How Do I?

Re: Want to try Fireline

Gyspy Mary — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 06:21:24 GMT

Someone on this forum, suggested I use a "Bead Reamer", to run a circle around each "Crystal" to smooth the sharp edges. (I don't remember wher I found it) Most LBS would have one,(I think)

It is very Irrating to have a piece come apart. Best of Luck

Re: Want to try Fireline

SCB1 — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 06:20:00 GMT

I hope this works for you. What size Fireline did you use? I like to use 8# when I use crystals which have sharp edges and tend to cut most threads.

Re: Want to try Fireline

makarenko — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 05:51:06 GMT

I just started using Fireline this evening. I make malas and one of my favorite designs uses some small (6mm) beads that I got from Hobby Lobby that are probably acrylic. The problem is, these small acrylic beads seem to be cutting anything I use so far after only a few days of carrying around the finished piece. It breaks with no warning and I'm left with a mess. I've previously used cord and fishing line and gotten these results so my fingers are crossed now that I've re-built the mala with Fireline. I'm hoping this cuts down on fraying as this seems to have been the problem up to now.

Re: Want to try Fireline

SCB1 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:23:52 GMT

Judy,

Donna is correct when she says that Fireline is Fireline. About 2-3 years ago I contacted Berkley, the makers of Fireline, I asked if there was a difference between the one that you get to fish with and the one that Beadsmith has their name on. Their answer was that both were exactly the same, that the only difference is that, the one at the bead stores bears the name of Beadsmith along with Berkley.

There you have it out of the fishes mouth, excuse the pun!

Happy Beading!!!

Re: Want to try Fireline

D.M.Z — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:49:39 GMT

Judy, if it is Fireline it is Fireline..............I buy mine from FishUSA because I use larger quantities than my local bead store carries. The order guys from FishUSA are very used to beaders calling in to order. The first time I called I admitted I was using it for beading and the very nice fellow said "oh yes, all my orders today on the phone were from beaders"..............

Generally I use 6# for warping my looms, and for beading with delicas...........works perfect. I did buy some 8# and I am making color swatches out of it as it is tough stuff (but still goes through delicas for the peyote stitched swatches. I have some 4# and it would seem to be fine for 15's in seed beads (I use Toho and Miyuki seed beads, not Czech or Chinese so no experience with the holes in those). I also got nutty and bought a spool of the neon green and it does show a tiny bit on a herringbone spiral and a bit through some transparent crystals at the clasp end of a bracelet. Silly, but I like it.

Fireline from Beadsmith, is just relabeled. The manufacturer would not let someone use the copyrighted name Fireline for another product. Donna

Re: Want to try Fireline

JudyB@98 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:10:07 GMT

I have read that fishing Fireline and beading Fireline are the same. I have read that fishing Fireline and beading Fireline are different. Can anyone tell me what to believe? I think I will visit the Beadsmith website (fore beading Fireline info) and also the (fishing) Fireline website, and just ask those people!

When I read beading directions in magazines and online, they often say "use Fireline," but not what kind, gauge, etc. That would sure be helpful, also!

Re: Want to try Fireline

lbpleitner — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:21:42 GMT

be careful what you ask for. the first time i asked for an 8lb fireline to do a braclet i didn't realize what i was looking for. it was my first time beading after 25 years of doing crosstitching. i could not thread the #12 needle nor could i go thru the size 15 seed beads that it called for. after going to a tackle shop with a friend of mine i stopped by to look at the line there. hmmmmm the bead shop i went to sold me the wrong size. they gave me 20 lb line that is an 8lb test diameter which is waaaayyy to big compared to the 8 lb test line in the tackle shop. i bought it and had no trouble threading the needle nor going thru the little #15 seed beads. a beautiful braclet was made after all.

Re: Want to try Fireline

Mortira — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:56:42 GMT

Jsmaz:

I'm pretty sure mine is monofilament. If it's braided I sure can't see it. The 6lb will fit through a #10 needle if you flatten the end with pliers first, but not a #12. .

Monofilament is a single strand of clear, smooth plastic. If you have Fireline (or Spiderwire, etc.) it will be a solid-looking strand. Although you can't see the braiding in the smaller diameters, you can feel some texture when you pull the thread through your fingers. The other way to tell the difference is that braided line acts just like sewing thread - it knots, bends, drapes, etc. Monofilament is much stiffer and resists being shaped, so it's usually not suitable for seed bead stitching. If you can stitch with the material you have, it's probably not mono - it has a much thicker diameter than Fireline.

If you want to be totally sure, you could head to the fishing department and compare products.

Morti

Re: Want to try Fireline

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:10:09 GMT

I'm pretty sure mine is monofilament. If it's braided I sure can't see it. The 6lb will fit through a #10 needle if you flatten the end with pliers first, but not a #12. That said, I can still get several passes through Delica beads and some seed beads with no problems.

Re: Want to try Fireline

Mortira — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:22:24 GMT

Alastar Dragonfly:

The Spiderwire was like $13.97 for a spool of like 350 yards(if I am remembering correctly) and the Fireline was $14.97 for 250 yards. That was the reasoning behind not grabbing one of each and trying it. I'm no Scrooge by any stretch, but I am frugal(wife says cheap *laughz*) and refused to pay $30.00 in fishing supplies and I don't even fish.

LOL! How's this to make your wallet shudder? :

I work in a sporting goods store, and get all of my Fireline at cost. Even with that discount, I still pay $19.50 CND for 125 yards! When I saw what US prices were, my jaw literally dropped. It was the first time I ever raised my eyebrows at US/Canada price differences. Usually I defend our retailers and wholesalers tooth and nail.

Anyway, if you only want to try fishing line, you could check a fishing or tackle shop to see if they carry it in bulk. They can sell you a few yards for a fraction of the price. They might even give it to you for free, since a yard works out to be less than a dollar. Don't ask for a freebie though, that's annoying.

Morti

Re: Want to try Fireline

Leana@3 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:48:41 GMT

I 100% agree with Billie S.! I use both those colors only...according to what color beads I am using. Have had nothing but terrific results using fireline.

Re: Want to try Fireline

chilanzar9 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:24:02 GMT

Was it Spiderwire monofilament or braided/fused? I saw Spiderwire at Walmart but 6 Lb looked like monofilament to me and I am not usre you can get monofilament through #12 needle. They had some braided Spiderwire but it said "20Lbs" on it so I figured it will be to thick, and it was green or blue. Maybe I need to look in other sporting goods stores....

Re: Want to try Fireline

Billy Z — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:55:50 GMT

The Spiderwire was like $13.97 for a spool of like 350 yards(if I am remembering correctly) and the Fireline was $14.97 for 250 yards. That was the reasoning behind not grabbing one of each and trying it. I'm no Scrooge by any stretch, but I am frugal(wife says cheap *laughz*) and refused to pay $30.00 in fishing supplies and I don't even fish.

I have a spool of some sort of braided fishing line that is like 200lb test that Ihave had for awhile but the Coats and Clarks Outdoor Upholstery(protected against fresh and salt water and it highly UV resistant) thread seems to be just as strong, much smaller in diameter, and way cheap. It was like $4.00 for a mid-sized spool(bigger than the 'normal' sized wooden spools, but like around half the size of the coned spools. It comes in black, white, light brown, dark brown, dark green and an olive shade of green as well. There may be more colors, but that is all that our Wal Mart sells. I know that I am not the strongest guy in the world anymore, but I can NOT break the C&C thread with my bare hands. I can't breakthe fishing line eiher, but it is like 5 or 6 time the diameter of the thread soI stopped using it entirely. I used to use it on heavier pieces, but since I discovered beading wire, I haven't needed it at all.

I finally found some of those long big-eyed needles at A.C. Moore's(used to be Ben Franklin's) on Sunday when we went to the beach. I don't think that I will break these like the others that I have been using. You can bend these suckers almost in half and they go back straight. I had to make sure that they wouldn't break on me ya know. *laughz*

Thanks for the opinion Jeni, I really do appreciate it. You have pretty much made up my mind for me about the Spiderwire. I have never used any of these monofils at all and no virtually nothing about them. Thanks again.

Billy ;o)

Re: Want to try Fireline

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:26:55 GMT

For whatever it's worth, I bought my Spiderwire at Walmart and it was way cheaper than Fireline (but I bought it about 4 years ago). I use the 6lb clear for darn near everything but I have 12lb for extra heavy duty things. 12lb won't fit through regular beading needles though, nor could you make multiple passes through smaller beads. If you're weaving with it you'd want either a big eye or a twisted wire needle. Otherwire you could just string straight onto the line. I also like it because it is actually clear, and it disappears into whatever project I'm making.

Re: Want to try Fireline

Billy Z — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:32:26 GMT

How about the "invisible" Spiderwire. It's 10lb looks(to my eyes anyway) to be about half the diameter of Fireline's Smoke 6lb version in the fishing department. Now the color difference could have had some bearing on the way it appeared to be. I've never used any of it before, but i am trying to learn some more about beadweaving and threads just do NOT cut it for me as I have a skin condition that causes some peeling in which thread always gets caught on and starts shreading. I'm trying to find something that won't have this problem and these seem to be an answer to prayers when I need somehtign of a much smaller diameter than the standared 19-21 stranded wires that I normally use. The Spiderwire packaging had an actual diameter in inches and mm's under the test size on the label but the Fireline did not, so I couldn't compare actual numbers ya know. Both look like monfil to me, but my eyes are starting to go a bit and that stuff is some kind of TINY. I was going to pick up a spool of each until I saw the shelf tags, then I put both back until I could find out more info on either one or both. So I am appreciative of the info if no one else is.

Billy ;o)