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Thanks, Brad.

I was just kidding - the catenary shape will work just fine. I'm really after a semi-uniform gentle curve, and once I get the slump parameters set, as well as the distance between the supports, I'll be able to turn them out in the volume that I need.

Thanks, all. I think I'll try the slump idea first. Once I've found the right combination of heat, time, and distance between the supports to yield what I want, I should be able to turn out a lot of these in a very short time. Plus, that approach won't require as much manual dexterity as the others....

I'd like to put about a 45 deg. bend in a short section of stringer, but I'd like to do it around about a 1" radius. I've tried using an alcohol burner to heat the glass, but the heat is so localized that the minute it's soft enough to bend the glass, it gets a bend radius of something approach...

I make candle bridges, using the Bullseye 8903 single candle mold. Each time I do a slump using these molds, I mark the center points of the blanks, as well as the center points of the molds. I use a black Sharpie to mark those points, and the marks help me to align the blanks fairly precisely on th...

Jamest:

Ah, so - thanks!

Sorry to be dense here, but:

What are the 'pre-cut' eggs of which you speak?
What do you mean when you say "split them in half?"

Thanks!

I also made one (my own "plans"), and posted here about that experience. That was about 4 years ago, I think. I love my lap grinder, but if I were to build another here's some features I'd be sure to include this time: 1. Mine is 18" - I'd definitely go 24" next time 2. I'd spend...

Has anyone had experience with this table? The top is 15" x 18", supported on the four sides, but with no support in the center. The glass will rest on a 1" lip. What I'm wondering is this: will a two-layer layup (6mm) produce a piece that's strong enough to stand up to the weights re...

And I won't try it until I hit the lottery ...

I'd just reiterate (whether you use a loop of tape or a taped-down handle) - make sure you invest in the correct type of duct tape. The normal stuff you get at Lowes/HD will very quickly lose it stick when subjected to the water you're using on the lap grinder. Spend the extra bucks and get this 3M ...

FWIW, I too made a Frisbee out of my first attempt at using a lap grinder I constructed. I subsequently got this tip here, I think: Cut a piece of broom handle about 8" - 10" longer than the diameter of your bowl. Using 3M waterproof duct tape (I think I got mine from HIS - it's waterproof...

Are the sides of those holes all smooth and rounded?

I have used my Caldera for about 5 years for almost daily testing and very small pieces. Except for its crappy three-key controller (us IT retreads aren't really happy unless we have a full-sized QWERTY keyboard in our hands) I have been very happy with it. I also have a Paragon Fusion 10. I agree w...

Why not try cutting a "ring" of TF - just enough to separate your glass from the shelf?

Is the whitish "stripe" the devit you're talking about? Did you use a piece of TF that was the size of the frame and the interior (empty) area? Or did you cut out a ring (topologically speaking) that was the width of just the glass plus a little extra? I'm wondering if you had a large expa...

Marian: Are you trying to keep the mold from rocking? Or the glass piece after it has been slumped into the mold?

Thanks, Rosanna. What I thought.

I found another half-sheet of the red last night, wussed out, and cut a new circle. Should make for a less trepidatious fuse.

I'm working on a piece that consists of three layers to be fused before slumping. The pieces are 16" dia. circles, and so there's a fair amount of glass involved. One of the layers is BE 1122 (xparent red), one Tekta, and the third 4113 (clear with white confetti and clear stringers). While I w...

Valerie: What size dia. circles and rings do you have them cutting first day?

Still ... what Valerie said: Were you going to use the devit spray on the slump step? I guess that doesn't address the crack problem, but just wanted to know if you had a secret way of divitting during slumping.