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-   -   Piercing a hole in hot molten Glass (http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146456)

Alisa 2009-11-24 9:02pm

Piercing a hole in hot molten Glass
 
One of my menus for a jointed Teddy Bear has you pierce a hole for legs with a Hot Tungsten pic. Has any tried this hole piercing technique? I was told that a hot metal pic would stick tomolten glass! Please share your expertise with me!
Thank you very much!
Alisa

squid 2009-11-24 9:08pm

You keep the glass cool and get the pick hot - the heat transfers up the pick to the glass and makes the hole. If your pick is sticking, the glass is too hot.

yellowbird 2009-11-24 9:12pm

When you heat the pick leave some space about an inch between the spot you heat and the glass. I do have the glass hot but not molten. It takes a few seconds to push through.

Lea Zinke 2009-11-24 9:13pm

...what Squid said. Plus, use some Peter's Tweezers or Nailbiters or Handy Andy's (hope I didn't leave anyone out) to pre-chill the spot where the hole will be. As you pinch the tweezers through the glass to make the hole, you'll almost hear a hardly perceptible sound as the glass becomes chilled enough to begin to shatter thru. Then you come in with the hot tungsten pick. Then flame polish the hole to make it smooth.

Takes a little practice but works like a charm once you get it...

HTH,
Lea

Alisa 2009-11-24 10:12pm

thanks, I will try this in the morning!

KEW 2009-11-24 10:50pm

You may have to punch at the hole more than once.

Otter's Flame 2009-11-25 4:25am

Alisa,
Heat the area you want to pierce until the glass gets soft, use a tool such as Peters Tweezers or Handy Andys to pinch the hot glass together. This creates indentations on either side of the piece where the hole will be. Heat the glass slightly until is is not totally stiff and you do have some heat base in it. Insert the end of your tungsten pick into one of the indentations, use a drilling type motion as you have the tungsten just into the flame. You do not want it to get to hot or create too much tungsten oxide. Push gently and let the heat do the work. You may have to heat the glass again so there is a soft glow heat base in it, and then insert the pick in the opposite side and repeat the process. Again let the heat do the work for you, do not muscle the pick through. If the glass has a little heat in it to begin with, this should be a relatively easy process.

Otter

playswithfire104 2009-11-25 7:01am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otter's Flame (Post 2765683)
Alisa,
Again let the heat do the work for you, do not muscle the pick through. If the glass has a little heat in it to begin with, this should be a relatively easy process.

Otter


Aha moment. Thanks Otter!

yellowbird 2009-11-25 9:12am

Otter great explanation I knew I was leaving something out.

Cosmo 2009-11-25 9:17am

I make all my pendant loops using tungsten. Never used any "handy andy" or anything like that though. You don't really need anything but tungsten.

Otter's Flame 2009-11-25 3:22pm

Cosmo is right you do not need anything like the Peters Tweezers or Handy Andys but it makes it a lot easier for someone who has never done this before. It puts an indentation on either side of the piece where the hole will go through at exactly the same spot so you wont be drilling two different holes. It also pushes the glass thinner between the indentations so there is not as much glass to drill through. It really is a fairly easy process when you get the hang of it but for someone who has never done it before, a pair of Peters Tweezers or Handy Andys should make it easier right from the start.

Otter

Birdsonawire 2009-11-26 10:37am

I just want to see the jointed Teddy Bear: )

Imaglassgal 2009-11-26 10:58am

From a newbie standpoint (me), my initial reaction to trying my recently acquired Peters Tweezers was that my design was distorted more than with the tungsten pick method I had been using. Probably user error and I'm not giving up on them but something to consider if you have just spent a lot of time on a specific design.

EmbellishYourself 2009-11-27 3:42pm

Great info everyone, thank you! I had tried it recently with no clue how to do it and of course it didn't work. I had my glass molten, not knowing better.

I too am dying to see the jointed teddy bear!

AcidFly 2009-11-27 8:27pm

Only thing i can add is watch your temp on the tungsten as i have got it to hot and fumed it when making the hole and discolored the glass.

AcidFly

Cosmo 2009-11-27 8:56pm

If it does fume tungsten onto the glass, you can burn the fume off in the flame...

AcidFly 2009-11-27 9:06pm

cool thx never tried to burn it off just scrapped it :(
Thx cosmo :)

AcidFly

Francesca 2011-08-10 4:57am

I can't wait to try this! The thread came right up in my google search... Great forum. I as well tried this once before, but had heated the glass molten.

ironmountainglass 2011-08-10 5:02am

Beeswax will keep your pick from sticking to the hot glass! I use peters tweezers to make my initial point of reference then I use tungsten pick to drill through the rest of the way lightly wiped across a cake of beeswax.

SerendipityArtGlass 2011-08-10 9:08pm

I picked up a pair of "outside calipers" which work lke a charm. Priced them at Harbor Freight last week for $8.00.

SharonP 2011-08-10 9:47pm

Thanks for the great idea about starting the hole with the P-Tweezers, then finishing with tungsten. I haven't tried that before, will give it a shot.

The tweezers aren't designed to pierce holes, just to mark the glass to get even placement of eyes or other decorative elements, and it's cool that you've figured out how to make em even more functional!

*sharon*

sansan239s 2011-08-10 11:12pm

Actually, Grace has this new tool called: Pinch-Me-Right" for this very purpose..

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65617881...ass-hole-maker

Grace's husband makes these tools and he's purdy darn good at it. Hope this helps also.......... hugs Sandy

Moth 2011-08-11 5:48am

Sandy...that looks like a nice functional tool but I had to laugh about how the link was shortened up in your post. Not sure if it's just my browser or if everybody can see it but it looks like you linked to *ss-hole-makers. The joys of the internet, right?

vetropod 2011-08-11 6:06am

I've seen video of Billy Morris piercing hot glass with a cordless drill. That might be fun.

PS - Moth, I just noticed your comment on the link above your post, LOL!

sansan239s 2011-08-11 8:26pm

OMGoodness, Mary........ I didn't realize that's how it came out. Nope, didn't alter it! I've seen what this tool can do and I gunna purchase one, just as soon as I have the funds for sure!

SerendipityArtGlass 2011-08-11 9:41pm

Too funny "*ss-hole maker"

marcuscarr 2016-12-16 5:14pm

I am all for providing a service, however.
 
These pliers are 99 cents at Harbor Freight. Heat the ends up with your glass torch about half inch from the tip and bend the tips with another pair of pliers so they touch when closed. They are also handy as is for glass work, so it's worth buying a couple pairs.

Khaleesi Dane 2018-07-28 5:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by SerendipityArtGlass (Post 3660480)
I picked up a pair of "outside calipers" which work lke a charm. Priced them at Harbor Freight last week for $8.00.

I googled these! They look like they would work very well. I have had zero luck with every other method, but keep trying :???: ](*,)

AmberglowGlass 2021-04-04 8:24pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid (Post 2765420)
You keep the glass cool and get the pick hot - the heat transfers up the pick to the glass and makes the hole. If your pick is sticking, the glass is too hot.

Great tip

AmberglowGlass 2021-04-04 8:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid (Post 2765420)
You keep the glass cool and get the pick hot - the heat transfers up the pick to the glass and makes the hole. If your pick is sticking, the glass is too hot.

Great tip - thanks


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