Since purchasing a cube press at Flame Off from Maria Louisa at Beadpress I have also taken delivery of my Bavarian Beads lentil trio and also my CG Beadrollers from Frit en Glass (technically they are marvers but they kind of nearly count as presses). My mum, JaySpangles, has also taken delivery of her Bavarian Beads cube trio and 3D heart trio presses and I have been playing with those today. I remember when i first started beading I assured myself that I wouldn’t be venturing into the word of presses and marvers as I was content with focusing on the more “donut” shaped beads with good dimples but I have realised recently that presses open up so many more design options for you. A marble/spherical spotty bead is aesthetically poles apart from a donut in the same colour combination the design!
The hearts are quite “big” at the moment on FH forum and I am really chuffed that the press was so easy to use - I was a bit worried that I may have to make an uneven shaped blob of glass to ensure that it would press right but a fairly simple round seems to be absolutely fine. The heart press is certainly easier to use than attempting a freehand heart - although if you like a challenge it is a good skill to learn. My first hearts were made from the tutorial in Passing the Flame and are quite successful in their own right but using a press is the way to go if you want to create them in any numbers and also in a uniform and usable size!
I have really liked my Bavarian Bead presses so far - they are really quite sleek and light compared to zoozi presses and they are really comfortable and uncomplicated to use. I have a zoozi slim tab trio that I love but it is really weighty by comparison to the BB presses. My Beadpress cube trio is also good to use and produces great cubes - the great thing about cubes is that you can always sharpen the edges on your normal marvers once it has come out of the press.
I have found it quite a leap into the dark buying presses online - you can never really be sure that the press you are buying is going to produce exactly the shape of beads that you like because there is no substitute from actually handling the actual end results. I know that sounds quite a silly thing to say because the shape of a lentil or a tab is exactly that isn’t it? Well some are slim and sleek, some are dense and chunky, some have “pointy” edges and some may have rounded edges and everybody’s preferences are slightly different - I personally like the slim and sleek profiles but I know that others favour the thicker chubbier ones. The great thing about presses is that if you get one and decide its not quite right for you then there is always a market for them on FH and you may lose a fiver or tenner on what you originally paid for them but it’s never much of a loss - or you could go for a swap!
At the mo I have a BB lentil trio, Bead Press cube trio, Zoozi marble duo and Zoozi slim tab trio and after today am resisting the temptation to invest in a BB 3D heart press - but they are gorgeous.... and don’t get me started on the CG bead rollers (I’ll save that for the next blog). So if you are contemplating investing £40 something pounds into a press and are not sure which you want then just take the plunge because if you find you don’t like it then there is always the opportunity to trade it on on FH so you don’t stand to lose very much at all. People are also sometimes willing to loan out their presses in case you want to try them before you buy a similar one. Quite often you see a post on the forum asking if anyone is willing to loan out a press before they take the quite expensive plunge.
Remember that presses are lampworkers’ friends and if at first you don’t succeed with one then press on, persevere and all will be right in the end (oooh I make myself chuckle sometimes)!
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