Food Safe Glass? HELP!

Beatrix92 · #1 2013-05-23, 7:11pm

I had a strange request, and I need advice:
"I am looking food grade glass beads to use as Scotch Rocks. Put in freezer to cool your whiskey without watering it down. Need to be 1 inch square-ish or blob-ish. Cool patterns or insignia inside clear or amber colored glass etc"
Where do I even start with this?
Bea

queenofsheba52 · #2 2013-05-23, 8:24pm

I believe boro is food-safe, since that is used in kitchen measuring cups that are made of glass. Just regular 104 clear should be food safe too. If it can be shipped, there will be an MSDS (material safety data sheet) on it; the company selling the product should be able to provide the MSDS. You might have to ask for it by e-mail.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

--Helene

queenofswords · #3 2013-05-23, 8:56pm

Consider we drink and eat of soft glass and put boro in the oven, it is a safe bet most glass is food safe. some colors may have lead in it?????? clear should be safe. No not do on mandrel because the bead release is bound to be toxic.

be sure to post pictures.

EchoTantuli · #4 2013-05-24, 12:38am

I would stick with Boro. Just incase, at some point the 104 might chip due to temperature influxes or glass swirlers... Boro handles those well and is more stable. You wouldn't want someone drinking glass chips! Dichroic strips for boro could be painted with an insignia, just make sure to cover it completely in clear, or amber.

istandalone24/7 · #5 2013-05-24, 2:39am

i don't see them staying cold long enough to make it worth the trouble, but maybe i'm wrong.

houptdavid · #6 2013-05-24, 6:28am

Considering that most commercial "scotch rocks" are soapstone and are about 3.00 each, I wouldn't bother

dusty · #7 2013-05-24, 7:07am

I also think that they wouldn't stay cold long enough to be worth it. I doubt they'd even make a warm glass of whiskey ice-cold. The commercial stainless steel ones are filled with some sort of a liquid that goes through a solid-to-liquid phase transition that helps them stay cold like ice would.

FosterFire · #8 2013-05-24, 7:24am

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofswords

Consider we drink and eat of soft glass and put boro in the oven, it is a safe bet most glass is food safe. some colors may have lead in it?????? clear should be safe. No not do on mandrel because the bead release is bound to be toxic.

I can't speak for all bead releases but mine is not toxic, not even close. You could eat it. (not recommended, of course!) I have gotten calls from pet owners who cats or dogs have licked or eaten bead release. If they eat a lot of it then it might cause constipation, but we're talking like a full sized jar not a spoonful.

If the buyer wants them, then (shrug) let him pay for them. Maybe he just wants to be cooler than his friends. Anyway, I have used the freezer test on some of my beads. You put them in the freezer and then take them out and let them come up to room temp to see if they crack. I would do that first. It sounds like he's just ordering a variation on marbles. I think you might want to get the money up front if you decide to take the order.