Hi John,
thanks for your advice! However, you use a little too much of the strong
kind of words if you ask me:
You're teaching yourself horrible techniques using completely wrong equipment.
The first rule in glass blowing is: If it works, it works. I am still on
the way of figuring this out.
I know. I went down the same path before finally
paying to have a neon bender teach me the right way and to show me the
correct equipment.
The thing is I neither have the money for professional equipment nor the
skills to build it all by myself. This is why I am trying to figure out
how far I can get with ordinary equipment. Have you seen any of
Aleksander Zawadas videos? He does all of his glasswork with a propane
torch, and he is the pioneer in Nixie tube making.
The hardware store propane torch tip is fine - in an array of 4 to 6 on
each side. Then you have a cross-fire. The intersection of the flames
is a vertical wall of fire that is perfect for splicing, shrinking,
enlarging and bending small tubing.
Even better is the cannon burner. See here, second image down
http://www.neon-john.com/Neon/Shop_equip/Shop_equip.htm
Two of those facing each other make a perfect vertical wall of flame
that is capable of working even 25mm tubing. I have little idea where
to source these burners in Europe but I'd give Eurocomm a shot first.
I can agree with this part: My propane torch is not strong enough to
heat anything above 25mm, so this is where I cannot go with my
"technique". However, a professional burner costs way more than $400,
and currently I am saving up for a needle valve, so this is sadly no
option in the near future.
It is however quite possible to do a perfect join of two glass tubes
with just one flame (of a glass blowing burner, that is, though). I saw
it myself a couple of months ago "live" in a small scientific tube
factory. This person had 20 years of experience.
Another thing that I'd like to address is the glass lathe. You don't
need one and starting out, a lathe is worse than nothing. It leads to
horrible techniques unless one is instructed in the Ways of the Glass.
Again, these strong words ;-) It is true, one tends to become a little
careless with glass if using a lathe, but hey, if it works it works. I
am not trying to win any prizes here.
Our friend, the Glassslinger, while I admire his effort especially in
the video department, is using horrible techniques. Nothing I've seen
so far could not be done quicker and usually neater by hand.
Again, obviously it works fine. Not even fine, it is amazing. He is
building vacuum tubes with these horrible techniques, so even if a
professional does not like them, they seem to work just fine, don't they?
A glass tube splice should be almost invisible with only a little ripple
in the wall thickness to show where the splice has occurred. Done
correctly, a splice may be subsequently reheated and bend as if it was
not there.
Yes, I have seen that in the scientific tube "factory" as well. It takes
a lot of experience with glass and its behaviour to get it right. I wish
Yoda was here to teach me the ways of the glass.
Next, I urge you to get some neon tubing. Leaded glass if you can still
I use soda lime glass, it is basically the same thing as lead glass, at
least regarding the working temperatures and cooling-off behaviour.
What's the advantage of "neon tubing"?
I feel I should add something: While I in general appreciate every
support and helping answer I can get, it is very hard not to get
frustrated. 9 out of 10 people I ask about details of tube making and so
on tell me "you are doing it completely the wrong way", and if I tried
to make it right of all of these I could not start for another couple of
years.
It is a slow process that I am making, but I am trying more every time.
My first goal is to build a simple two-terminal glow lamp, and this is
very well possible with the unprofessional equipment I have. I guess
this is also why I am so interested in this field. See how far you can
get even if odds are 90% against you.
I am not saying I have any right answer here on my side, I am merely
trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work. I hope you do not
feel that I don't appreciate your comment, because I do, but please also
understand that most of it is simply impossible for me at the moment.
Thanks
Jens
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