Hello, all!  I'm very new to off loom weaving, and have fallen in love with RAW and peyote.  I've had a great deal of difficulty weaving with Fireline - I can never seem to get the tension right, no matter how often I adjust, pull, even tying unnecessary knots!  Once the piece is finished, I always encounter some loose sections of the work.  However, when I use Nymo D, I don't seem to have this problem.  Is there some trick to working with Fireline?  Or can I just use Nymo in it's place?  Since I'm new, I try to use whatever the project instructions call for.  Any suggestions or ideas/tips would be greatly appreciated!

 Thanks for your time!

Michelle :)

I'm not sure why, but there just seem to be some people that adapt better to Fireline than others.  Myself - I HATE the stuff.  I use Nymo and C-Lon Size B & D exclusively.  Waxed and stretched.  I've tried Fireline numerous times - just threading my needle is so stressful that it takes the fun and relaxation right out of my work. I have a friend, on the other hand, that once she was introduced to Fireline - uses nothing but, with great results. I say as long as you are comfortable working with Nymo, or whatever THREAD you are using - and can achieve the look and tension you need - use it. 

Whew!  What a relief - thank you for the reply!  I'm just glad to hear someone else hates working with Fireline.  :)  I just thought there might be a specific reason to use either/or, but if you say I can use the Nymo or C-Lon for everything, I will go ahead and do that.  Thanks again!

Happy Beading!

Michelle

I tried Fireline for the first time last fall, OMG I love it. But the key for me was I put a lot of tension on any thread I use when beading, that's just the way I work, I yank any thread so tight if you listen closely you might hear it scream. I'm going to experiment with Dandyline next.

And threading the Fireline through the eye of a beading needle, the trick I use is I trim the end of the line with an extremely sharp pair of scissors, and then flatten fan the freshly cut tip out between my teeth, works really well for me.

What makes the thread secure with Nymo is the wax.

I teach beading classes, and I'm discovering that some students work better with Nymo and some with Fireline. The classes are Bead and Wire Construction craft jewelry Mini Courses. I find it interesting that many of my students are surprised at how much hand and finger strength they need to make craft jewelry.

Best wishes,

Lu Ann

Fireline is so easy to thread, compared to PowerPro and its clone Dandyline, and requires no waxing or stretching as does nymo, that I'd like to know a bit more from those who prefer nymo over Fireline. 

What weight Fireline have you used?  6lb test is pretty stout, comparable to a D nymo, so perhaps easier threading might be achieved by using a lower test weight of Fireline?  I can get 6# test through size 12 beading needles, if necessary flattening the end just by pulling it between my thumbnail and index finger.  Unlike nymo, it doesn't split; and unlike silamide, it doesn't fan at the end. 

About the only advantage I can see using PowerPro or Dandyline over Fireline is that Fireline is somewhat stiffer and less silky than the first two.   But all these polyethylene lines lack spool memory, and do not twist or kink as annoyingly as nylon threads can.  Nor do they shed.

I see the only advantage - and it can be a big advantage - of nymo [or any of the other nylon threads] is that it comes in many colors.   But I've never found nymo to be easier to thread [and Silamide is even worse], plus its tendency to slip out of the needle altogether unless the needle eye is gopped up with wax is annoying indeed. 

However, the type of stitch being used certainly affects the usability of a thread, so perhaps it's a tension issue - Fireline and PowerPro do not stretch much, if at all, whereas nylon lines do.  So  perhaps nylon will stretch and loosen up in the tight places, evening things out, whereas Fireline will reveal any and all tension inconsistencies?  Remember, however, nylon's tendency to keep on stretching....and stretching...and stretching... 

???

See, its the stretching that makes me dislike Nymo so much.  And I also bead tightly, yanking pretty hard after each stitch, which doesn't make for the softest peyote, but means I set cabs really well.  So, its Fireline all the way for me.  When I need something softer, like fringe without heavy beads, I go for the 4lb.  Otherwise I do the 6 or 8 lb. 

I've heard that Fireline doesn't do fringe well since it retains the curve from its spool, but I actually tend towards heavier fringe AND I use a lot of crystals that cut Nymo, so haven't had a problem with it. 

 

Well I'm still confused. I use nymo all the time, it does stretch, which annoys me. But I bought all of the sizes of C-Thru tread from FMG and they are all, even the fineest, really thick and can't see how they would work properly. In truth I haven't tried them yet. These are braided (plaited) and I would like to know, does this sound like Fireline? I'm really curious about that thread. I use RAW a lot. NowI would like to have a bit more stiffnes in a medalion and I'm thinking of using the C-Thru fine.

I've never used Fireline; I ended up buying Spiderwire because it was cheaper and came in clear instead of colored. I bought 6 & 12lb tests and use them for different things depending on what beads I am using. The 6lb is great for crystals & bugles because it doesn't cut, and you can thread it easily by flattening the end with a pair of pliers. The 12lb is thicker, and I use it with a big eye or twisted needle, mainly for heavier beads. It works well for me, and it's not that difficult to keep tension with, although you still have to pull it tight and it can come loose if you don't. That said, for most seed bead stitching I still rely on good old Nymo D. I bought a bunch of large spools from a place that was getting rid of all their beading supplies, so I'll use that up before I buy much else. It does stretch, but I pull it through my fingers a couple of times before I start stitching and it seems to help a bit. The Spiderwire doesn't seem to stretch too much, at least not that I've noticed so far.