lol... I see it now.. Took me a minute. Thanks Bud! Tonight I was actually using a beer bottle for glass and there is a difference compared to the 104 stuff I've been using. The beer bottle was very prone to explode where the 104 only needed minimal preheat to keep from blowing apart. I'd also like to try a fatter punty. The stainless rod I've been using is only 3/8" and it's tricky to keep a big blob on the end. I think the norm is 1/2" or greater. I'll get this eventually, I'm stupid like that.
I think you need to try more different kinds of beer. Maybe try Heineken, Corona, Moosehead, Stella, Budweiser Brown. You could do a side-by-side comparison taste versus melting ability. Sure, the workability will get more difficult the deeper you get into the test. You can always go bigger with wine bottles. But be careful with the punt. If you see too many empty punts, it will be hard to do anything with glass.
No problem, as I said, you’ve earned it. You might be the first here (on this forum) to have gold status!!!
Aren't Tequila bottles clear? At least until you start emptying them, then they might get a little fuzzy.
The only way I can handle tequila these days is in my margaritas. I've done my time at the porcelain goddess, glad those days are over. I can do fuzzy very well, just not nasty anymore.
I was watching this old Youtube video as I once ground eyeglass lenses for a day job, take a look at the 1:10 minute mark where they press lens blanks.
I gave the glory hole another shot last week. Didn't post the failure. I have found I'm running out of hands manipulating a drippy glass blob on a stick, cutting it free on target AND pressing it quickly into the preheated bronze mold. I'm still losing heat at an alarming rate and then the blob sticks on the tamper. I managed to get one piece off and into the annealer. Thickness was pretty good and light transmission was excellent. (thanks zap) Rewatching matts posted video, It sure seems to me, I'm too hot and it instead need to try it cooler and with more pressing action. I bet that thing puts a couple hundred pounds on those lenses.
Can you say yaya! Let's see the photo of the piece that made it into the annealed. Glad inventing the back worked. It seems like a tricky project that needs 2 sets of hands to do well. But asking the wife for help doesn't seem like the best idea
funny you say that. And yes, she was absolutely NO HELP despite how many times I tried to explain the procedure. I'd need another glass guy for this. Close, but still no cigar.
A cobbled together lever press would work faster than that arbor press which may be an issue with rapidly cooling glass.
UGHH... Pressing is going to be a hell of a lot easier than casting a semi hollow lump of glass. There is that ya know. I'm curious what the finish looks like coming off the graphite? I've got fritz on the hunt now for this schmitz glass fellow. anyone in the market for a BONG? I bet he'd answer that email!
The beauty of graphite is that if it sticks to the surface, you can burn it off again and possibly flame polish it at the same time too. Been thinking off how to implement a lever press too: a long handled nutcracker type mechanism should have enough force to do the job.
