Cleaning Glass Rods??

[botree]

does everyone clean the glass rods before using and if so what with and how long before putting them to the heat??

[Kalera]

I usually wipe them under my arm right before I use them. If they're really dirty, I spray them with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar and wipe them down with an old cloth diaper.

[sailingzees]

I keep a couple of rags just for this purpose. I wipe down every rod I am going to use just before I lay them out for the days work. Or if I change what I need and grab a rod from my assortment I will give it a quick under the arm swipe....Kalera can we call that a pit stop for the glass? At any rate the reason I do this is I have worked with glass without cleaning it and there may not be anything really visible on the rod but certain impurities on the surface can really mess up your bead. I seem to notice it more when I work with clear or real pale translucents.

[dogmaw]

I use the armpit method, just like Kalera! Woo hoo! I always wanted to be like Kalera when I growed up. :D

[Judi_B]

What's the easiest way to clean glass when it's really dirty? My first order of glass looked really good, so I just wiped the rods with alcohol. But, the next order (on sale, different vendor) came in streaked and caked with a white/gray powder that had to be scrubbed off. It was really a pain!! I still have a few pounds that need to be cleaned. Any suggestions?

[ElizabethCreations]

but them in warm water with some vinegar. I got great results!

[Rebekah]

I use the dishwasher method when my glass orders come in and the armpit method otherwise.

Rebekah

[WhiskerWood]

I have white vinegar and a cloth for the really dirty ones...
I also have an eyeglass cleaning cloth on my workbench that I wipe down my transparents with before I use them...
(the cloth has only one burn in it LOL)

Now the rods from the box that my cat peed in... about 30 pounds of glass...
All of those rods are soaking in a basin with some laundry soap and a lot of white vinegar...

Stupid cat! :roll:

[Just Nancy]

I'm a dishwasher and then armpit gal.

I've gotten about 90% of my glass from the same vendor and only one lot of pink was ever 'dirty'. My biggest mistake was using rubber bands when I first bought glass. Ick. I don't do that any more.
Nancy

[Judi_B]

Dishwasher sounds good! Thank you everyone :-)

[dogsrlove]

I'm a dishwasher and then armpit gal.

I've gotten about 90% of my glass from the same vendor and only one lot of pink was ever 'dirty'. My biggest mistake was using rubber bands when I first bought glass. Ick. I don't do that any more.
Nancy

What she said!

Vanessa

[kimberly]

Another vote for dishwasher and armpit! Plus alcohol just before I use the transparents.

[saxon]

Wow....:lol:
I feel better, I always felt kind of funky/guilty for being an armpit girl.I thought real lampworkers had real professional ways to do stuff.#-o

[Curly Irish Girl]

So...what's not professional about an armpit? When I took a series of classes at The Studio in Corning, NY all the instructors used the armpit method and alcohol for transparents at the time of heating. I'm all for it as the armpit was a tool I didn't need to buy! Just kidding - I was surprised too!

[kimberly]

I have a VERY professional armpit!! You should see it! Its "professionalism" would just knock you to your knees!! It doesn't wear a business suit, though. As far as my armpit is concerned, it is always "casual Friday".

I have also been known to use the back of my knee if I am wearing short sleeve shirts. Not as professional, more of a blue collar, jeans sort of thing.

[WhiskerWood]

hhmmmmm... I hope I am not the only one who just cannot get the hang of the armpit wipe...

[OSD]

My biggest mistake was using rubber bands when I first bought glass. Ick. I don't do that any more.

What happens? I don't have enough glass to need to organize it that way but I was planning on it when the time came.

Thanks.

[larrybrickman]

I've always done the armpit method because 98% of everything is going to burn off in the flame... and I'm sure some of you have heard this in my classes when I say "this armpit method works just fine... but don't do it with hot glass and alcohol based deodorant.... you'll get FIRE PITS!!!

I do pay extra attention to soft glass clear, and boro tubing really has to be cleaned properly.

Nicole, when you TA my class at Coupeville Arts Center in Feb. we're going to make you armpit wipe every rod of glass that I bring!! And that's a four day class with 12 students!! Boat loads of glass!! Ewww... you're gonna have sore pits!!!

[WhiskerWood]

I've always done the armpit method because 98% of everything is going to burn off in the flame... and I'm sure some of you have heard this in my classes when I say "this armpit method works just fine... but don't do it with hot glass and alcohol based deodorant.... you'll get FIRE PITS!!!

I do pay extra attention to soft glass clear, and boro tubing really has to be cleaned properly.

Nicole, when you TA my class at Coupeville Arts Center in Feb. we're going to make you armpit wipe every rod of glass that I bring!! And that's a four day class with 12 students!! Boat loads of glass!! Ewww... you're gonna have sore pits!!!

540

[firefreak]

I use glass cleaning wipes that come in a dispenser. You can get them at most stores. I work boro and dust and grime can really mess up the finished piece if the glass is not clean to start with.

[Steph'sBeadCorner]

What happens? I don't have enough glass to need to organize it that way but I was planning on it when the time came.

Thanks.

The rubberband eventually disentegrates and becomes stuck to your glass in tiny pieces... ughhh

(not that I've experienced that,,, just what I heard):biggrin:

[Cosmo]

Just be sure the rod isn't hot when you use the armpit method... :D


I use my "knee-pit". I wipe it on the back of my jeans in the bend of my knee. That way if I'm working topless... uh... I mean... if I don't want to mess up my shirt, I don't worry about my work jeans.

If I get some glass in that's really dirty, I use Simple Green, which is not to be confused with Syolent Green, which, as we all know, is made from people...

[Just Nancy]

The rubberband eventually disentegrates and becomes stuck to your glass in tiny pieces... ughhh

(not that I've experienced that,,, just what I heard):biggrin:

Yep. Sorry for the delay. I have no clue how long eventually was, but it sure did disentegrate. I picked, rubbed, scrubbed, alcoholed, etc. #-o (I'm betting goo gone would have taken it right off, but I don't intend to let it happen again just to find out. :lol: )


I saw one of those plastic wrap dispensers, a disposable one on a cardboard core at Lowes. It couldn't have been more than $5. I grabbed it and that's how I wrap my glass now. It limits the pulling one rod out, trick I used to do instead of opening my bundle and rebundling. But, I've never had it stick to my glass.

[sassy]

I have never heard of armpit method till this thread LOL I use alcohol to wipe my rods clean.

[Carlabeads]

I'm another armpit method wiper. I thought I was being all original with my armpit wipiness, and I come in and check this thread out and find out there have been many armpit wipers to come before me. Dang. I SWEAR i'm not trying to copy the armpit method. I have developed my own style of armpit wiping that i'm sure no one has seen before. ;)

For those really dirty rods I use the spanking method... heh heh.

No, seriously. I have a container of glass cleaner wipes right by my work bench. Very handy. :)


Carla

[Wonker]

Hey!!!

I've never had a lesson in my life and what do you know...I'm a natural born pitter.....amazing. Well, never had a lesson, but then I didn't start until September...Should I be spraying windex in the underarm first?

[WillfulOne]

Dishwasher when I first get them. If I have not worked a color in a long while and it feels dirty, I wash them in the sink with dishwasher detergent, again. I use the armpit and alcohol method while working.

[Sharon Abood]

I use glass wipes, not ot be confused with a--, I mean baby wipes which I also keep handy for my grandkids. I use the arm pit for a quick clean up while working though.
Sharon

[pierces*designs]

You know what sucks about the armpit method? Forgetting which end has that sharp little sliver on the end where you pulled it out of the fire last.....

*SLICE* OOOOWWWWW

[KristyN]

I have a glass "vinegar" bottle with half glass cleaner/half water (and it's purple colored!=D> Gotta love that color in the studio). I also bought these awesome lint-free, scratch free clothes from a printer store about 5 years ago, and I'm just now running out. So, I sprinkle a few shakes of cleaner onto the clothes and go. Very cost efficient, and you know how you wished you would have cleaned that transparent rod before you encased a bead that was coming out great (finally)? I did that about once, wah, beautiful bead 'til I encased in the rod that must have fallen out of the bottom of a vacuum cleaner rod after having been rolled in glue (what IS that stuff on our rods? :twisted: ).

I just clean the rods I'm going to use on the torch that day. But, I'm also an armpit swiper too!
Kristy

[Fana]

Hey!!!

I've never had a lesson in my life and what do you know...I'm a natural born pitter.....amazing. Well, never had a lesson, but then I didn't start until September...Should I be spraying windex in the underarm first?

Yes, but use the purple stuff...a beauful colour, much nicer than windex :)