07-15-03 04:55
No 447309
Are there any good glass blowing bees around who might have some tips? S/D is haveing a hard time learning to make "T's". He can fuse two straight tubes together no problem. He found an internet sight that shows step by step how to make "T"'s but he's haveing a hard time. And where else does one go when they need help with anything? Well, the Hive of course!!
-S/D
Sorry,I had my tang all toungled behind my eye teeth, and I couldn't see what I was saying.
(Old P2P Cook)
07-15-03 06:12
No 447324
Tees are easier than inline joints. What type of glass are you using, do you have a hand torch, what type of fuel, how have you rigged your mouthpiece, etc?
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
(Hive Addict)
07-15-03 09:10
No 447354
I’m using thin walled borosilicate, glass, and a plain old propane torch, with a rosebud tip. For blowing I use a piece of reinforced poly tube. I think my main problem is not getting the hole big enough in the “crossbar”. I blow it and then collapse it. My base, (I think), looks pretty good. But then when I go to stick the pole onto the crossbar, there’s always a small gap or just a pinhole, where it didn’t seal.
-S/D
Sorry,I had my tang all toungled behind my eye teeth, and I couldn't see what I was saying.
(Old P2P Cook)
07-15-03 16:11
No 447461
I am surprised that you are able to blow a bubble in borosilicate using just a propane torch. I wouldn't epect propane/air to provide a hot enough flame. I used to use natural gas/oxygen. Can you really get the glass hot enough to blow a large thinwall glass bubble that pops like a soap bubble? Not getting the two pices to join completely is indicative of them not being hot enough. My problem using gas/oxygen was more often that I would get the glass too hot. In addition to a gas/oxygen hand torch you really need a pair of didymium goggles to filter out the sodium flare so that you can see what you are doing.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
(Hive Addict)
07-15-03 17:55
No 447498
Actually it gets fairly hot with the rosebud tip. I've got a bunch of other tips, and there's no way in hell that any of them would do it. A while back I used propane/oxy, but, I found it very diificult to keep from getting it too hot. I found myself spending more time adjusting the torch than anything else. I guess the advantage is that you've got that extra heat when you need it. I loaned my torch and gauges to someone and never saw them again. I'll have to look for a new set. Ya, well, it's my own fault, I know better, than to loan shit to people.
I don't know anything about these goggles, you speak of. I'll have to check around. What, welding supply, or industrial/chem supply?
-S/D
Sorry,I had my tang all toungled behind my eye teeth, and I couldn't see what I was saying.
(Hive Addict)
07-15-03 19:30
No 447514
SWIM fixed his 3-way distilling adapter which had a crack in it with glass blowing. Yes, oxygen is needed to get the glass hot enough, even to fix just a crack. I rigged up a compressed air line with a propane line hooked to a burner...adjusting the propane/air flow ratio determined the flame height/temp. It worked well.
I learned a bunch on glass blowing from this on rhodiums site:
../rhodium/djvu /labglaswork1
../rhodium/djvu /labglaswork2
I can now see the limitless potential of learning how to glass blow. I saved a bunch of money already fixing my cracked glassware...just by reading those references.
Good luck to you~
(I'm Yust a Typo)
07-16-03 01:30
No 447596
In addition to a gas/oxygen hand torch you really need a pair of didymium goggles to filter out the sodium flare so that you can see what you are doing.
Those goggles are a must, especially if you work for longer than 5 minutes on a piece. Unless you like having a dead spot in the center of your vision.
(Stranger)
07-16-03 03:56
No 447639
company, mostly for artists. We did do some work for MIT, at the time it seemed quite odd that scientist types would want a glass furnas. But due to my recent dreams and nightmares, all has become clear. I guess they had/have a program for those who use that kind of stuff, what it takes to make those flask thingys. I bet their sure is some wierd bloby too thick to thin science apperatus out there. Most of my experience with blowing is benchwork or hot glass but have done a little warm glass or flameworking. The tee seal of which you speak can be tricky, its all about even heating. In the fabrication of neon signage ,the little u shaped thing w/ two little burners faceing each other, spaced about 4-3in apart, is held in hand (tipping torch) and rotated around tubes makes the even heating thing alot easier. Used to make down and dirty pipes with mapp gas torch, really like the self\click start(burns hotter than propane and there is very little carbon traping) Two of these guys facing each other could be getto= to tipping torch, but rotating the glass not the torch would kind of limiting. Ya'll praw'ly know this but a bucket of vermiculite makes a good insulater fer dem thicker or complicated assemblys. Oh yea, those flameworking torches aren't to expensive last time I was around that stuff, a starter model the ones that are bench mounted with supplied oxygen for the extra cool pyrex option. If ya' like writting alot of big checks and swiping mucho plastic you could convince some fool ta build ya ceramic tub(Azs or fused silica\alumina poured molten now thats hot with lots of 12.00$ bricks piled up around it)to keep the glass in. Under no circumstanes ever entertaint this thought but getting a mapp gas torch, tweezers etc. and some tubing that sounds like fun. How does it go....Super cooled liquid that is semi stable at room temp. Glass?
Its not for drugs, its a sculpture
(Old P2P Cook)
07-16-03 16:08
No 447788
these goggles, you speak of. I'll have to check around. What, welding supply, or industrial/chem supply?
Usee Google to search for the word didymium and you will find at least a couple of sources.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
(Hive Addict)
07-17-03 03:16
No 447887
Thanx, I found some on E-bay, but they're not cheap are they?? I think the cheapest I've seen was thirty-five bucks or so.
-S/D
Sorry,I had my tang all toungled behind my eye teeth, and I couldn't see what I was saying.
(spineless pussy)
08-09-03 19:18
No 452632
For the record I figured out what I was doing wrong. I was sitting here looking at a pyrex "T" that I had. Well, in examining it, I noticed that it had a much higher "peak", on the crossbar, then what I was making. After some more close examination of some of my botched attempts, I realized that was exactly what I was doing wrong. Not getting bubble up high enough from the crossbar. So what I had was two "U" shapes, on the two sides. That's why I wasn't able to get a good fuse. Problem corrected. Making "T"'s ,....................no problem. Well, maybee just a little. Still gotta get some of those goggles though.
Much thanks for all of the help and input, bees!!
-S/D
That's Mr. Spineless Pussy, to you, thank you.
(Hive Bee)
08-09-03 20:24
No 452642
Squiddy needs to get the proper shade of a lens to view the flame and glowing molten glass. Your night vision will go if you aren't careful. Believe me.
Whether you weld glass or metal or plastic... good penetration is always the key to success. In your case, one piece or the other has to have some extra molten material to donate because your welding/ fusing without any filler rod to make up the fillet. I guess you figured that out.
How do you anneal these small pieces? Do you anneal them? They make very small kilns for enamelling jewelry that could be of interest.
Natual gas and oxygen was recommended earlier in this thread and if you feel like spending $200 you could get a torch together. Or just shop for used technical glass working equipment. Either way, that gas combo is the way to go. It's a very clean flame.
(tourbee)
08-13-03 00:19
No 453185
(Rated as: good read)
Hey now,
Squib you need a propane/oxygen torch and didymium goggles th"ose are necessary.Your not getting a good seem for you "T" Its really very easy.First you close off the end of one tube.Then heet a spot where you need to open it in the center,blow it out.Take graphite and open the whole till there is a lip protruding outward providing a good area to attach the other tube.MAke sure you heat evenly around the seem without distorting it any.Then get your other tube hot enough to attach and whammo!Then you let cool.Then begin to heat the one closed end up and open with a piece of puny(rod of boro)4-5ml.Its alot harder than it seems and that hand torch you have wont cut it.It will get plyable but not hot enough to get the glass to mold together solid.Then you need a kiln so it all heats up to one temp and becomes one piece of glass.I hope that helps!
Am I the driver,or the driven?Am I damned ,or will I bee forgiven? -GD
(Hive Bee)
09-18-03 12:26
No 459737
Using mapp gas will work with thinwall borosil. But use a spreader tip, and a high output. Are you making "T"s or "Y"s? A huge thing that will help or hinder is FIT-UP. A wet wheel is handy for such. To anneal, fill a metal bucket with soft ashes. Take the newly constructed three-way, and heat the seam or new joint to a glow, then put in the ashes and make sure to cover it with a fat ash blanket. Leave till the next morning. Hasluck put out a couple glass-blowing, (lampblowing)books. go to lindseybooks. Lastly, the "chemistry technician's ready reference" has some good stuff about glass-blowing labware. GL! and enjoy.
There is no such thing as "effortless", because effortless takes too much effort.
(Chief Bee)
09-18-03 13:12
No 459744
Scientific Glassblowing, Part 1 (../rhodium/djvu /labglaswork
Scientific Glassblowing, Part 2 (../rhodium/djvu /labglaswork
To view these files, you need a DejaVu Browser Plugin. (http://www.lizardtech.com/download)
(Hive Bee)
09-21-03 08:32
No 460194
OUTSTANDING! Rhodium has indeed outdone himself, Is it NOT clear why he is crowned KING BEE, Hive Chieftan? Thank-you Rhodium for those two fat boluses of excellent techie info.
oX
NA 1:7
(Chief Bee)
09-23-03 02:51
No 460475
Thanks, but I merely host the files, I have had them on my page ever since an anonymous bee sent me them quite a while ago...
(Hive Addict)
09-24-03 06:16
No 460660
Yeah, but I have been looking for the exact same thing for about two years now. I happend to have seen it at a friends but it wasn't his blah blah, then it gets posted. I certainly appreciate it should nobody else. :^)
oX
NA 1:7