Need help from some glass tube workers

Mike H · #1 2011-06-01, 2:27pm

I recently acquired a bunch of boxes of colored and clear tubing that has been sitting in a shop for many years and I would like to find out what COE the tubing is. I believe that some of it is Pyrex and some of it is for neon or just soft glass of some sort. Is there a easy way to determine whether it is soft or hard glass?
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

LarryC · #2 2011-06-01, 5:42pm

From kevin?

Mike H · #3 2011-06-01, 6:19pm

Nope. It came from an estate of a lampworker/glassblower in Corning Ca.
Do you actually think Kevin would ever give up any of his collection???
I plan to bring some down to Kevin's shop and melt some on his ribbon burners .
I'm thinking that most of it is soft as I melted some today and blew some bubbles.
I think I got about 400lbs. Mostly clear. Should be interesting...

squid · #4 2011-06-01, 6:22pm

How long is it? I seem to remember that neon is 4' long when it's full length (nowadays at least). I*think* boro is longer.

Mike H · #5 2011-06-01, 6:27pm

Most of it is about 4ft long except the 1 1/2" clear tube which is 5ft. Good point Squid!
I didn't even think of that. Most of it is at least 40 years old though.
I was told by the family that they thought the large tube was soft leaded glass. I have not tried to melt the large tube thinking that if it is soft it might shatter when heated by a torch.

patienthand · #6 2011-06-02, 5:19am

if it is neon tubing it is soda lime unless its the REALLY REALLY old corning glass. the soda lime wont reduce, but if its the old corning soft glass colors they are lead based and will reduce. If you have the old lead glass stuff you have a serious treasure there.

If you have ever melted boro and soft glass there is a HUGE difference the soft glass is like effetre white, gets soft and runny really fast. If its the soda lime it can be rather shocky in an oxy torch... I prefer to use a gas air torch a set of 7 point crossfires for that type of glass.

If you do have soft glass tubing and its red, be warned it will liver out on you easily
you can always do the thread test if you have some boro

Diane (clarus) · #7 2011-06-02, 6:52am

Mike, if it is neon tubing, my understanding is it is around COE 96. I just got back from Murano and a class with Lucio Bubacco and Emilio Santini, and Emilio taught us how to pull points and make vessels and hollow beads with neon tubing. He says it's compatible with all of the 96 glass - Reichenbach, Zimmerman and Kugler.

Are you interested in selling some? I was just about to look for a local neon supplier so I can continue playing with it now that I'm home.

Patienthand - I appreciate your earlier posts on this subject - after working with this I started searching here on LE about neon tubing and found your excellent information.

-Diane

Mike H · #8 2011-06-02, 3:20pm

Candice, I melted some of the clear tube with my premix and it reduced. I melted some of the cobalt blue with my surface mix but I didn't try to reduce it, I will try it though.
None of what I melted was shocky. The boxes say either Corning, Kimble or Conlin.

Dianne, Of course I will sell some to you. PM me with your number so we can arrange something. I am not sure what it is so we will have to determine that first I guess.
I don't have a lot of color but, I may part with a little of the cobalt.

yamaha200 · #9 2011-06-02, 4:37pm

Hey Mike,
If you still need to get rid of some after Diane gets enough, let me know. Maybe I'll come over for a Nor-Cal ISGB meeting sometime so we can avoid messing with shipping. I'd be semi-interested in colored boro but especially interested in any soft stuff, clear or colored.
laura

LarryC · #10 2011-06-02, 6:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike H

Nope. It came from an estate of a lampworker/glassblower in Corning Ca.
Do you actually think Kevin would ever give up any of his collection???

Mike H · #11 2011-06-02, 8:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamaha200

Hey Mike,
If you still need to get rid of some after Diane gets enough, let me know. Maybe I'll come over for a Nor-Cal ISGB meeting sometime so we can avoid messing with shipping. I'd be semi-interested in colored boro but especially interested in any soft stuff, clear or colored.
laura

I don't have any colored boro and actually I haven't melted any boro in the trials that I have done so far.

Mike H · #12 2011-06-04, 10:29am

I did a little research with a friend yesterday by pulling some threads with known glass and found out that most of what I have is 96. Four sizes of the clear tubing are 90 COE and are lead glass as they metaled up pretty quickly under a slightly reduced flame.I checked the cobalt for lead and it appears to be present under a reduced flame. The red I have did not have any detectable lead and did not liver, it is a beautiful red . I have not checked the other colors yet. We made a couple of little pieces as a small colab, I will let her post some pics. This tubing is fun to work with, I know very little about working tubing and would like to learn more. I have some heavy wall 1 1/2" tube that I want to preheat and pick up on a full size blowpipe collar but, I need to pull some threads of that first. I will be hanging on to most of the color as I don't have a lot but, I will sell some of the clear to local folks as I don't want to ship it.

patienthand · #13 2011-06-04, 4:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike H

Candice, I melted some of the clear tube with my premix and it reduced. I melted some of the cobalt blue with my surface mix but I didn't try to reduce it, I will try it though.
None of what I melted was shocky. The boxes say either Corning, Kimble or Conlin.

Dianne, Of course I will sell some to you. PM me with your number so we can arrange something. I am not sure what it is so we will have to determine that first I guess.
I don't have a lot of color but, I may part with a little of the cobalt.

if it reduced you need to turn down the propane.. the colord glass thats 90 coe didnt reduce because its 90 coe soda lime and not lead based glass like the clear is.. the lead glass will reduce easily.

also note you need a cool soft flame to work soft glass tubing. since you aked me in a PM for a few pics here ya go

Mike H · #14 2011-06-04, 4:56pm

Thanks Candice,
Your work is top notch. I was actually trying to reduce it to see if there was lead in the glass or not thats why I had a fuel rich flame. Again, Thanks. Your experience is always welcome.

glassactcc · #15 2011-06-04, 4:58pm

Here is what we did for the fun part. But the way, those ornaments are just stunning.
I have your tutorial but I have not attempted it yet. Maybe now is the time

Leslie Dana · #16 2011-06-04, 5:22pm

Wow those are Fabulous!!!!!!

LarryC · #17 2011-06-04, 5:34pm

Nice guys. Wish i was closer.

Diane (clarus) · #18 2011-06-04, 8:35pm

Cynthia, those are amazing. That's what we learned to do in class on Murano, from Emilio Santini.

Mike, I will pm you so we can find a time for me to come up and get some of that tubing. It sounds like you're on the right track if you're pulling points and Cynthia is able to do what she's already done.

-Diane

glassactcc · #19 2011-06-04, 9:08pm

Thanks guys. Mike taught me. It's nice to have a glass blower close by who is willing to share and teach. I'm lucky

cgbeads · #20 2011-06-06, 8:54am

Oh great, thanks a lot Cynthia. Now I wish I would have gotten the bell tool from Carlo Dona. lol

Those little bottles were a lot of fun to make (I sat next to Diane).

I'm going to look for a neon shop, with all the sign companies in DFW there should be one somewhere.

Good thread, thanks for the tidbits of info.

-D

glassactcc · #21 2011-06-06, 9:08am

Oh trust me Donna. You NEED them. The funnest tools I have.

On a side note, I want you to make a really large focal roller please. Maybe a really nice tear drop shape about 1 1/2" long and 1" at the largest point

I want BIG!

Rimfeld · #22 2011-06-08, 2:17am

Hi Mike

I live in Corning and I think I know who had the glass and can get you in touch with one of the sons

Send you an e-mail

Robin and Zoey

Mike H · #23 2011-06-08, 10:12pm

I didn't get the email Robin, Have Zoey resend it ...ok?

2tumblingdragonz · #24 2011-06-11, 11:20am

OH MY!!!! How pretty....makes me drool about how much there is out there to learn.

thanks for posting those Cynthia. have fun with all the new materials, those who get to partake! I love hearing about these fabulous scores.
"dreaming is free"

Namaste
Rowyn

Quote:

Originally Posted by glassactcc

Here is what we did for the fun part. But the way, those ornaments are just stunning.
I have your tutorial but I have not attempted it yet. Maybe now is the time