power pro runs in red and yellow colors. Don't use them.

[laurenb]

This is a bit afield from the current conversation about gauge, but I know we've talked about the properties of colored PowerPro in the past.

I knotted a piece and noticed the red was shedding faintly, but after a few days it became quite noticeable.

The dry photo is before washing. The wet photo was taken after I cut the pearls off the PP, briefly soaked and manually lathered them with Haggerty's, rubbed them with olive oil to see if that would carry out some of the dye, lathered them with dishwashing detergent, and rinsed in the water you see. Not good.

Does anyone who cleans and restrings old pearls have another suggestion to try to get the color out? It's not a huge loss because I have other strands and I can always put them on red silk and make bigger knots than usual.

I think the pigment came out as the spectra fibers moved. I tried washing the filament to see if it could be pre-rinsed, but I couldn't achieve any significant fading until I flexed and worked it, freeing the dye. Spectra is very odd stuff. I haven't had any color transfer issues with the moss green.

 

[laurenb]

That's a good idea-- that was and may again be a rosary, hence the bigger rounds mixed in, but minute rubies, quartz, garnets etc. would be aesthetically appropriate and would make it look more like a reflection than a stain if any showed.

 

[pattye]

On some of the fw pearls that obviously have extra dye, I have bathed them and also added a small amount of bleach with the soap to help remove extra color. You might try a little bleach with the soap on a few pearls, just to see if it works. Check every few minutes or so to see if the color is removing and use a soft cloth or toothbrush to clean. Of course, rinse well. I was happy with my results. I would only try this on fairly inexpensive pearls.

 

[pearl-man]

Here is a link to previous discussions on the topic. It happens to be the thread in which Knotty first posted. I was interested to see the evolution in positions of all of us since then. That is the thread where I used silk for my very heavy pearls and went on the hunt for an alternative.

As for drape, there is no difference in drape in a bracelet or necklace between silk and other threads. Even a very long rope can't be discerned as draping better with silk. I used silk to knot for years, until I tried to knot the Lumps of Coal necklace. Now I see its limits and I prefer Power Pro for everything. I strung my Bahraini pearls with it and they seem to like it just fine. And even if I catch it on something and pull before I realize it, it will not break. The pearls range from 1mm to 7mm and I knotted between each one. It drapes better with knots than without.
Steve,
you what thread to use, but I am sure you will look at the alternatives for yourself. The linked thread is quite interesting and has a lot of info. Several of us have been exploring threads for the last year -and sharing as we go.

What did you mean "silk doesn't need glue"?

Our firm has restrung new and repaired necklaces since 1939 using silk, knotted in most cases. New threads often don't hang right knotted, bit kinky.
Loose unknotted what ever holds until the consumer/jeweler buys them....

Norm

 

[pearl-man]

This is a bit afield from the current conversation about gauge, but I know we've talked about the properties of colored PowerPro in the past.

I knotted a piece and noticed the red was shedding faintly, but after a few days it became quite noticeable.

The dry photo is before washing. The wet photo was taken after I cut the pearls off the PP, briefly soaked and manually lathered them with Haggerty's, rubbed them with olive oil to see if that would carry out some of the dye, lathered them with dishwashing detergent, and rinsed in the water you see. Not good.

Does anyone who cleans and restrings old pearls have another suggestion to try to get the color out? It's not a huge loss because I have other strands and I can always put them on red silk and make bigger knots than usual.

I think the pigment came out as the spectra fibers moved. I tried washing the filament to see if it could be pre-rinsed, but I couldn't achieve any significant fading until I flexed and worked it, freeing the dye. Spectra is very odd stuff. I haven't had any color transfer issues with the moss green.

To clean or eliminate dirt and color we always restring on to cotton thread and use plain soap. We loop on end around the fawcet get our hands real soapy and massage the pearls back and forth between our hands and the wet now soapy thread. Rinse and pat dry on a cotton dish towel...keep there for awhile and transfer to a silk thread for finnal stringing...
pearl-man

 

[pearl guide]

What did you mean "silk doesn't need glue"?

I don't remember saying that-couldn't find it in the quote. I personally do not like glue on a knot and have tried it out, but didn't like it.

While I am not a member of a firm that has strung necklaces since 1939- I personally have been stringing necklaces since 1966- that's 42 years. Yone, the incredible beadmeister of San Francisco,got me started. I learned from the guru of beads. Honestly, that is how he was and still is regarded, though he died many years ago. (If his partner "Mr Bee, is still alive Yone's is still in business)

OOps, sorry, I was still signed in as Admin, not Caitlin.

I have always been open to experimentation with thread. I've tried about everything from monofiliment, nylon of various kinds, and other man made threads like Griffon, not to mention Softflex wire as well as cotton, hemp and silk.

Except for the huge range of colors, I think would put silk near the bottom of the list. Why? It stretches and absorbs crud. Why silk still has a mystique at this point is beyond me.

I prefer natural against plastic in just about every case. ie in thread, clothes, bed clothes etc. , and I jumped on silk decades ago. Everything I strung on silk has stretched and needed to be restrung. GRRR!!!

I have always wanted my bead and pearl necklaces to not break, and last as long as the beads. In fact I have a knotted strand I made in 1967 or so that is still doing well on Griffon. I have nothing left strung on silk from that long ago.

Nevertheless I used silk right up until I strung some humongous black CFWP they were all about 13-14 mm. They look like lumps of coal, hence the name. Anyway that necklace may have been the heaviest I ever made. It was 32" long. There is a picture of it on the forum. Anyway, it stretched the first time I wore it! I complained over here and got all kinds of suggestion on how to prepare silk. Since there was nothing there I didn't already do- I decided to find a non-stretch beading thread. I soon found Power pro beading thread and tried it. I have been using it for a year or more. The biggest drawback is the lack of colors.

BTW, for people who say power pro is fishing line- the white and moss green Ppro are found in bead stores.

Anyway, the made-made threads can all be melted- no need for glue. According to knotty, even silk can be sealed with a thread zap or other brand of bead string melter.

Powerpro seems resistant to crud gathering too. Any food or whatever that gets on it can easily be rinsed away because it is just on the surface, not absorbed.

 

[Sueki]

Hi Caitlin,
Oh, yes, white Powerpro is found as fishing line - see here and scroll down to the white:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...5_TGP&parentType=index&indexId=cat600395&rid=

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks. This is good news. The first time I bought from Cabela's, I swear I didn't see white. Nor on all the sites I checked before I found Cabela's. As fishing line, Ppro is less expensive than from bead stores, which only offer white and moss green, the only colorfast color. In bead stores, they are also on much smaller spools.

 

[Sueki]

Thanks. As fishing line, Ppro is less expensive than from bead stores, which only offer white and moss green, the only colorfast color. In bead stores, they are also on much smaller spools.

Oh, yes. And then some....