On 30/04/18 18:41, Terry Coombs wrote:
But the problem is that this application will be used to work with
molten glass . There's a glass bead maker here that wants me to make
some rods for making the beads . The "working end" of these , that is
in actual contact with the glass , is carbideÂ* , the "handle" is steel
. I'll be getting more info from her when we get together next week ,
but would like to have some ideas in hand by then .

Terry,

Are you talking about the bead mandrel that the bead is formed on or a
tool for working the bead. I've made the mandrels in the past for a few
bead makers out of 309 TIG rod and they seem to work fine, the
commercially supplied one I've seen look to be TIG rod also. Maybe for a
mandrel TIG tungsten of if carbide rod then hold either in some sort of
pin chuck with an extension for gripping away from the heat.