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Boro Room -- For Boro-related tips, techniques, and questions.

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  #1  
Old 2014-12-17, 11:55pm
asiegrist asiegrist is offline
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Default Do I have boro or soft?

Ok I am completely new to lampworking. I took one bead-making class about a year ago and fell in love with this form of art.
I recently acquired a lot of lampworking equipment, including a large amount of glass rods, from a woman who's late husband was an avid lampworker. I have a lot of questions about the equipment I have, but one question at a time.
I have an experienced and knowledgeable friend who will help me set everything up, and he told me I have boro. I believe he is correct but want to know for myself- how can I tell if glass is borosilicate or soft glass?
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  #2  
Old 2014-12-18, 12:04am
MK MK is offline
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If you can give us some specifics on what your new set-up is, and what you have, we can make some educated guesses. A picture would be totally helpful.

Many years ago when I first told my husband I wanted to use up some old map gas he had in the garage, I bought 4 sticks of boro and 4 sticks of 104 COE soft glass. Once you hold both kinds in your hands and put them in fire, you'll never get them confused again.
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Old 2014-12-18, 4:20am
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Sue in Maine Sue in Maine is offline
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Would you be lucky enough to have any of the rods labeled? It might help to know the color name. Length can sometimes help as well. 104's are shorter than boro rods-at least some of the time. Can you upload pictures of the glass? Some are identifiable visually.

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Old 2014-12-18, 8:19am
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Do the rods have codes on the ends of the rods? The location they were purchased? Most of us are familiar with the numbers associated with colors and could tell you if the rods are labeled at all. Just a basic picture will tell us if the majority of the glass is hard or soft.... what is the length of the rods... that helps also.
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Old 2014-12-18, 8:21am
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Does it melt easily or take some time in the torch to soften the glass? (What torch do you have? If you're on a hothead, you'll have a difficult time melting boro.)
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Old 2014-12-19, 7:30am
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If it's cold and you stick it in the flame does it pop and explode? It's soft glass. Boro not so much.
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Old 2015-01-11, 5:18pm
Nighthawk Nighthawk is offline
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stick it in a hot flame if it blows up its soft glass lol it it dont its boro
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  #8  
Old 2015-02-07, 11:55am
mikefrantz mikefrantz is offline
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Default Soft or Hard Glass?

Another test would be get some glass that you know is soft glass and melt it with what you bought. If it stays together, it is soft glass, if it shatters, then it is not soft glass, and probably borosilicate.

By describing and/or sharing photos of the different tools and supplies you got, it too would indicate if the person used to melt soft or hard glass. But if they used both types of glass, boro and soft glass and the rods are not marked, you could have a nightmare.

Eye glasses that were very dark indicates boro eye protection used when melting borosilciate. But some lampworkers use soft glass protection and put a green clip on shade on top of the eye protection.

I do think with a little bit of help from experienced lampworkers, would be easy to find out what you have. If you can not get one to come to your studio, then post photos.

And if you can not determine what glass you have, perhaps you might just want to box up the glass and purchase the glass that you want to work with.

Later on when you have more experience, you can bring out that ox and make better decisions.
Mike

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