How to make my own FRIT?

[A.Loomis]

HI,
What do you use to smash up glass to make your own frit, and not have glass fly everywhere?? I have bits of stringers and shorties I want to make good use of....

THANKS!
Angela

[Cosmo]

These work very well, but they aren't cheap....

http://www.dichroicimagery.com/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=78

[Peg Medill]

I have a similar one but find just cold water and hot glass makes frit or my favorite is my cement patio with or without a brick on it and place some paper or thin carboard under and over the glass and hit it with a hammer then use kitchen sifters to sort the sizes. Peg M

[Dale M.]

These work very well, but they aren't cheap....

http://www.dichroicimagery.com/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=78


Awful expensive when about $10 worth pf pipe fitting from HOMEDEPOT will make about same thing...

My favorite is Coffee Bean Grinder (electric) from thrift store ($5)...

13994



Dale

[artwhim]

The coffee grinder works great and makes all the pets in the house very happy! Warning - you may not see them for several hours after whirling a batch. It is also very easy to end up with powder. If you use this method, after running grinder, do not take lid off for several minutes. Give the dust time to settle so you don't breath it in. It's really fast for small batches.

Kathy

[DarleenMB]

Posted elsewhere but will repeat.

Leah Fairbanks taught this in her class, I added the ice.

SMall stainless steel canister half full of water and ice.

Glass rod. Head end. SMOOSH it to lollipop shape. Reheat, grab with tweezers, pull off and dunk immediately into the ice water. repeat as needed.

Easy to make size 1 frit without using anything but the water. The thinner shape makes it break up more easily.

[ocdlampwork]

A large steel pipe with cap then a smaller pipe with a smaller cap (make sure smaller cap fits into larger pipe:biggrin: ) screw caps on. Insert rod shorts into larger pipe. Insert smaller pipe then whack up and down until nicely crushed. You'll get a wide range of frit sizes. I bought 4 different metal strainers (small ones for tea bags) with different mesh weaves to seperate the frit sizes.
I purchased the pipes at lowes in the plumbing/ sewer section.
Very cheap. I think I spent maybe $8 or $10 on all of it including strainers.

Tracey

[dogmaw]

I'm looking at doing LARGE batches of frit. Do you think the pipe method would be the best?

[DarleenMB]

Yes, I think if you're doing large batches the pipe method would be best. It's noisy and messy. I'd wear ear protectors and your best mask. AND I'd do it outdoors.

BTW, my previous post was supposed to read "HEAT end" not HEAD end. tsk.

[PaulaD]

I did make frit once. What a mess. I'd much rather buy it!!
Paula