Trash to Treasure
W. J. Wheeler
Glass Technician
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

I also show an external holding chuck, it will take most 2 inch diameter bottles with enough collet pressure to hold the glass in place without any additional clamping. (See Figure 5)

It is difficult to maintain steady foot pressure on the speed regulator, so a block of wood 3/4 inches thick can be placed under your foot, using just your toes to depress the control. It is not easy to hold the speed at low RPM's, and it helps. (See Figure 5)

When cutting the bottle and there is a taper where the cut had to be made on the curve of the neck, and the opening is smaller than the body of the glass, increase the heated area of the opening, reaming the hot glass up to the constant diameter. If, by reaming up the hot glass, you exceed the diameter desired, paddle the hot glass back to the proper diameter. The flat carbon can also be used on the molten glass to flatten the open end. Remember that slight imperfections in the polished edge marks it as a hand made object, describe them as artistic license.

Shown in Figure 1 in the foreground, is an aperitif glass made from a cut off neck. Rather than throwing it away, I produced a 100 percent salvage of a bottle. It is a lathe project.

I understand that these procedures will be followed by all levels of skill in glassblowing, from novice to professional, so, I have kept the instructions relative to the lowest level of skill.

In the past I have produced glasses by the hundreds for restaurants, bars and clubs, promoting the different brands of drinks, but the down side of serving them is their vapor pressure. They fit in the average purse, and they show up missing when a good number of patrons leave the premises. College men are big on them, and we use them daily as juice glasses. On occasion I often cut bottles with paper labels, let the labels burn off in the annealing oven, and use them for everything from cleaning paint brushes to disposable containers for solvents.

I have not seen this process or machines in print before, so I offer it to my fellow glassblowers, confident that they will enlarge on it, and serve the environment and the trade.

Page 1 | Page 2| Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6| Page 7