Where can I get glass with a low melting point?
I have a blowtorch and would like to do a small project to melt glass into some grooves i made into wood. I understand that most/many glass has a high melting point so blowtorch may not work. Is there somewhere I can get a glass that has a low melting point so the blowtorch would work? I already tried anyway on some glass around the house and it breaks.
JunkFoodAddict
on November 30th, -0001
Try the Sahara!
pricklycharacter
on November 30th, -0001
C & R Loo is a great company that carrries this kind of glass.
crloo.com
Also be aware of what your using what type of gas and is it mixed with oxygen. What type and mix of gas will effect what types of glass it can melt.
Good Luck
Iceberg
on November 30th, -0001
Your best bet would be the glass rods used for making beads. These have a fairly low melting point, although I’m not sure whether a blowtorch would work or not. I know that they can be melted with a standard natural gas/oxygen setup, as well as a propane/oxygen setup. I have also seen single fuel torches used. If you have a stained glass store in your area, they should carry them. Alternatively, you can go to http://www.alpineglass.com (I’ve dealt with them, they’re good). Click on “fusible glass” under the subheading “glass fusing.” I recommend using the Bullseye rods, which are under “fusible glass-COE 90”. They’re super cheap, so if you mess up, you’re not out a lot.
Note: depending on your torch’s fuel, you may experience some discoloration. The only way to really fix this is to find a cleaner burning fuel. Also, be careful not to set your wood on fire. Actually, you may want to get a book–the beadmaking books should be able to walk you through the basics of annealing you glass, etc (that’s why the glass you tried exploded–you have to heat and cool it slowly).