Bob in SF
Member
Some friends requested flame worked borosilicate glass marbles and they also wanted bottle stoppers; so I decided to combine them, figuring that the glass swirls would harmonize with the resin swirls and wood grain.
Day one was spent with a friend's oxy-propane torch at 2000-2500 degrees Fahrenheit - dydimium goggles - clear and colored borosilicate glass rods. It's about glass, heat, gravity, and constant (slow) turning - see my earlier post on this forum:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f45/flame-worked-marbles-commissioned-140456/
And Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJy23-bHNkY
Marbles are annealed overnight at 1080 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid cracking/temperature shock.
Day two was spent in the shop - steps:
Tap and then turn bocote, olive wood, curly maple, on CSUSA ring mandrel.
Bore out the end with a Forstner bit and round carbide tool to make a "nest" for the marble.
Dry sand, then wet sand up to 2400 grit, then clean with alcohol.
Brush on some Alumi UV resin.
Set a rotisserie motor on it's back with a dowel to support the work.
UV expose the rotating work with a 48 watt UV LED nail curing lamp x 15 min (wear UV glasses, plenty of ventilation).
Set the work on a sunny (UV drenched) window sill x 2-3 hours for some extra hardening (unnecessary with a higher wattage UV flood lamp - likely to be my next purchase).
Rough up and groove the bottom of the marble with diamond bits, epoxy it into the "nest".
Screw in the stainless steel "business" end:
The resin versions are stock CSUSA blanks (and I'm PR casting my own blanks over the next few weeks since demand is rising).
This sextet of stoppers quickly found happy homes.
Fun little project in the chill of winter.
Happy Thursday to all - Bob
Day one was spent with a friend's oxy-propane torch at 2000-2500 degrees Fahrenheit - dydimium goggles - clear and colored borosilicate glass rods. It's about glass, heat, gravity, and constant (slow) turning - see my earlier post on this forum:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f45/flame-worked-marbles-commissioned-140456/
And Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJy23-bHNkY
Marbles are annealed overnight at 1080 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid cracking/temperature shock.
Day two was spent in the shop - steps:
Tap and then turn bocote, olive wood, curly maple, on CSUSA ring mandrel.
Bore out the end with a Forstner bit and round carbide tool to make a "nest" for the marble.
Dry sand, then wet sand up to 2400 grit, then clean with alcohol.
Brush on some Alumi UV resin.
Set a rotisserie motor on it's back with a dowel to support the work.
UV expose the rotating work with a 48 watt UV LED nail curing lamp x 15 min (wear UV glasses, plenty of ventilation).
Set the work on a sunny (UV drenched) window sill x 2-3 hours for some extra hardening (unnecessary with a higher wattage UV flood lamp - likely to be my next purchase).
Rough up and groove the bottom of the marble with diamond bits, epoxy it into the "nest".
Screw in the stainless steel "business" end:
The resin versions are stock CSUSA blanks (and I'm PR casting my own blanks over the next few weeks since demand is rising).
This sextet of stoppers quickly found happy homes.
Fun little project in the chill of winter.
Happy Thursday to all - Bob
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