All bead makers will at some point start to collect a box of rod ends, that last inch or two left from the glass rod your using cast to one side while a new colour is introduced to the flame and over the months and years these ends gather into a large collection, in my case a mountain of wasted glass.
With things being a bit difficult for some of us at the moment maybe it's time to start reclaiming some of these very usable pieces of glass. When we look at the prices of glass rods these days it seems they go up every few months, some glass having doubled in price in a few years so maybe it's time we started cutting done on the waste. Rod ends from most types of glass are easy to join, forming a rod long enough to use with comfort, I call these reclaimed rods "bamboo rods" as the joins give each rod a look of a bamboo cane.
You can imagine the number of ends I have, boxes and boxes full to the brim, every colour and make of glass there is, well most anyway. I start by sorting the colours into their groups such as blues, greens, purples etc after which I split them into two boxes, first opaque glass then transparent glass. The next job is to start sorting the different shades bagging up each one ready to join in the flame, at this stage you may be amazed at just how many ends you have especially the common colours such as some of the Effetre range, these rods are one of the cheapest to buy so become the main supply for most bead makers. Remember to be careful when handling rod ends, glass splinters are not a nice thing to deal with.
When the colour shades are sorted we just need to start joining, this is very simple we just take two rod ends and heat one end of each in the flame until the glass glows orange, like you would when making a bead, then gently push the two ends together while removing them from the flame. Then we heat another rod piece and do the same, adding a piece at a time until your holding a formed rod of around 10 inches, an ideal size for use. Leaving that rod to cool on a rack we then start the process again forming a second rod, you will soon realise just how much money you had sitting in that box, money that can help in so many other ways at the moment.
At last the sun has found us here in the fens again and we have had a great two days, the garden never seems dull, every day I notice something new and the insects and birds are loving it. The ponds look amazing, wild banks full of life just how I like them and to be totally honest with you even with the crap that's been going on in our lives this last few months yesterday morning watching four young goldfinches being feed by their parents made me realise just how lucky we are. The nature that surrounds us here is at times unbelievable, I often think of those days I spent working in a mill making furniture when I left school, clocking in at 7.30 and clocking out at 4.30, what a crap life that was compered with the one I currently lead.
I'm hoping to get more work done in the garden this weekend, clearing some of the veg patch and cutting back yet more branches from the hedgerow ready to burn. The garden feels so much lighter and we have only cleared the hedge on one side, so I'm hoping after the winter months and lots more hard work it will be perfect for that kitchen garden that we long for.
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