Loading…
6
Question about getting a clean break on a 24 inch tube
I was working on a big vase yesterday and needed to cut a 24 inch tube of cobalt blue glass. Figured I'd score it and tap it like normal, right? Wrong. Spent almost three hours trying to get a clean break without it running or chipping. Tried heating the score line with a small torch, cooling it, everything. Finally got it after my fifth try by using a really light touch on the initial score and warming the whole tube in the garage for an hour first. Anyone have a better method for thick color tubes?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
palmer.val7mo ago
Honestly that whole warm up method sounds like way too much work... I just run cold water over the score line for a minute and snap it fast. Heating the whole tube is just asking for thermal shock problems later. A light score is good, but the real trick is a firm, quick break, not babying it. All that pre-heating is just making the glass more likely to run wild on you.
6
anthony_fox7mo ago
That warm up method you found is actually pretty smart for thick color glass. Cobalt blue can be a real pain with its different cooling rates. Palmer.val has a point about quick breaks with water, but on a tube that big, I've had the score run on me every time with the cold snap method. What finally worked for me was a diamond band saw, but that's a whole other tool. For hand breaking, your light score and even heat seems like the right call to avoid those chips.
2
willow2447mo ago
Totally get the struggle with thick cobalt. Watched a score run halfway down a tube once trying the cold snap. Your even heat method sounds way more controlled for that size.
2