glass tube

I am wanting to make a glass kaleidoscope with a glass tube or ball on the
end with gass bits etc. in it. I also want to fill the tube with oil with
the glass bits. Does anyone know how to seal the tube so it does not leak? I
have a few kaleidoscope books with beautiful illustrations but no directions
or instructions on how to do it.

Commercial tubes are normally melted shut with a lampworking torch.
The easiest way to do it would be to carefully clean the end of the tube
inside, with cotton swabs and alcohol for example, then fill the end with
100% silicone sealant (also sold as tub caulk) so you are making your own
stopper glued in place.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"skdilts1" wrote in message
news:y8l%d.88527$r55.50451@attbi_s52...
I am wanting to make a glass kaleidoscope with a glass tube or ball on the
end with gass bits etc. in it. I also want to fill the tube with oil with
the glass bits. Does anyone know how to seal the tube so it does not leak?
I have a few kaleidoscope books with beautiful illustrations but no
directions or instructions on how to do it.

Hi.
My husband is a kaleidoscope collector and knows several artists. He
runs a group with many artists as members who are willing to share
their knowledge....

This may help:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kaleidoscopecollector/

He said someone is currently doing the same thing you are attempting
and it has been a topic of conversation.

Janet R


"skdilts1" wrote in message
news:y8l%d.88527$r55.50451@attbi_s52...
:I am wanting to make a glass kaleidoscope with a glass tube or ball
on the
: end with gass bits etc. in it. I also want to fill the tube with oil
with
: the glass bits. Does anyone know how to seal the tube so it does not
leak? I
: have a few kaleidoscope books with beautiful illustrations but no
directions
: or instructions on how to do it.
:
:

In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:

Commercial tubes are normally melted shut with a lampworking torch.
The easiest way to do it would be to carefully clean the end of the tube
inside, with cotton swabs and alcohol for example, then fill the end with
100% silicone sealant (also sold as tub caulk) so you are making your own
stopper glued in place.

If the tube is filled with a liquid, how do they melt the tube
and avoid boiling the liquid at the same time? I know the
thermal conductivity of glass is low, but I'm thinking of
trying to solder a copper pipe that has standing water in
it--it can't be done. Perhaps the analogy is so imperfect
as to just be misleading.... Obviously is *is* done!

Mike Beede

Having done - and redone - some very bad joints in copper tubing - I agree.
Glass, however, has a much lower conductivity and is normally melted with a
much hotter flame - so the flame can come in, melt, quick twist and pull,
melt the pull tip. Obviously depends on the glass quality and thickness and
the nature of the liquid.
In comparison (only), you could hold a boro glass tube a few inches from
the melt point, pass it into the flame and pull a point - lamp workers do it
all the time. With copper, you would burn your hand before you could think
about it.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes

"Mike Beede" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:

Commercial tubes are normally melted shut with a lampworking torch.
The easiest way to do it would be to carefully clean the end of the
tube
inside, with cotton swabs and alcohol for example, then fill the end with
100% silicone sealant (also sold as tub caulk) so you are making your own
stopper glued in place.

If the tube is filled with a liquid, how do they melt the tube
and avoid boiling the liquid at the same time? I know the
thermal conductivity of glass is low, but I'm thinking of
trying to solder a copper pipe that has standing water in
it--it can't be done. Perhaps the analogy is so imperfect
as to just be misleading.... Obviously is *is* done!

Mike Beede

Copper is an extremely good conductor; that's why it's used in wiring
and cookware. If you've ever used Pyrex "Visions" cookware, OTOH, you've
experienced the other end of the conductivity scale; glass's
conductivity is so low as to be almost nil. And it makes crappy cookware.

Mike Beede wrote:
In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:


Commercial tubes are normally melted shut with a lampworking torch.
The easiest way to do it would be to carefully clean the end of the tube
inside, with cotton swabs and alcohol for example, then fill the end with
100% silicone sealant (also sold as tub caulk) so you are making your own
stopper glued in place.


If the tube is filled with a liquid, how do they melt the tube
and avoid boiling the liquid at the same time? I know the
thermal conductivity of glass is low, but I'm thinking of
trying to solder a copper pipe that has standing water in
it--it can't be done. Perhaps the analogy is so imperfect
as to just be misleading.... Obviously is *is* done!

Mike Beede

--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com

It occured to me that one trick I had forgotten about is that a glass
worker can pull a tubular point (shape like a hypodermic) and heat the body
of the tube gently (i.e. not red hot) and then set it in liquid and the
cooling air will suck in the liquid. This may have to be repeated to fill.
Then the point can be sealed very quickly because it has thin glass and a
very small area to fill.

--
Mike Firth
Hot Glass Bits Furnace Working Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/hotbit47.htm Latest notes


Mike Beede wrote:
In article ,
"Mike Firth" wrote:


Commercial tubes are normally melted shut with a lampworking torch.
The easiest way to do it would be to carefully clean the end of the
tube inside, with cotton swabs and alcohol for example, then fill the
end with 100% silicone sealant (also sold as tub caulk) so you are
making your own stopper glued in place.


If the tube is filled with a liquid, how do they melt the tube
and avoid boiling the liquid at the same time? I know the
thermal conductivity of glass is low, but I'm thinking of
trying to solder a copper pipe that has standing water in
it--it can't be done. Perhaps the analogy is so imperfect
as to just be misleading.... Obviously is *is* done!

Mike Beede

--
-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com