Replies

1. 
   Floss | Jul 11, 2007 03:58am | #1

   I googled 3" thick glass and came up with this link.

   http://www.water-bongs-glass-pipes.com/thick-glass-chamber-pipe/d-35738/

   I don't know why bongs would come up?

   I didn't inhale.

   J.P.

2. 
   Recounter | Jul 11, 2007 05:07am | #2

   If you don't mind my asking, what do you plan to do with a hunk of glass that size?  And how do you plan to cut a piece of 3" thick glass?

1. 
   Timberwerks | Jul 11, 2007 05:12am | #3

   I want to use them as part of a design for base pieces of a coffee table. If I find a supplier I hope they will cut them as well or I may rig up some sort of water saw here.

   Dale http://www.timberwerksstudio.com

2. 
   Timberwerks | Jul 11, 2007 05:22am | #5

   I got the idea of using glass after seeing this artist's work on Modern Masters this morning http://www.milicistudios.com/ He was using very large chunks of glass called furnace glass. Some of his work looks like it is made from layers of glass as well to get the mass. I sent him an Email about the glass he uses and where to get it, not sure if I will get a reply.

   Dalehttp://www.timberwerksstudio.com

1. 
   Recounter | Jul 11, 2007 05:46am | #8

   Sounds cool!  I recently became interested in mixing glass with woodworking, I actually just bought a kiln!

   For something that big (and especially thick) you may want to work with a glass artisan who works in cast glass.  Here's a link that shows the process:

   http://www.system96.com/Pages/CastingTutorial/billets.html

   Note that a piece that thick is in the kiln for 18+ hours!

1. 
   Timberwerks | Jul 11, 2007 05:50am | #9

   Thanks for the link.

   Dalehttp://www.timberwerksstudio.com

3. 
   Scott_y | Jul 11, 2007 05:16am | #4

   I once saw some big pieces of glass made from melted coca cola bottles. The guy who made the glass said he melted the glass in the oven using the automatic cleaning cycle. He put the glass in a deep metal pan. I do not know whether this is the truth or not.

    

   Scott

1. 
   woodwish | Jul 13, 2007 06:02pm | #13

   Scott,

   Melting glass in your home oven, now that is funny!  The guy was obviously just yanking your chain.  I have been working with glass for longer than I have been doing real woodwork, including a lot of hot glass work in my kiln.  If his oven gets hot enough to melt glass I would be very scared!  Most glass, including Coke bottles (and I have melted a bunch of bottles for some projects), won't even start to melt until about 1200 degrees and full fusing melt would be more like 1450.  If he has an oven that does that it would cook a Thanksgiving turkey in just a few minutes once it preheats. 

   I also saw the Modern Masters with the furnace glass, not sure what I would ever do with it but it was pretty nice looking.  Making glass that thick would take a lot of heat, time, and annealing to ever make it workable.  I have fused some pretty big pieces (although not as large as on the show) and to make them workable takes more technical knowledge than I have.

   Good story to tell though when people ask how to melt bottles!

4. 
   allenb | Jul 11, 2007 05:26am | #6

   I am assuming that you are looking for clear glass but I'm going to throw this out there anyway.  On "This Old House" they did a spot on a company on the east coast that is making counter tops out of recycled glass. Vetrazzo I think is the one.  Looked very nice.  If your designing with glass and want some color it may be something you want to look at.

1. 
   Timberwerks | Jul 11, 2007 05:42am | #7

   I'm looking for something clear or with a slight blueish tint. I'll check them out.

   Dalehttp://www.timberwerksstudio.com

5. 
   MikeHennessy | Jul 11, 2007 03:01pm | #10

   Have you tried looking up glass manufacturers? I know of at least two in my general area who would likely provide what you're looking for, depending on what they were running at the time. There are also a lot of glass artists in my neck of the woods who could probably point you in the right direction -- maybe some near you as well? FYI, there is more to glass than most realize and there are many different types of glass depending on the end use. Asking for a "piece of glass" is like walking into a lumber yard and asking to buy a "piece of wood."

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

1. 
   Ron01960 | Jul 12, 2007 08:15pm | #11

   Blenco Art Glass in Milton W. Virginia sold chunk glass back in the 70's. maybe they still do. When the furnace cools down they remove large chunks.
   They also sell Dalles, 1x6x12 inches. they are scored with a conventional glass cutter and they can broken with a dowel under the score. They can then be stood up vertically and cut with a chisel to produce a scollop in the slab and the piece removed looks like a scollop shell.The color varies lighter to darker as thickness changes.

1. 
   Timberwerks | Jul 13, 2007 04:37am | #12

   Good tip, Thanks.

   Dalehttp://www.timberwerksstudio.com