ZippZ! TippZ!

 

Mandrel Preparation

 

ZippZ! is super-fine and designed to shrink-fit hard and thin onto your mandrels.  As a result, mandrel prep is a bit more important than with typical, coarser releases.  New mandrels are just fine, and older mandrels must be free of burrs, ridges, old release, and crud in general.  Sand rough mandrels smooth.  Scrub them before each use and make sure they’re completely clean and dry before dipping.

 

Dipping Do’s and Don’ts – Pay Attention to this Section!

 

ZippZ! naturally releases a water layer on top with standing.  DO NOT pour off this water layer, it’s there for a reason.  Just SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING and then tap the bottle hard on the benchtop to settle ZippZ! away from the lid and help release bubbles.  Storing it upside down isn’t necessary.  If the lid dries out, rinse it.

 

Full wetting of the mandrel surface and a smooth, uniform final coating are both important to obtaining a strong, crack-free coating upon drying.  Giving your mandrel a few twirls when you first drop it in the bottle is helpful.  This spins bubbles off the surface and ensures a uniform coating.  Then yank the mandrel out rapidly and redip in and out quickly until you’ve completed 2-3 dips.  (One dip may suffice, but generally creates a thinner coating than most prefer.)  When complete, inspect the coating.  If bubbles are present, re-dip and twirl to spin them off.  Then flame or air dry, either will work for standard use.  Air drying is recommended for transparents and heavier-duty work.  One hour of air drying time should be plenty.

 

Torching TippZ

 

Flash the mandrel hard at the glass contact point for peak strength, and to protect against bubble formation under higher heat.  For transparents, you’ll get the best clarity by keeping the first wrap or two of glass on the cooler side of the spectrum, and then keeping the core of the bead from becoming too molten right next to the mandrel.  When you’ve got it just right, the bead will appear to “hover” above the release as you work it.  And after you clean it, you’ll swear it did.  Pretty Cool Stuff.  With opaque glasses, you’re free to flame ZippZ! as hard as you want.  It’ll stand up to the heat and clean out just fine afterwards.

 

Bead Removal TippZ

 

You’ll never remove beads from a mandrel easier than with ZippZ!  Just dip them, mandrel and all, into water or glass cleaner for 30 seconds or so, depending on bead size, to let the liquid wick up under the bead.  They’ll twist right off by hand.

 

Cleaning TippZ

 

Pre-soaking solutions, beginning with the best, include a 1:1 solution of jewelry cleaner in water (flat-out amazing) followed by standard glass cleaner (excellent) followed by hand or dish detergent solutions in water (OK but slower).  Soak times vary with each person.  Glass Whisperers can normally soak less than Pyros.  After soaking, brush well with a pipe cleaner (get it sudsy), then rinse and you’re done!

 

Assorted EvilZ

 

If the Release cracks upon drying – Assuming an even coat on a smooth mandrel, cracking may mean your release is thirsty.  See “Proper Care and Feeding” section below.  This can also happen if your bottle is too low and you’re tilting it horizontal and trying to dip sideways.  Better to keep a spare bottle for top-offs!

 

Stuck beads – typically won’t happen unless the mandrel’s got a burr or ridge.

 

Broken Release – try flashing the contact point a bit harder.  If you do break one loose, it may be possible to slide it onto adjacent release and tack it with a dot of glass along one end.  I’ve done this trick and worked beads to completion just fine.

 

Tinkerers – Please don’t vent your chemist tendencies on our release, or mix it with other releases.  It’s not the same and you won’t like the result.  ZippZ! dries fast and won’t mold or rot, so NO alcohol, bleach, acetone, drain cleaner, pesticides, etc…

 

Proper Care and Feeding of your new Bead Release

Standard 6-oz. Sales bottles are of hdpe construction and will keep ZippZ! secure as long as you keep them tightly capped.  Even so, with time and use you’ll lose moisture and need to thin ZippZ! slightly.  You’ll know when it’s time because some of your mandrels will crack upon drying.  Simply add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. at a time of DISTILLED WATER ONLY, shake well, and flame-dry a test mandrel to confirm.  Stop before it gets thin enough to run back down from the mandrel tip and form a bulge (which will crack) right where you want to make a bead.  That’s too thin.