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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2010-06-29, 5:51am
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Default "Greening" our studios- suggestions?

I've been thinking alot lately about how I can make my lampworking procedures more green. Here are a few things I've been wondering about:

I abandoned batch annealing a long time ago, but am now reconsidering. My main problems were that beads with silver foil or other inclusions in them did not survive the vermiculite cooldown. And then there were times when I didn't like the sound of the beads after batch annealing. I can only say they sounded more clinky and breakable.

Is there anyplace that little bits of glass rods- I'm talking about pieces that are less than an inch long- the kinds that shock off the end due to poor heating- can be sent to be reused?

I use a hothead. Does anyone know about how efficient different torches are? And you have to factor in use of oxygen in cylinders and/or using a concentrator or generator.

Is there anything you do in your studio that is green? I live in the south and my studio is neither air conditioned nor heated. In the summer I get up and make things early.

Just trying to get some ideas here and see if maybe we can come up with some things that just might work!
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Old 2010-06-29, 7:34am
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Originally Posted by glassbead View Post

Is there anyplace that little bits of glass rods- I'm talking about pieces that are less than an inch long- the kinds that shock off the end due to poor heating- can be sent to be reused?
Actually you can take any "short" end heat it in flame (holding it with pliers or tweezers of course) and also heat "parent rod" and stick them back together and continue on using the "rod" ... There is no such thing as a unusable short end in my studio.... Also you may consider grinding it up for frit....

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I use a hothead. Does anyone know about how efficient different torches are? And you have to factor in use of oxygen in cylinders and/or using a concentrator or generator.
A oxygen/fuel (propane) torch is more efficient because it burns fuel more effectively and produces more heat per volume of fuel (and oxygen) than a hot head...

Even the smallest lampwork (fuel/oxygen) torch is going to be more efficient than a hothead after the initial "setup" cost.... So here is your excuse to upgrade to "big" torch....

Dale
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Old 2010-06-29, 2:01pm
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Originally Posted by glassbead View Post
I've been thinking alot lately about how I can make my lampworking procedures more green. Here are a few things I've been wondering about:

I abandoned batch annealing a long time ago, but am now reconsidering. My main problems were that beads with silver foil or other inclusions in them did not survive the vermiculite cooldown. And then there were times when I didn't like the sound of the beads after batch annealing. I can only say they sounded more clinky and breakable.
If your beads break or are more breakable after batch annealing, then don't do it - you would be wasting your resources making something that is just going to break.

Some beads do not break as easily. If you can arrange your production schedule so that you batch anneal hardy beads that you make one day and then run your kiln for days you make fragile beads, then that should help. Small spacers and large hollow beads seem to hold up better than large solid beads and anything with fins or wings.


Quote:
Is there anyplace that little bits of glass rods- I'm talking about pieces that are less than an inch long- the kinds that shock off the end due to poor heating- can be sent to be reused?
I try to keep the area on my bench where these shocked bits land clean. It heat up a small gather on the tip of the rod from where it shocked and pick it right back up.

If you are working a transparent and do not want any scumming, then pick it up later with another rod and you can use it as part of the base of a bead where it won't show.

Quote:
I use a hothead. Does anyone know about how efficient different torches are? And you have to factor in use of oxygen in cylinders and/or using a concentrator or generator.
The addition of oxygen to the fuel makes the fuel go further. It also makes for a hotter flame, so you can work faster (what might take an hour on a HotHead could take 15 or 20 minutes on an oxygen propane torch). So, really an oxygen/propane torch seems to me to be more efficient than a HotHead. I have't done any consumption tests to prove it, but from my personal experience (having run a HotHead and then upgrading to a Lynx), I would say so.

As for oxygen cylinders versus running an oxygen concentrator, I vote for the concentrator. Yes, it uses electricity (not very much), but so does the oxygen generating plant that bottles oxygen for the cylinders. Plus, every time you swap out a tank, you have to use fuel - whether you go to pick it up, or you have a delivery truck come to you.

Quote:
Is there anything you do in your studio that is green? I live in the south and my studio is neither air conditioned nor heated. In the summer I get up and make things early.

Just trying to get some ideas here and see if maybe we can come up with some things that just might work!
Lampworking is not green. But, there are some things you can do to compensate for it as best you can.

Here are some things I do to be greener:

I run an efficient torch. I use less resources to produce more heat.
I use an oxygen concentrator whenever possible and avoid driving to the welding shop to switch out tanks.
I turn my fuel off at the torch after each bead I make.
I don't have A/C, so I don't run it when I'm in the shop, anyways.
When I was selling my work, I reused packing material whenever possible.
I reuse jars and cans for glass storage (rods in various stages of use) and jars and cans for the water bath of doom.
I also now make my own bead release.

At some point, I would like to fume my own beads with gold that I have panned myself. I have some dear friends who do this and their work is lovely.

You can also buy glass that has been made close to you instead of glass that has been shipped halfway across the globe, but that might be going a little too far. I love me some Vetrofond, Effetre, and Lauscha (to name a few)!

If you want, you can start making beads using glass recovered from the trash or the side of the road. While you might not want to mix it up, you can make single colored pieces and also fume them with silver or gold to get different color effects.
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Old 2010-06-29, 4:32pm
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Switching from a HH to a minor has saved me A LOT in fuel. I was surprised! I would go through a 7lb tank of propleyne every 2-3 weeks, I have not even put a dent in my propane tank yet... going on 2 months! I use an concentrator for oxy too, no need to go get more. does not use much electric at all. your kiln should not be using much after it heats up either.

There is a guy who sells frit that is 104.. i think its RecycledArtGlass.com or something. GREAT STUFF!!! and nice to know that it is recycled.

You can make beads from slices of glass bottles and such, its a bit of a pain, and unknown COE so you cant really mix it with anything, but I have made a bunch of beads with Heineken bottles, and blue wine bottles.

antique keys with beads on them is a great "recycled art" project...
you can also slice bottles into rings and fuse them to make art or just rings. there is a guy on etsy who does this. If your kiln is big enough to fuse they would be wicked cool to make a basket type bowl out of!!

there are LOTS of ways to be more green... I find odd tools at tag sales that work great for all kinds of things in my studio too. I tag sales and flea markets, so it really is perfect, and you saved something from the trash You just have to have an imagination!!!
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Old 2010-06-29, 6:06pm
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I turn my fuel off at the torch after each bead I make.

Kim.... you say you "turn the fuel off after each bead" which means you have to relight the torch every time as well??? Is that correct???

Angie
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Old 2010-06-29, 6:29pm
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I turn off my torch each time too. And so it does need relighting. I do think that saves quite a bit of gas.

Someone mentioned to me recently how much electricity a concentrator used. I don't remember the numbers, but it was enough that, with solar power, he changed to tank-style oxygen. Wish I had paid more attention.

I don't actually even want to upgrade my torch. I hate to have to learn to use something else at this stage. I have used a minor burner, and not really felt like I was saving much time. But I could certainly be wrong about that.

There are some great ideas here. Guess I'll have to start saving those little bits that break off. I don't use a lot of frit, so I'd just have to attach them. Though it often seens that they just break off again...

Arranging the production schedule is a good idea, and something I've been thinking about figuring out. I'm not always that good about pre-planning what I'm going to be making.

As for A/C, I could never feel good about using that while torching.

I'm hoping there will be more insightful information here soon.
Thanks, everyone.
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Old 2010-06-29, 6:31pm
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Kim.... you say you "turn the fuel off after each bead" which means you have to relight the torch every time as well??? Is that correct???

Angie
Yes, that is what I do most of the time.

If I had my kiln next to my torch (which I don't have now, but have had in the past) and am going to finish a bead, pop it in, and start right up on the next bead, I could see leaving it on between beads.

But, if I am going to have to get up, leave the torch and walk to the kiln (which I do now, since my kiln is sitting on another bench), wait for my bead to cool off enough to pop it in, and then go back to the bench and decide what bead I am going to make next and pick out my colors and all of that, I just shut off the fuel and relight when I'm ready. When I was on a HotHead, I did this all the time to drag as much use out of a one pound canister of Mapp or propane as I could.

It burns more fuel to leave the torch lit for that long of a time than to turn it off and relight it.
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Old 2010-06-30, 6:48am
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My thoughts exactly about turning out the torch. I'm often making singletons, so do have to pause and pick out colors, and maybe even think for a minute or two...
I use a 7 pound tank, not canisters. I think turning off the flame makes a big difference. Don't some people also just turn the oxygen off?

I've been thinking about the propane/mapp use question, and realized how dense I can be. That is a HUGE savings in gas. Man, now I've got to really consider a new torch.
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Old 2010-06-30, 7:23am
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THought I'd pop in and say hi... haven't been on LE for months... I use up most of my transparent shorts as centers for large beads....

I actually run two (5l) concentors... I found that having two made it much easier to work with clear.... When I used to use tanked Oxygen I found propane (20 lbs) would last though 3 oxygen tanks (Mine were about 5 feet tall....)

I don't turn of my flame as my kiln is 18 inches from where I sit and I always turn my propane off at the tank to drain the line!

I do try and fill my kiln every time I make beads... even if I have to make spacers at the end...

I do have heat now, but my airconditioning is an open window... didn't have heat the first year and had to coat my mandrels in the house as the bead release was freezing!

Lynne
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Old 2010-06-30, 12:46pm
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My thoughts exactly about turning out the torch. I'm often making singletons, so do have to pause and pick out colors, and maybe even think for a minute or two...
I use a 7 pound tank, not canisters. I think turning off the flame makes a big difference. Don't some people also just turn the oxygen off?

I've been thinking about the propane/mapp use question, and realized how dense I can be. That is a HUGE savings in gas. Man, now I've got to really consider a new torch.
If you are on tanked oxygen, you should definitely turn your oxygen off at the torch after each bead so you don't waste it and run out.

When you are running a concentrator, the concentrator has to be left on for long stretches - you can't turn it off and on every time you make a bead. For medical concentrators, you have to leave the torch oxygen valve open so that the flow from the machine is not blocked (stopping the flow can damage these machines). On the Regalia, you don't have to leave the torch valve open - you can close it and the oxygen gets purged through the exhaust without hurting the machine.
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Old 2010-06-30, 1:21pm
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Oopa Kimberly - I've been turning off all three - gas, oxycon and ventilation, between beads, since they're all close enough to switch off easily. I turn the oxygen off at the torch and then immediately at the concentrator.
Why do we need to keep the oxycon running continually?
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Old 2010-06-30, 1:52pm
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The easy answer is that it's just not good for the parts to be stressed like that when you shut it off and then on again. There's also the matter of moisture from the air condensing on parts when they cool off and if you start it right back up before it can evaporate off, you can get that moisture in places you don't want it. These machines are really designed to be left on for long stretches at a time, even 24/7, if needed. Turning it off for a lunch or dinner break and when you're done for the day is fine.

The other reason is that every time you turn it off, it empties its holding tank and the sieve material is not charged up anymore. When you turn it back on, you have to build the purity back up in your machine and that can take 5 minutes or so, depending on the machine.

I would treat the ventilation fan the same as the concentrator. Every time you turn something on and off there is some wear somewhere. Some things are meant to be turned on and off and tuned this way or that (like torches), but other things will wear more quickly.
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Old 2010-06-30, 6:38pm
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OH my, it's becoming a little bit technical. I'd love to see something about how much electricity is used generating oxygen, as opposed to gas used to run a hothead. Just for my own purposes. Is there even a way to compare these things? Some kind of scientific formula must exist. And I know there's someone on LE who has it all figured out!

I tried to attach one of those little popped off bits to a hot rod today and, of course, it popped off even worse the second time! I also looked at the website that sells recycled glass in different coes. Haven't contacted them yet though. What I need to look for is someone local who will use the little pieces. And I am talking about pieces that are about 1/2 inch long or less.

I'm still hoping for more ideas! I've started using a more aggressive annealing / cooling schedule as my beads aren't really all that big. And I try to pay more attention and turn it down asap as I don't use a controller.
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Old 2010-06-30, 7:54pm
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I understand trying to go green, but IMO you are taking it too far.

Saving thirty seconds of propane every two hour torching session is silly. (That being said, I turn my torch off because I like silence)

Spending an hour worth of gas and effort puntying together and then annealing 3$ worth of glass is counterproductive. Glass gets thrown out, its just part of lampworking.


If you really want to be green, don't lampwork. It is one of the most inefficient ways to work with glass because the torch wastes so much heat. Glory holes and furnaces are built to hold the heat inside whereas torches just spew it into the air.

Torch efficiency isn't a big deal but if you really want a more efficient torch pick up the Japanese style of lampworking. Their glass is much softer so their torches don't need as much power and they are powered by aquarium air pumps - you don't even need oxygen.
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Old 2010-07-01, 6:35am
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Yes, lampworking is not 'green'. Neither is driving or a lot of other things we all do. Just trying to get some ideas of little things that folks to do make their lampworking footprint a bit smaller.
It is true that you can waste more time and energy doing some things than they are worth energy-wise. Glass in general uses a lot of energy to work with. A glory hole and furnace may be efficient while they're in use. But remember, you can't turn that furnace off.
Not trying to be argumentative, though I may be succeeding!
I do tend to pause a bit between beads, so turning off the torch makes sense. And the silence is nice too...

Islandgirl, I can understand heating. Even here in the south, I have to move my studio to a warmer area of the house in the winter. Otherwise the glass is too shocky when I heat it.
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Old 2010-07-01, 6:21pm
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Just stopping in to see if anyone has any new ideas.
There was a time that I took my bits and pieces and made some interesting cabs out of them. Two problems- I didn't have buyers / users, and they were a major pain. It was like having a kiln full of pickup sticks. No rone could walk through the kiln room for a couple of hours while everything heated up and stuck together. Some of them came out pretty nice, though. Adding bits and pieces of stringe livened them up. They were good for wire wrapping, which I don't do.
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Old 2010-07-02, 5:36am
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It is easy to just be aware of what you are doing and what you are making. Cut down your torch and kiln time, by having a plan, and setting aside time that is uninterrupted. be aware of your supplies, specially the excess silver you can urn without even using, and really just use common sense, and be creative in your thinking, when looking for "green" ideas and solutions. there is not much more than that!
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Old 2010-07-02, 1:31pm
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True. With a hot head, you can turn your tank off and cool your last bead in the flame at the same time as you drain the line.

Planning helps too. If you're making bigger beads and smaller beads in the same session, make the smallest ones last. This can cut down on annealing time as the smaller beads don't have to anneal as long as the larger ones. The big ones have been annealing while you make the little ones.

I like to think of the energy that could be saved if all lampworkers turned their torches off for, as has been said, thirty seconds every two hours. Multiply it by the number of lampworkers in the world, and yes, it does make a difference. Of course my down time in a two hour session is quite a bit longer than 30 seconds, too.
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Old 2010-07-03, 1:41pm
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Still fishing for ideas...
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Old 2010-07-05, 12:07pm
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Your kiln is on a long time - using a lot of electricity.

1. Many commercial kilns are only minimally insulated. They are modeled on ceramic kilns that reach top temperature, and then cut out. And insulation is one area where manufacturers cut costs.

It's not that hard to build your own electric kiln. There are several tutorials out there. Don't skimp on insulation.

2. Size your kiln right. If you're making beads, you can use a small table-top model that can hold LOTS of beads if it is designed correctly. The large scale annealing kilns used in offhand glassblowing studios have moveable shelves - there is no reason why a small kiln cannot also use stackable trays or another arrangement. Avoid designs that don't close tight on mandrel ends - they can leak heat that adds up over time.

The kiln is on for hours. It's a major resource consumer.
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Old 2010-07-06, 4:30pm
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Thanks for the tips, Ben.
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