Salt and Pepper Threads

[szglassy]

I know that there was a thread about this subject some time ago.
Well--I'm re-asking the question again:

Does anyone offer a class or sell a tool on how to make them? I am really wanting to learn!

Any feedback is welcomed!

[swamper]

I'm intrigued - what is it?

[suzanne]

Linda, they were discussing how to make those threads on glass salt and pepper shakers so you can make your own glass jars, and fit them with pre-made tops:)

[swamper]

Oh, threads as in "screw" type - I was thinking fiber - DUH!

[ArtcoInc]

Are you blowing your own jars? If so, you could take a mold (or partial mold) off of an existing jar (including the threads), and blow your new jars into your new mold.

Malcolm

[szglassy]

No, I am not making my own jars and I really do not know how to make a mold.
The caps I can get no problem, it's a tool and technique that baffles me.

Anyone out there?????????

[Tink]

It's been a goal of mine for a while now. Makes me NUTS thinking about it. There must be an answer...

[Just Nancy]

I thought of this the other day. I have a (Chinese) martini shaker. The rim is smooth and the metal part has a rubber stopper/gasket lining it. I was wondering if anyone makes shaker lids like this. You'd still have to have the right size rim, but it would be an option.

[FlameFilly]

If your blowing with glass tubing couldn't you have a thread mold blow into it with what is normally the bottom of the piece, punty to that close off the other end and detach the tube, punty the "bottom" take off the "top" punty and pick the top open?
(I've never done tube work so you might not have to do the last punty transfer and just pick the top open.)

Easy right and clear as mud! ack someone must know....

[MaryBeth]

I would think that someone could make a pair of tongs that have an impression of the threads inside of them. Each side of the tongs would have one half of the thread impression.

You could then use a hollow mandrel to wind your shaker on - just like you would when making a vessel.

You would clamp the tongs around the neck part to impress the threads there.

The inside of the tongs could be brass, graphite or stainless steel. The way I'm envisioning this the actual tong plates would each have to be curved in a half circle.

Maybe someone who makes tools could try something like this.

[RSimmons]

No, I am not making my own jars and I really do not know how to make a mold.
The caps I can get no problem, it's a tool and technique that baffles me.

Anyone out there?????????

Where do you get the caps?

I've been pondering the same problem and have considered trying to make a pattern mold. I needed another fitting sort of like this for some columns that I make here at work (boro) and ended up finding them at Ace Glass. I just connect them to the main structure in the torch and I'm good to go. Maybe they have threaded bits, too.

Robert

[Tink]

Try finding some GL-14 outside threaded connectors, Robert. I used to have some links, but they're IE bookmarks and IE on my system is hosed.

[Norskiglass]

Pretty nifty little mold......there is another way that works well (but not as tight)

I did a few of these when I first started and I more less thought it would be fun and then I thought more into the silver hinged caps for perfumes.

[RSimmons]

Try 7620 Connectors, Page 217 in the Ace Glass Catalogue

http://www.aceglass.com/html/2005/html/index_html.php?page=217

Where do you get the metal caps? I'd also like to find the silicone rubber stoppers that go in the bottom of ceramic-type S&P shakers.

Robert

[szglassy]

Are you saying to connect some GL14 threaded connectors( the neck) and then attach them afterwards to the blown part ( the body of the shaker )?

Also Robert-- what are "columns" at work??
How about any tool makers out there-- could you make something?

[Tink]

That's pretty much what I was thinking, but I didn't really like the sound of it. LOL!

Here is what I've been hoping to do for the longest time:
http://www.bernadettesglassact.com/

[szglassy]

Yes, I am well aware of that line. There is another line called Gazelle Glass. Great stuff!

There has got to be a tool that you can make the thread with while the glass is hot. Scientific people do this all day long.Hummm.........................

As far as the caps, I can have any cap manufactured as long as I have the thread to match it up to.

[RSimmons]

The 'column' that I referred to is for gas separation - I have a colleague who needs to run air though a Pyrex tube filled with metal foil to remove specific gasses from the atmosphere before it goes into a microbiological growth chamber. The tubes are wrapped in a heating mantle to give a specific reaction temp. I pack the tubes and then put hose barb connectors on the ends. I found it quicker to buy a bag of borosilicate hose barbs and fuse them on in the torch than it was to narrow the tube and make them from scratch. Attaching an externally threaded connector to a blown shaker would work the same way.

Bernadette's got some cool stuff - I'd like to do more of that kind of work, too. We just need to get on with winning the lottery so there will be time for that.

Robert

[szglassy]

RSimmons--question-- How would you attach a thread to a blown base? Like a GL14 thread?
NORSKIGLASS-- question--- you mentioned that you made a few of them early on. How did you make them?

And the winning lottery ticket would be nice and I can think of a million other things to other than spending all of my time on the computer trying to figure out how to make S&P shakers LOL :)

[RSimmons]

The threaded parts come with as part of a short section of tubing. I'd cut the tube off near the base of the threads and then butt-join it to the top of the blown shaker. You need to have the top of the shaker at about the same diameter and wall thickness as the tube, then it's just a matter of heating them and fusing the ends. That's pretty much what I do with the columns described above.

Robert

[szglassy]

What is " butt join" ?

If you take a long tube, blow your base, then you have a long tube with a blown base. How do you cut the long part of the tube off when it's hot?

How much section do you leave?

[RSimmons]

Butt-joining is connecting two tubes end to end. Good scientific blowers can do this with hardly a sign of a seam. You can usually see the seam on mine.

I'd start off pulling points to blow the body of the shaker, punty to the bottom, the flame cut the top. The threaded tube might be better to cut to length and polish the rough edge before you start, then pre-heat before attaching it.

There must be an easier way to make the threads, but at the moment I don't know what it is. Probably as simple as skills beyond my own.

Is there a place to buy batches of the threaded metal tops? I've looked and can't seem to find the tops alone.

Robert

[Jeri]

OK, my two cents is that I THOUGHT that one ground the threads into the neck of the "jar" when it was cold, the way you can do on metal pipe....and then polished. Not sure why I thought that.....or why Tink and I always hunger for similar things.....you should see my Teddy Bears from my last life! Someone out there knows this, Jeri

[szglassy]

Hey Robert.......... do you think that there is a tool that cam make the thread while the tube is still connected to the base??????

Oh yea-check your PM

[Jackie]

I was on the original thread looking for the glass threads for salt and pepper shakers. In Tucson I asked the technical vendors and ABR Imagery has a tool in their catalog. I couldn't find it in the catalog but Roy was who I talked to. Call him and ask for the tool. It makes the tread on your glass tube. I was so happy to fnd it but never went the next step.

[wildwire]

I met an artist last year that made salt & pepper shakers - they told me they bought the glass tubing pre threaded already....Unfortunately I didn't ask where.....