 |
| ZAP! |
It is quite a long and ostentatious title for a tool that basically does one thing-- it burns thread. However, it does it so exceptionally well... I, for one, cannot live with out it. Whether you are a seasoned beadweaver, or you have just learned your very first stitch, I'm sure you have come across the annoying fact that no matter how sharp a scissor, that tail of thread that you just severed is never cut close enough to your gorgeous finished piece. Unsightly! The precision of the Thread Zap II is such that you will never again have ugly little thread tails poking out, mocking you. Watch our handy-dandy video on this cool tool, and I'm sure you will agree that this is a must-have.
3 comments:
Yay, I just bought that after asking the difference between the thread zap I and the thread zap 2... no one could answer me so I just figured, well, the second model should be better than the first, right? (Not my most awesome logic, but I had to decide somehow. It was also five dollars cheaper.)
Anyway, I was warned by many beady friends and acquaintances to be very careful about burning threads other than the one that I want cut off. Well, two bracelets cut in half later (I have to admit that the cuts were both quite neat) -- I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. If I don't stop burning the thread while a bit still shows, then it immediately goes too far too fast.
So I was wondering... Does anyone have any secret tips or advice, or is it simply a process that I have to learn through trial and error?
I did watch the video and it didn't look any different from what I've tried to do.
Thanks for any help!
Allie
Allie, I'm so sorry to hear that happened! Can I ask what kind of thread you are using? It is a fine balance between being careful not to burn your finished piece, and not having too much of a tail sticking out. I've practiced a little technique where I burn my thread off leaving a tiny tail, allow my Thread Zap II to cool very slightly, then I use the still-warm tool to kind of melt the tail of my thread onto a nearby thread within my work, without burning all the way through. It is tricky-- and I only can do it with Fireline or Wildfire. Maybe give that a try on a small practice piece?
Thanks for the great question! Let me know how it works out for you!
Andrea
Andrea, thanks for responding so promptly! I almost exclusively use Fireline for beadweaving(except of course for things like micromacrame... I don't think that would turn out so well with Fireline!). So that's the only type of thread that I have used with my Thread Zap II. I really like your idea -- leaving a tiny tail, and then catch the end while it's still warm -- because I know that the tool gets EXTREMELY hot. The residual warmth might be just enough.... I'll give that a try next time I need to "zap" something and report back on your suggestion.
Using samples is a perfect idea for me, because I've been planning to make up some flat peyote samples for a potential buyer. Even if my "zapping" has not been perfected, it probably won't hurt my samples.
Thanks so much!
Allie
Post a Comment