- 1). Cut the tubing to fit the bead hole width plus about 3 mm on each side. Use a plumber's tube cutter that you can find at any hardware or home improvement store. Insert the tubing into the bead hole and mark with permanent marker where you will cut it. Insert the tubing into the cutter at the mark. Hand tighten the jaws of the cutter then rotate it once around the tube. Tighten slightly again and rotate once more. Repeat the tightening and rotating until the tubing is cut. File any burrs from the cut edges of the tubing with the needle files.
- 2). Anneal the silver tubing by placing it on a flame-proof base and heating it gradually with a butane torch. Gently pass the flame over the entire piece of tubing so that it heats uniformly. Heat it until it reaches a dull red color. Do not heat past this point because the tubing will melt. Just after reaching the reddish color, shut off the torch and use the tweezers to quickly place the hot tubing into the water. Do not let it cool down on its own; it must be placed into water and cooled quickly to maintain its malleability. Remove it from the water and dry it with a clean cloth.
- 3). Place the tubing inside the bead hole and place the bead on a polished steel block work surface. Select a dapping punch slightly larger than the diameter of the silver tubing. Place the punch on top of the tubing and tap gently with the rawhide hammer to widen the tubing slightly. Repeat this process on the other end of the tubing, keeping it inside the bead hole at all times.
- 4). Tap the edge of the tubing gently with the next larger size of dapping punch to flare it a little more. Turn the bead and repeat on the other side. Now the tubing should be flared enough so that it will not slide out of the bead hole. Continue alternating gentle taps on each side of the tube. When the dapping punch sinks into the flare about a third of the way, change to a dapping punch that is three or four sizes larger than the one you are using. Keep alternating tapping the tube ends.
- 5). Place a piece of corrugated cardboard under the bead to cushion it when the tubing flare approaches the bead surface. Tap with the large dapping punch until the metal almost touches the bead. Put away the dapping punches now.
- 6). Continue tapping the silver tubing alternately using only the rawhide hammer; do not use the dapping punches for this step. Tap extremely gently with the rawhide hammer to work the metal onto the bead side. Rotate the bead as you tap and turn it frequently to keep your work even on both sides. Take your time and work the metal onto the bead until there are no gaps between them.
- 7). Polish the silver tubing inside and out with the hand-held rotary tool with polishing point attachments. The silver will start to gleam. You can also use a polishing brush machine if you like. Once the silver is polished, the silver core process is complete.
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