Posted on 04/23/2011 1:48:45 PM PDT by dangus
Anyone know if you can use a small butane or propane torch for fusing and forming glass? I'm not talking glass blowing, just bending, deforming and fusing. And slow is good. I found, for instance, an Iwatani butane torch. http://www.amazon.com/Iwatani-Torch-Burner-Professional-Cb-tc-pro/ It looked like what I figured I'd need, but in the comments, people were discussing searing stake with it, not soldering like I'd expect.
Also, anyone know why hobby glass would be so expensive? I mean, they sell cheap beer in this stuff? Why am I seeing just simple billets selling for ten dollars per pound? I'm thinking maybe I should use beer bottles. I don't drink a lot of beer, but I'm thinking maybe I should start! HHOK.
And does anyone have much experience with trying to cut it with a Dremel? I know they polish it really well, but if I try to cut into it, and I going to release a spray of powder with microfine cutting edges?
(If I've made anyone curious, I've decided to try to build fountains. Those beer bottles are even the right colors: green and brown.)
The first thing you need to do is ventilate the area you are working the glass as lead and other chemicals are released when working glass...a fan behind you with windows or garage door open works to start out.
You really also need a kiln if you want what you create to survive, especially larger pieces, because the kiln with take the stresses out of the glass that will cause breakage points later.
Yes, glass is expensive but unless you are going to do big things such as vases and bowls which would take a furnace then you do not go through that much glass.
If you use things like beer bottles then you definitely need a kiln because you need to heat the bottle before it goes into the flame because it will explode on you. Bringing it up to temp will keep that from happening.
Masks....when you go to those glass blowing sites look up safety mask if you are going to cut glass.
If you make a window using the copper foil method, you use lead and soldering iron to run the bead, you inhale lead vapor, it cannot be helped...If you are doing leaded glass, you still use solder to hold it together...one you use 50/50 lead and the other you use 60/40 lead..
don’t know how serious about it you are but there are table top glass grinders and the bit is a diamond dust drill. You keep water in the port and there is no dust when using it. It has a small sponge that soaks up the water and keeps the drill wet, they are expensive so you never grind glass dry. Your best bet is to find a glass shop and visit. You will get all the info you need, but if you fall in love with the glass like I did, it can become an expensive hobby....There are 100’s of colors and types of glass, all beautiful. GG
More important than a mask (i have never used one) is to had safety glasses when cutting and grinding to shape. Working with glass is easy with the right equipment, but it takes a lot of practice.
Want to make vacuum tubes? ;-D
Would it be possible for you to explain the evacuated tube process? I am interested in making a solar oven.
Different burn temps...
Different.........
On a serious note - this week our city Grand Rapids Michigan is having an art competition, this is one of the entries, a fountain made of colorful old glass ashtrays with holes drilled through the center. It is really quite pretty and I thought you would like to see it. Sorry it's not a real link but just go there I think you will like it.
http://www.artprize.org/63176
PS I do have a Dremel too you would need diamond bits to drill through glass. Not expensive.
Vacuum tubes are made from 1/2" inside diameter glass tubing. The tube elements are connected to the outside world with small wires that pass through the glass. The top of the glass tube is stretched to a small diameter and then hooked to a vacuum pump that can pull a really hard vacuum. An oil diffusion pump is typically used for that.
I am not sure how that will help with a solar oven. Tell me more, maybe it can. I can also link you to sites related to vacuum tube construction.
Wow, this is an old thread. Thanks. Later that year, I found out I was going to have a son, so I never got into such hobbies for now.
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