On Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:00:40 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 4/30/2018 4:32 PM, whit3rd wrote:
On Monday, April 30, 2018 at 10:40:37 AM UTC-7, Terry Coombs wrote:

molten glass . There's a glass bead maker here that wants me to make
some rods for making the beads . The "working end" of these , that is in
actual contact with the glass , is carbide* , the "handle" is steel .
If you don't want to burn your hand, a section of stainless tube has
less heat conductivity than solid steel...

So, what carbide is it? SiC, B4C, WC are all carbides, one would hope
that it's a bit of tungsten carbide composite (cobalt metal is what the
braze sticks to), but it doesn't hurt to ask. Even C2/C4 could make a
difference.

* At this time I have exactly zero details ... I was just wondering if
there was a hi-temp braze or TIG filler that would work . Right now I
have no idea what the operating temp is , but I do know that when I use
glass as a cover flux for brass/bronze melts it's a very thick liquid at
pouring temps .

I think you'll have to weld it, as brazing rod melts at 840C, bronze
at 900C, and non-liquid glass works at 1,427-1,538C.

http://www.glasscraftinc.com/home/gl...890/tools.html Many
seem to be graphite.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...+blowing+tools

There is a glass blower and foundry in town which was open one First
Friday (artsy shindig) for touring. Their utility bills are enormous
and it's hot work, like smithing, only quieter and a tad more gentle.


That was fun research. I was surprised that blowing tubes or hot glass
holders weren't common online. The Glass Forge used what appeared to
be something like 5/8 seamless tubing for blowing with some sort of
larger end at the hot working side, maybe carbide.

--
When a quiet man is moved to passion, it seems the very earth will shake.
-- Stephanie Barron
(Something for the Powers That Be to remember, eh?)