hole with a round diamond bit file. If there are any sharp edges around the hole, I'll use a cone shaped file to grind them down.

POOF ! ,,,,,,,, all ready to be made into jewelry !