For the people that use them what's a couple of good sizes to start with? 1/8" and 3/16? Just in case I ever wanted to try a basket illusion or should I go smaller or bigger?
Thanks
Thanks
-
December 2025 Turning Challenge: Single Tree! (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Bob Henrickson, People's Choice in the November 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Steven Gordon for "Dropped Ice Cream Cone" being selected as Turning of the Week for December 8, 2025 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
D-way beading tools
- Thread starter Sam Fleisher
- Start date
1/8 is small enough. I bought the 3/16 one and made a couple illusions and the beads were almost to small to color in for me. 1/8 seems to be the perfect size.
Don't you mean you bought the 1/16"? 3/16 is bigger than 1/8".
The 1/16" a person could probably just put grooves with that diamond tool and call it good?
I have all 5 and use them on bowls to make very attractive designs using multiple sizes on the same bowl. See Dave's video.
I have the 5 piece set and use the 1/8 and 3/16 most often. The other sizes are nice but I find myself reaching for those two sizes the most....
I don't know how to watch it.
I have five. Probably use the 1/8 most by far, and the 3/16 second. 1/16 rarely. Not sure whether I've ever used the 3/8
So, it's looking like the consensus is a 2 piece set of 1/8" and 3/16". Should I get the teardrop tool too?
Will these fit in a Thompson 3/8" handle does anyone know? .390 is shaft size for the beading tool it says, but I don't have a 3/8 Thompson handle to measure if it has an oversize hole. I suppose it doesn't matter but I just like the Thompson handles and they would match my others.
Will these fit in a Thompson 3/8" handle does anyone know? .390 is shaft size for the beading tool it says, but I don't have a 3/8 Thompson handle to measure if it has an oversize hole. I suppose it doesn't matter but I just like the Thompson handles and they would match my others.
Oh yes. I love the tear drop tool and use it ALL of the time for fine details, grooves and even some light shaping. Don't know about the handles, but if they have set screws they should be able to hold it even if it is oversized...
While I’ve got five or six of them, I use the same two mentioned by far the most. The tear-drop tool is always mounted in a handle and ready for use - the beading tools are often used unhandled if I only plan a bead or two.
I have the 1/16, 1/8 and 3/16 and use the 1/8 the most. I also have the diamond tool which is very versatile
Done and Done. 1/8", 3/16" and a teardrop on the way!
Thanks for the recommendations! Any pics of decorations made with the 1/8 and 3/16? Is that the size used in the video on the web site where he had larger beads top and bottom with small filling in the band?
Thanks for the recommendations! Any pics of decorations made with the 1/8 and 3/16? Is that the size used in the video on the web site where he had larger beads top and bottom with small filling in the band?
You will enjoy them and it will open up a lot of different designs using the tools too.
LOL yes that would be it. I ended up buying 3. I first bought the 1/16 and 3/16 first then went back and bought the 1/8. I should have just bought the 1/8 the first time. I barely use the 1/16 one.
I got the 1/8" beading tool and wanted one a little smaller, so I also got the 3/32". In use, they don't look a whole lot different to me. I don't use a beading tool for larger beads, so can't advise.
I have two ... the 1/8" and 3/16" ... that I use for basket illusion. I have contemplated buying the other sizes, but haven't pulled the trigger.
I have the complete set but I mostly use 1/8 ans 3/16. Depending on the size and design of my project
Is that the sizes you used for your avatar?
Of course, now I feel like I'm backing myself into a corner and need to buy a pyrography kit....... It truly never ends!
Yes used the 3/16, I mostly use that one
Remember ... we are all just one tool away from greatness!
I've done a fair share of basket illusion work and I think the 1/8" works best. But the 3/16" works better when I do pyro designs and want to create a border or divider between burned areas. That said, both work in either case and it's probably more a personal preference than anything. Also, PJL Woodburning pens makes pens specifically for the Dway 1/8 and 3/16 beading tools. You'll save yourself a lot of grief if you buy the beading tool and the pen in combination. https://www.carvertools.com/
I normally go with the 3/16" size.
Last edited:
The size of the work piece can influence the choice of the bead size, so one size is not going cover all of your needs if you make various sized pieces.
Hopefully the two I bought will get me started. I'm thinking mostly of bowl rim decoration before I tackle a basket illusion.
I have the complete set. I used the 3/8 on salt/pepper mills to add very uniform decorative beads. I'm not good enough with a gouge or skew to get them as perfect as the d-way does. When I use them on softer woods that are prone to chip out, I lubricate the wood first with mineral spirits after a little shellac sealer. Seems to help prevent chipping.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I just built another beading tool. I have to duplicate a bunch of antique spindles as replacements in a old house staircase. It has 2 tiny beads about 3/4" apart. Even though I'm really goid at turning beads I decided it would be much faster and easier on me to simply build a beading tool for this project. Then I know every bead will be dead on accurate and hopefully my customer will be happy.
Could you post a pic of the tool end? What tool steel did you use? How did you form the beads?
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
- 1,770
- Likes
- 1,582
- Location
- Roulette, PA
- Website
- www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
I made a home made beading tool out of an old (harbor freight-ish cheap) spindle gouge - you basically sharpen it opposite of typical gouge grind.. It worked, but it wasn't as nicely formed as a real beading tool, but it sure was better and more consistent than the beads I could turn manually at the time. Basically a beading tool is an inverted U - think of a bowl gouge flute-down and then ground to a sort of scraper edge... If you have a grinding wheel (I adjusted mine with chainsaw sharpener grinding wheel) you could probably make your own out of a piece of plain bar stock...
I did one of those awhile back too. My problem was the flute was more of a "v" than a "u" and they ended up looking funny.
This was a rough turned piece of oak I tried it out on. I left it tall like that so I can turn it down to probably one bead when it's dry. I was just messing around to see how it was going to work.
Attachments
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Here it is. It's kind of a flattened bead. This was a piece of drill rod. I haven't hardened it yet. I probably will.
Attachments
Yay, the mail went.. I can attest the little bastards are sharp. I was wrestling with the bubble wrap holding with one hand then pulling the rubber off the end and somehow the cap came off easier and I ended up jabbing the flutes into the side of my thumb! ^$$*^&^* Hopefully that's the only wound I get from these.
What's the hole in the end of the shaft for? Lanyard?
Sadly my Thompson handles won't be here till Tues. so I won't know if they will fit till then.
What's the hole in the end of the shaft for? Lanyard?
Sadly my Thompson handles won't be here till Tues. so I won't know if they will fit till then.
The hole was for racking them up with wire for heat treating…
I don't use handles on mine. Feels easier to control that way.
I also have never found a need for adding handles. With all but the largest beads, you are making a very small cut, and cutting slowly.
The hole I think is for were he holds the tool for heat treating.....
Last edited:
You probably wont need or want handles on these. I dont use handles with them.
Too late, I ordered the handles the same time I ordered the beading tools. Oh well, I can always remove them if I don't like them. Hard to use handles if I don't have them though. Won't be the first not really necessary tool I buy in this hobby!
Handles might be hard to sell though because I had "Stolen from Sam Fleisher" put on them!I put short home-made wooden handles on mine ranging in length from 5 to 7". No ferules; just epoxied into a drilled hole. Whatever small pieces of maple I had lying around. I don't like the feel of just holding the tiny shafts in my hands. Handles probably do littlie more that give a different ergonomic feel.
I think I will appreciate the handle on the teardrop tool at least. Learned a lesson already messing around while I was turning a green blank. You don't want to turn the tool onto it's side too much trying to get a little ridge smoothed out. bam.. wakes you up anyway.
I haven't gone back and re-watched the video on the d-way site yet to check out the subtleties putting beads on a rim. Light touch I've already figured out.
I haven't gone back and re-watched the video on the d-way site yet to check out the subtleties putting beads on a rim. Light touch I've already figured out.