Cross Hole Mandrel - Directions

Think Safety:

Be proactive about safety. Take classes, do research, and talk with experts. Actively work to identify, and then reduce or eliminate hazards. You are responsible for your own safety and long term health.
Always use the correct filtered glasses to protect your eyes.
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
Always work with proper ventilation. Talk with an expert about your situation.
Set up and operate your torch system safely. Take a class or get an expert to show you.
Keep your workspace clean and organized. Set up your tools and glass so you don't need to reach over or around the torch.
Be careful with water. Putting hot tools or glass in water can generate steam. Long tubes can create jets of steam.
Watch out for repetitive strain injury (RSI). Take breaks, watch your posture, and cushion your elbow rests.
Always remove and clean your beads while wet to minimize bead release dust in the air.

Assembly:

Insert the bolt into a spacer (short hollow tube) and insert the bolt into the hole in the main rod.
Place the second spacer on the bolt to create the "cross".
Now place the nut at the end of the bolt and twist the head of the bolt with your fingers to engage the nut.
Snug the bolt up using your fingers only Do not use pliers.

Preparation:

Dip in your favorite bead release and dry.
It is recommended that you allow it to air dry, as the inner corners tend to get a thicker coat which may bubble if you flame dry.

Bead Construction:

You will have to experiment to see what works best for you. I have found that putting four little donuts on each arm to establish the footprint and then going back and filling in the center works.
Don't be surprised to see the ends of the short arms glow more brightly than usual.
You can also cover the end of the main rod to make a pendant.
You may find it useful to switch hands. That way you don't have part of the bead shielded from the flame by the short arms, causing uneven melting near the hole surronding the short arms.
When finished, place the whole thing in the kiln for annealing.

Bead Removal:

After annealing, clean the release from the ends of the short arms and use needlenose pliers to loosen the nut. You may need to use pliers on each end and then twist.
Use your fingers to remove the nut.
Remove the nut and bolt to a safe place. (Those things are easy to lose! That's why the mandrel comes with a spare nut.)
Remove the main rod and the spacers. Usually this is fairly easy. If it is difficult, remove the main rod and then re-soak and push the spacers out with a spare mandrel.
Alternatively, take a wire (try 16 guage steel, available from the hardware store) and slide it through both spacers. Bend the last tip of the wire just enough so it won't pull back through, and then pull on the wire. You can also push them through if you put a bit of a kink in the wire and then push that kink in.