Source of small glass furnace in UK?

David Billington wrote:

Mike firth has a link to this info on his site. Unforetunately in the
time I have looked for info on both I haven't found any info saying you
don't want to use sodium silicate as its not good. Just places listing
one or the other as fibre rigidiser. What time last yuear did the
previous thread discusing this occur maybe I can find it on deja news or
somewhere.

nJb wrote:


Apparently my knowledge came from reading the archives of this group and
not a direct response to my question. Go here and type in "rigidizer"
and "rec.crafts.glass" in the proper spaces.

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en



A May 1998 letter from Henry Halem to Mike Firth posted in this group:

Dear Mike,
Colloidal Silica is used, as you discovered in the Ceramic Shell foundry
industry. It is used in the insulating industry to rigidize fiber boards
as
well as fiber blanket. The former Carborundum Company markets a product
called Moist Pack which is fiber blanket soaked in Colloidal Silica and
packed in a plastic wrapper to keep it from drying out in shipping.
Colloidal Silica is more expensive than Sodium Silicate but is superior
because it will give a harder surface especially on soft fiber board.
Sodium Silicate will work but will give a "softer" result but might be
adequate for your application. Colloidal Silica can be obtained in the
following way: Look in your yellow pages for foundry suppliers, call one
and ask if they have colloidal silica, if they don't ask if they can put
you onto a supplier that does. When purchased in small quantities it
will
cost more than when purchased in quantity. I have never heard of a
gallon
of Colloidal Silica going for $40 to $50. That is a rip off if I ever
heard
one. Sounds like your going through the wrong dealer. I would imagine if
you lived in a small town you would have trouble getting the product.
Try
the closest major city. To be honest it has been quite some time since
I've
purchased the product and do not know what the current price is but I
know
it's not the price you were quoted. If you have a Ceramic Shell foundry
near you I bet you could go to them and they would give you a gallon. Or
at
the least sell you a gallon on the cheap. They use it by the barrel in
Shell foundries. Please feel free to post this letter in
rec.crafts.glass
if you wish. Good luck.
Henry

Halem Studios, Inc. * tel. 330/673-8632
Franklin Mills Press * fax 330/677-2488
P.O. Box 906 * email
Kent, OH 44240 * web site http://www.glassnotes.com



--
Jack


http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/xmissionbobo/

Many thanks, i'll have a look at the link and see what I find but what
you have just posted pretty well explains it. The colloidal silica is
better but sodium silicate is usable. I have enough sodium silicate to
last me awhile but if I can get some colloidal silica I might try it.
Unless I want to try and process the sodium silicate as indicated on the
web into colloidal silica. Probably not worth it. I could always use the
sodium silicate for metal casting and make my own CO2 setting sand which
alot of foundries also do.

nJb wrote:

David Billington wrote:

Mike firth has a link to this info on his site. Unforetunately in the
time I have looked for info on both I haven't found any info saying you
don't want to use sodium silicate as its not good. Just places listing
one or the other as fibre rigidiser. What time last yuear did the
previous thread discusing this occur maybe I can find it on deja news or
somewhere.

nJb wrote:


Apparently my knowledge came from reading the archives of this group and
not a direct response to my question. Go here and type in "rigidizer"
and "rec.crafts.glass" in the proper spaces.

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en



A May 1998 letter from Henry Halem to Mike Firth posted in this group:

Dear Mike,
Colloidal Silica is used, as you discovered in the Ceramic Shell foundry
industry. It is used in the insulating industry to rigidize fiber boards
as
well as fiber blanket. The former Carborundum Company markets a product
called Moist Pack which is fiber blanket soaked in Colloidal Silica and
packed in a plastic wrapper to keep it from drying out in shipping.
Colloidal Silica is more expensive than Sodium Silicate but is superior
because it will give a harder surface especially on soft fiber board.
Sodium Silicate will work but will give a "softer" result but might be
adequate for your application. Colloidal Silica can be obtained in the
following way: Look in your yellow pages for foundry suppliers, call one
and ask if they have colloidal silica, if they don't ask if they can put
you onto a supplier that does. When purchased in small quantities it
will
cost more than when purchased in quantity. I have never heard of a
gallon
of Colloidal Silica going for $40 to $50. That is a rip off if I ever
heard
one. Sounds like your going through the wrong dealer. I would imagine if
you lived in a small town you would have trouble getting the product.
Try
the closest major city. To be honest it has been quite some time since
I've
purchased the product and do not know what the current price is but I
know
it's not the price you were quoted. If you have a Ceramic Shell foundry
near you I bet you could go to them and they would give you a gallon. Or
at
the least sell you a gallon on the cheap. They use it by the barrel in
Shell foundries. Please feel free to post this letter in
rec.crafts.glass
if you wish. Good luck.
Henry

Halem Studios, Inc. * tel. 330/673-8632
Franklin Mills Press * fax 330/677-2488
P.O. Box 906 * email
Kent, OH 44240 * web site http://www.glassnotes.com