Lampworking is a hot glass technique where glass rods are slowly melted in a flame (usually a propane and oxygen mix). The glass is shaped and manipulated using tools, gravity, centrifugal forces, and temperature control. Once a piece has been made, it is an
nealed in a kiln overnight to 'de-stress' the glass which stops it from cracking.
This is how I make all my glass beads and smaller pieces.
Beads are made around a metal rod called a 'mandrel' which has been dipped in a ceramic slip called 'bead release'. The bead release stops the glass from sticking to the mandrel. The mandrel is what creates the hole in the bead, and once the bead has been annealed, the hole is cleaned out using a diamond coated file.