He can probably tell you more about how he reworks them :)

Uwe is indeed great at reworking old trade beads. He uses a coldworking process. I gave it a few tries as well. Getting it to a nice finish is the hardest in my opinion.

There are many ways in which beads were changed in shape and color, and how broken beads were fixed, either by applying heat or by coldworking.

This set of beads from Hans shows some great examples of reworked beads.

Hi Floor,
you mean this page of my booklet Second Life Beads?
Have a good time at BIBCO!

Thanks to Heleen and Floor for naming me...Iīm sure, there are some others...I came to "reworking beads", because so many of the beads I buy by kilos and strands are more or less badly chipped, and so I started some years ago to give them new life by grinding them in round or oval shapes and make necklaces for myself and friends. I use a simple drilling machine, fixed on a bench, dropping water and mainly the tools from the image.
Itīs the first time I brought beads to Morocco (usually opposite...), because I will stay longer and some friends here asked for a necklace...The necklace from the image is the one I am currently wearing, with a chevron in center, made from a beautiful cane the Picards once sent to me....
I use a simple polishing wheel in the end for larger beads, like those from the image, and a small silicon/grit wheel for small beads. The larger cylinders come from "Tiffany work". Itīs easier to work, when you put the bead on a stick. I use Chinese chopsticks made of bamboo (shit, now I write it, I realize, that I forgot them; I fear, here I will only find plastic).
Give it a try, Linda, itīs pure fun...!

I am the proud owner of a number of fab Uwe grinds! Including the substantial BCN red chevron.

Uwe, if you would like to privately send me a mailing address in Morocco I will be happy to send you some bamboo chop sticks, wooden shish kebob skewers, etc.....

...for your offer, but I guess, I was too fast...here are a lot of products from China and with help from friends I will find bamboo sticks in Tiznit...you are so cute...!

Thank you so much for the information and fab photo!
I did manage to find some of your work in an earlier post. You do such a great job with these.
I'm all for pure fun - and so will give it a try. It would be great to fish some treasures out of my broken bead jar.
Do you ever reheat them?
Happy trails in Morocco...
LD

I had some half-assed experiments with reheating years ago, not successful without good equipment for the heat and the cooling down process... a try with the "Kiffa-technique" was just a disaster and a try with the "powder glass-technique" is on my "to do list" since years... :)