barrette bridge

[Billie]

I was ordering barrette findings and saw "barrette bridge". I saw that they were used in conjunction with french style barrette findings. But for what purpose and how are they used? Billie

[Polly]

Good question.  And one I have an answer to!  A barrette bridge "bridges" the gap between a flat-backed item, and the curved French barrette back finding.

[Billie]

And you glue.....rivet.....epoxy..... these on to the barrette finding? Won't the barrette stick up too high? And you can glue/rivet/epoxy to the bridge? Billie

[RitaD]

Barrette bridges are primarily intended for fused glass, but equally useable with other materials that are difficult to form to the shape of a barrette.  Now you don't need to try.  

Since the bridges are a plastic of some sort, I would attach them to both the barrette and the embellishment with an adhesive such as an epoxy.  

The center portion of the bridge is fairly thin, so this only adds about 2mm to the overall height of the finished item, just makes it less curved.

[Billie]

Thanks! Billie

[daverobertson]

Hey, I can't resist going on a tangent.

Is it true that the British word for "barrettes" is "hair slides"?

And do others also say this?  Canadians, Aussies, En Zedders?

--Dave
whose job it is to ask these questions

[Billie]

Bristish use both hair slide and barrette.
Canadians(english and french speaking) use barrette.

Hey, I can't resist going on a tangent.
Which do you wear Dave?

--Billie

[daverobertson]

Billie,

I don't look like my avatar.  '>  Barrettes won't stay on my head...  Except with super glue.

--Dave

[Russ Nobbs]

It's true that Dave's head is quite bare. In fact, one time I watched Dave carry his  then quite small child on his shoulders. The child was drawing on Dave's head with a ballpoint pen!!??!!?  Honest! Here at Rings & Things we go a long way to encourage art!

In any event, I wanted to suggest E6000 for gluing the barrette bridge to the French barrette instead of epoxy. E6000 has some flexibility. Epoxy does not bend or flex very well. When putting barrettes on and off, there is usually some "give" in the metal part. E6000 should work better.