Dumb Question Time on Fishing Line

I have used power pro which is a braided fishing line, but you have to get the right test line. If you want to use it for small beads you will have to get 8 or 10 pound test or it will be too big to go through a small needle. I just got 10 pound test this week which goes through a # 10 needle. 10 pound test works well which 11 beads and smaller Japanese bead which have bigger holes. Stay away from monofilament line it is not suitable for bead work. Roxan

The smaller/lower "test" lines can. I usually use #10 needles, and 10# test GSP line threads up fine, 14# test with some difficulty, and only occasionally can I force the 24# test in one. The braided lines have a smaller diameter per "#" than the fused lines.

I have a spool of dark green Spider-Wire, and it appears to be braided. <

Fishing line can be any of those. SpiderWIRE is braided, as is Fireline. SpiderLINE "Fusion" is not braided and is less stiff/drapes better than the braided lines, but seems to be getting phased out (at least at WalMart). I'm not sure if any GSP lines are cable-laid or flat-plied, but maybe if enough beaders get into wanting GSP products, those will appear. Spiderline also makes monofilament lines, so read the label carefully-- the "Super Mono" is very good, but you'd probably want to limit its use to "illusion necklaces". Kaytee "Simplexities" on

Why exactly? I'm having heaps of trouble finding line that *isn't* monofilament or flourescent pink! :P

And it's frustrating reading about North American brands of line, as Australia seems to have a market large enough (it's the nice climate and aaaall that water!) for all the stuff you see in shops to be locally-made. ie no American brands are available here :P

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Arondelle :

]I know it will seem intuitively obvious to long-time beaders, but can I ]really put fishing line through a size 12 beading needle and weave with it?

absolutely! i do it all the time.

4lb if you want to go through seed beads a lot of times. Fireline works best for me. i'm wearing a woven bracelet i made two years ago with the stuff - and i've worn it through showers for that long. it's still soft, supple, and no sign of wear.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from mªdcªt :

]>holes. Stay away from monofilament line it is not suitable for bead work.

]Why exactly? I'm having heaps of trouble finding line that *isn't* ]monofilament or flourescent pink! :P

because monofilament is made to biodegrade - which means eventually, it will self-destruct.

]And it's frustrating reading about North American brands of line, as ]Australia seems to have a market large enough (it's the nice climate ]and aaaall that water!) for all the stuff you see in shops to be ]locally-made. ie no American brands are available here :P

AH - i forgot you lived in Australia. the best bet would be to order the Fireline direct from the manufacturer, if you can, or from one of our big hunting/fishing supply places? if that doesn't work, e-mail me - we can work something out!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.comnospam (Kaytee) :

]The smaller/lower "test" lines can. I usually use #10 needles, and 10# test GSP ]line threads up fine, 14# test with some difficulty, and only occasionally can ]I force the 24# test in one. The braided lines have a smaller diameter per "#" ]than the fused lines.

i've used up to 20lb test with a needle. over that, it's so stiff it really doesn't need a needle because i'm not using it for weaving. using pliers to "flatten" the end helps with threading the needle immensely!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Glad someone said this. Use only "fishing" line that is used for beading, not the "real" fishing line and I am not sure what I am talking about, but others are. The monofiliment line stretches and breaks. It is made to stretch and break, and doesn't hold up well to beading.

Becki "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

I used to use Fireline - it is a fused fishing line that is easy to thread onto a needle and the only color I have ever seen it in is black - which worked fine for everything I made with it. I don't use it anymore though. I use SoftTouch for lighter pieces and SoftFlex for everything else. It costs more, but I think it is definitely worth it.

Carol in SLC My latest creation (11/12):

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.comnospam (Carol in SLC) :

]I use SoftTouch ]for lighter pieces and SoftFlex for everything else. It costs more, but I ]think it is definitely worth it.

**grin** and i tried it and hated it! glad there are so many options out there!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

It stretches. It deteriorates.

Many are made to break down when exposed to salt water and/or sunlight-- not right away, of course, but over time, so to lessen the environmental impact of "lost" line in our oceans. For awhile, in California at least, sport fishing boats could carry only this degradable line. Not sure if the law is still in effect. Kaytee "Simplexities" on

Can't do "wooly worms" with those.... Kaytee "Simplexities" on

BeckiBead wrote: > Glad someone said this. Use only "fishing" line that is used for > beading, not the "real" fishing line and I am not sure what I am > talking about, but others are. The monofiliment line stretches and > breaks. It is made to stretch and break, and doesn't hold up well > to beading.

I was rummaging aroung in my sewing desk and came up with a spool of "transparent" nylon thread. Naturally, this with fit into even a #13 needle, and I suppose it was designed to take the abuse of being run through a sewing machine. (I use it for the bobbin thread when I use metallic thread in decorative stitching.)

It does stretch like crazy, but it springs back like a rubber band. I wasn't able to break it by hand.

Any thoughts?

Arondelle

Arondelle -- none. I am not the expert on thread. I only use Soft-Touch and Soft-Flex, and sometimes waxed linen cord. Other than wire, that is it for me.

Becki "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

I have to wonder, why would you stay in a shower for that long? Diana ;-)

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Diana Curtis" :

]I have to wonder, why would you stay in a shower for that long? ]Diana ;-)

pppppppppphhhhhhhhhhppppppppwwwwwwwtttttttt!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Ahhh i see... youre just one dirty woman.. May I have a towel please? Which reminds me of a family story. Its about as off color as my grands ever got. One day my grandfather called his Aunt and asked " are you da voman who vashes?" . She replied "no" and hung up. Again my grandfather called and asked again, " are you da voman who vashes?" Again the aunt replied a bit more emphatically, "no!" and hung up. Once again my grandfather called to ask, "are you da voman who vashes?, and when Aunty testily answered "No!" he replied, "Oh, you dirty voman". To explain, my great grandparent's generation came from Sweden and landed in NYC, and spoke with heavy accents which my grandfather adopted for this practical joke. Diana