How Do You Use Beading Chain?

Hi all,
I know I'm going to be saying DUH. No biggie.
I've seen, in a number of catalogs, "beading chain" which is a base
metal chain made of small metal beads. They fit into a rounded
connector where the thin wire betwee the beads goes into a slit.
I remember this stuff from back in the day when it was a chain used as
a light pull with the connector at the end to finish it off. I haven't
seen a light like that for years!!
Do people put beads on it? They would have to have rather large
holes!!
Anyway I'm curious enough to risk being embarassed.
Peace,
Lilyflower

I used to use it on these little glass vial pendants that looked like
lightbulbs. They had a glue on cap with a hole just right for the
chain, you could put whatever little sayings etc inside. It was very
popular about that time, maybe 5+ years ago.

PS- it's usually called ball chain and beading chain is the super fine
cable stuff that you string beads onto.

'Round these parts it's called "bead chain"... 'cause it's chain made of
little beads. It's usually made from nickel-plated brass and used in
lighting and plumbing (the traditional use of the stuff) but you can get
it in various sizes in sterling silver or even 14k gold. I have a teeny
one that I wear every day.

I also have some of the brass stuff that I use as a change-a-bead
choker; I put a different bead on according to mood. There's a smallish
2mm bead chain that works with lampwork made on 3/32" mandrels, but the
"standard" pullchain-sized stuff requires beads made on 1/8" mandrels.

You can buy it in most hardware, lighting, and plumbing stores, or the
good stuff is available from Rio Grande.

Hope that's useful to you!

Lilyflower wrote:
Hi all,
I know I'm going to be saying DUH. No biggie.
I've seen, in a number of catalogs, "beading chain" which is a base
metal chain made of small metal beads. They fit into a rounded
connector where the thin wire betwee the beads goes into a slit.
I remember this stuff from back in the day when it was a chain used as
a light pull with the connector at the end to finish it off. I haven't
seen a light like that for years!!
Do people put beads on it? They would have to have rather large
holes!!
Anyway I'm curious enough to risk being embarassed.
Peace,
Lilyflower



--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com

I don't like the stuff because it reminds me of the key chains from way back
when. That was cheap stuff and always had a stinky metallic smell.

Ironically, as I write, there is some of this ball chain which I took out of
the car, lying on my desk. And a foot over from it, I have a watch and an
earring. Both have some Bali style silver (daisy spacers, and those very
common "star" style bead caps). And, yanno, I still can't say that I like
it, but it does go well together. I could see stringing beads and large
holed daisy spacers on it. But I imagine that a lot of people would shy
away from it because of associations with it as cheap utilitarian chain.

Tina


"Lilyflower" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,
I know I'm going to be saying DUH. No biggie.
I've seen, in a number of catalogs, "beading chain" which is a base
metal chain made of small metal beads. They fit into a rounded
connector where the thin wire betwee the beads goes into a slit.
I remember this stuff from back in the day when it was a chain used as
a light pull with the connector at the end to finish it off. I haven't
seen a light like that for years!!
Do people put beads on it? They would have to have rather large
holes!!
Anyway I'm curious enough to risk being embarassed.
Peace,
Lilyflower

Thank you both! I get the idea. I'm talking about what Kalera is
calling bead chain. You can use it for large holed beads.
Do you think it's attractive? Does anyone have a photo?
It certainly does have the advantage of being a vehicle for changing
your beads.
Peace,
Lilyflower

I find it attractive, but I don't have any pics. It's kind of the "hip"
thing with the youngsters these days.

Lilyflower wrote:
Thank you both! I get the idea. I'm talking about what Kalera is
calling bead chain. You can use it for large holed beads.
Do you think it's attractive? Does anyone have a photo?
It certainly does have the advantage of being a vehicle for changing
your beads.
Peace,
Lilyflower



--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com

Thanks again. Let's continue!! What would a "hip" youngster put on
the bead chain?
I couldn't bear to put a lampwork bead on it, but maybe there are "hip"
larger holed beads. Please clue me in. The older crowd I know are
even more conservative than I am!!
While we are on the topic, can you tell me more about the chain used as
stringing wire. I take it you string the beads and finish it with an
end cap of some sort. Isn't that a wast of silver? Or do you do some
other magic? And what would the best ends be?
Thanks for your patience. I see why I was so confused. Two kinds of
"bead chain" or "beading chain", and named differently by different
vendors!!
Peace,
Lilyflower

I find the beading chain (fine drawn cable) that I got from Rio Grande
a while back was not the best for heavier glass or stone. I found that
when I tried to use the beading chain, because it was so fine it was
too easy to squish with the weight of the beads and then it wouldn't
hang right. I think it would be good with a few ligthweight 14k beads
on it or something like that but not good for heavy stringing. Unless
they've improved the stuff since I last tried it. I think people used
to use it more back before beadalon and flex wire, since the available
materials all had problems of one sort or another. The chain called
foxtail was better but it has to be finished with a welded cap, I guess
you might be able to glue or otherwise improvise. The thing that's
nice about the chain is you can leave the back just chain and have the
beads more on the front and it's really sturdy when it's done right.

Ingrid
http://www.mermaidscove.com

I pretty mush only use lampwork on it (A whole set of seven boro beads
looks so nice!) but you could as easily string polymer clay, ceramic or
wood beads, or some furnace glass beads, or some of those stunning
Chevron beads.

The other stuff I think may be just regular beading wire? I'm not sure
but if so, it's not actual silver, but steel with a thin clear vinyl
coating, and you make a loop at the ends for the clasp, and crimp the
loop into place with a tiny silver crimp bead.

Lilyflower wrote:
Thanks again. Let's continue!! What would a "hip" youngster put on
the bead chain?
I couldn't bear to put a lampwork bead on it, but maybe there are "hip"
larger holed beads. Please clue me in. The older crowd I know are
even more conservative than I am!!
While we are on the topic, can you tell me more about the chain used as
stringing wire. I take it you string the beads and finish it with an
end cap of some sort. Isn't that a wast of silver? Or do you do some
other magic? And what would the best ends be?
Thanks for your patience. I see why I was so confused. Two kinds of
"bead chain" or "beading chain", and named differently by different
vendors!!
Peace,
Lilyflower



--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com