Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI just wondered what you all do when you have a felting needle break while felting say the face on your bear? Do you then undo all what you have done to retrieve that akward liitle tip of the needle or if it's too deeply embedded do you just leave it?
If I can feel the end of the broken needle then I will grab my pliers and pull it out, but sometimes I find that it has gone too deep, that no matter how much manipulating of the foot or muzzle I do, I can't feel the end of it. This is sooooo frustrating as my bears are usually fully assembled, shaded and finished by the time I needlefelt the feet, so undoing a limb and going searching is sometimes out of the question. Luckily broken felting needles don't happen too often!
So what do you all do?
AlmostBearsi dont needlefelt. But i imagine it may be dangerous if the piece of needle worked its way to the surface...hmmm and would it set off metal detectors at customs? could you try and poke it right thru the other side with another, thicker needle? sorry, im not very helpful at all am i? 
i hope someone else will have a better idea for you 
edited to add: now i do feel silly, i realised that you only needle felt the pawpads....not the whole limb so my needle idea is just not going to work....maybe you could just put a small slit in the pawpad, under the needlefelting and get the broken piece out that way, then sew the small slit up and do a bit extra felting on top of where you cut?...i know... still not very helpful...im trying 
I pull it out always. What about tweezers or your hemostats?
LuxembearsGemma I agree with these ladies that if you can, try to get it out. But if it is really deep into the bear and there is no way you can feel it no matter how hard you squeeze, then it may be safe to say that it is not going to harm anyone.
HHMM metal detectors in customs....good question. Anyone else have any thougths of this?
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I've used one of my Rare Earth magnets to locate it and slit through to find it. Fortunately for us, this 'search' does no harm to the finished product, unlike sewn bears!!! Another huge PLUS for NFing!!
When you think about it, the direction of the downward-facing barbs means that if it's going to migrate at all, it's going to 'back itself' out on the track it went in on. Which means that the broken shaft is going to be surfacing first instead of the tip.... Which is a small comfort....
I dig them out after razor-blading them open: insert a bit of fiber within the cut to bond the 2 sides of the cut together and then skin-over the surface with wisps of fiber. Any shading can be easily redone on the new surface.
Little Bear GuyWOW Bobbie is there anything you can't do , you are like a magic jeannie or something you always have a solution for people, so glad you are on this list as you are a fountain of information :hug: .
big hugs
Shane
Posts: 8,574Great question Gemma, and a responsible one too. I appreciate your concern.
And great answers from everyone, love the magnet idea Bobbie, brilliant!
dilu
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)OK, now I can admit that it was only in my first year that I broke needles. Since then I've improved my aim so that I don't break them. The working portion of the shaft begins to bend a bit at the last reduction and I g e n t l y and s l o w l y bend them back up straight.
I'm also a frustrated industrial engineer, which is how I must be hard-wired because total solutions appear, but somehow the math gene was bypassed and an artistic one fell into place - so I obviously went to "Cosmetology" school (haiirdresser) instead of uni.
Thx for the compliments. I will re-read my posts and think - "What a know-it-all that person appears to be. SOOOoooo pedantic!!"
I'm so totally NOT that person!
