You can use any method to create beautiful beads that you're comfortable with. If you're not sure where to begin, here are a series of steps to help you quickly turn multiple beads.
And note, beads do not need to be limited to wood or turning for that matter. Resin castings and laminates make beautiful beads. If you are talented at wood carving, you have even more options in creating artistic beads unique to you.
I used some scraps I had from previous projects, odd shaped cut-offs and some wood I thought would just make a pretty bead. The cut-offs from pen spindles are usually the perfect size.
I used a bandsaw to cut the blanks to 0.5-1.0” pieces, depending on the width of the blank and what I was inspired to create.
Note, you may choose to drill the 7mm holes in the spindles before cutting into the smaller bead size. This will allow you to drill once instead of drilling each bead individually.
I use pen jaws to hold each piece on my lathe then drill the 7mm hole. Alternatively a drill press could be used.
Another option is you can drill the holes prior to cutting the spindle to bead size (see note in Step Two).
You can glue brass tubing into each blank if desired, but it is not necessary.
Using a pen mandrel and bushings for 7mm pen kits, assemble the bead pieces with a bushing between each piece. Use a mandrel saver in the tail stock - this is important because the size of the beads may decrease so you will need to keep tightening the tension.
Note that you can mix and match woods or other materials on the same setup since you will be turning each bead individually.
Round the pieces then start your creative process. Some notes on this:
Remember if you have mixed woods, how you turn each bead may change (especially if moving between wood and acrylic, or hard and soft woods).
I recommend turning the corners off each bead, giving a bit more leeway for turning the adjacent beads
Wood often doesn’t do what you expect it to do. If it chips or cracks, you can turn the bead smaller or change the design of the bead.
Keep checking the tension of the tailstock. As beads are turned and rounded on the end, the blanks may become smaller, requiring the tailstock to tighten up.
If you are not using the brass tubing, remember the blanks will not sit perfectly on the mandrel. Finish one bead before moving on to the next to prevent the bead falling out of alignment before it is finished.
Be creative. Work with the characteristics of the wood and have fun with it.
Sand and finish the pieces. I sand my beads to 600 then use a friction polish. Other options can be a CA finish or any other finish you have available. These do not need to be food safe.
When sanding, consider the woods you are turning; you may want to use different pieces of sandpaper for different beads so the dust does not cross over.
After removing the beads from the mandrel, you may want to sand the ends to remove any sharp edges. You can also roll a piece of sandpaper to sand the inside. I’ve only done this on a few pieces that looked a bit rough, but nobody will be sticking their fingers in there to see how smooth it is.
Bring your beads to symposiums, club meetings, classes and anywhere else you may want to meet people and share this hobby with.