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On Laboratory Arts. Richard Threlfall
Читать онлайн.Название On Laboratory Arts
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isbn 4064066106201
Автор произведения Richard Threlfall
Жанр Языкознание
Издательство Bookwire
The air jets which have hitherto been found convenient are:
for the small gas tube
1 a tube 0.12 inch diameter drawn down to a jet of 0.032 inch diameter for small work;
2 plain tubes not drawn down of 0.14 inch, 0.127 inch, and–0.245 inch diameter, and for the large gas tube, plain tubes up to 0.3 inch in diameter.
The table is placed in such a position that the operator sits with his back to a window and has the black calico screen in front of him and to his right. The object of the screen is to protect the workman against draughts. The table is purposely left unscreened to the left of the workman, so that long tubes may be treated.
§ 17. Other appliances which will be required for GLASS-BLOWING are of the simplest character.
(1) Small corks for closing the ends of tubes.
(2) Soft wax—a mixture of bees' wax and resin softened by linseed oil to the proper consistency, easily found by trial, also used for temporarily closing tubes.
(3) A bottle of vaseline for lubricating.
(4) An old biscuit tin filled with asbestos in shreds, and an asbestos towel or cloth for annealing glass after removal from the flame. As asbestos absorbs moisture, which would defeat its use as an annealing material, it must be dried if necessary.
(5) A Glass-Cutter's Knife. — This is best made out of a fine three-cornered file, with the file teeth almost ground out, but not quite; it should be about 2 inches long. After the surface has been ground several times, it may be necessary to reharden the steel. This is best done by heating to a full red and quenching in mercury. The grindstone employed for sharpening the knife should be "quick," so as to leave a rough edge. I have tried many so-called glass knives "made in Germany," but, with one exception, they were nothing like so good as a small French or Sheffield file. In this matter I have the support of Mr. Shenstone's experience.
(6) A wire nail, about 2 inches long, mounted very accurately in a thin cylindrical wooden handle about 5 inches long by one-quarter of an inch diameter, or, better still, a bit of pinion wire 6 inches long, of which 1.5 inches are turned down as far as the cylindrical core., An old dentists' chisel or filling tool is also a very good form of instrument.
(7) A bit of charcoal about 3.5 inches long and 2 wide, and of any thickness, will be found very useful in helping to heat a very large tube. The charcoal block is provided with a stout wire handle, bent in such a manner that the block can be held close above a large glass tube on which the flames impinge. In some cases it is conveniently held by a clip stand. By the use of such a slab of charcoal the temperature obtainable over a large surface can be considerably increased.
I have seen a wine-glass (Venetian sherry-glass) worked on a table with four blow-pipes, such as is here described, with the help of a block of hard wood held over the heated glass, and helping the attainment of a high temperature by its own combustion.
(8) Several retort stands with screw clips.
(9) Some blocks of wood about 5" X 2" X 2" with V-shaped notches cut in from the top.
(10) A strong pair of pliers.
(11) An apparatus for cleaning and drying the breath, when blowing directly by the mouth is not allowable. The apparatus consists of a solid and heavy block of wood supporting a calcium-chloride tube permanently connected with a tube of phosphorus pentoxide divided into compartments by plugs of glass wool. Care should be taken to arrange these tubes so as to occupy the smallest space, and to have the stand particularly stable. The exit tube from the phosphorus pentoxide should be drawn down to form a nozzle, from, say, half an inch to one-eighth of an inch in diameter, so as to easily fit almost any bit of rubber tube. The entry to the calcium chloride should be permanently fitted to about a yard of fine soft rubber tubing, as light as possible. The ends of this tube should terminate in a glass mouthpiece, which should not be too delicate.
As an additional precaution against dust, I sometimes add a tube containing a long plug of glass wool, between the phosphorus pentoxide and the delivery tube, and also a tube containing stick potash on the entry side of the calcium chloride tube, but it may safely be left to individual judgment to determine when these additions require to be made. In practice I always keep the affair set up with these additions. The communication between all the parts should be perfectly free, and the tubes should be nearly filled with reagents, so as to avoid having a large volume of air to compress before a pressure can be got up.
The arrangement will be clear by a reference to Fig. 8, which illustrates the apparatus in use for joining two long tubes. I have tried blowing-bags, etc., but, on the whole, prefer the above arrangement, for, after a time, the skill one acquires in regulating the pressure by blowing by the mouth and lips is such an advantage that it is not to be lightly foregone.
§ 18. The Table. —
The system of four blow-pipes is, of course, a fixture. In this case the table may be about a yard square, and may be covered with asbestos mill-board neatly laid down, but this is not essential. The table should have a rim running round it about a quarter of an inch high. The tools should be laid to the right of the worker, and for this purpose the blow-pipes are conveniently fixed rather to the left of the centre of the table, but not so far as to make the leg of the table come so close to the operator as to make him uncomfortable, for a cheerful and contented spirit ought to be part of the glass-worker's outfit.
The most convenient height for a blow-pipe table—with the blow-pipes about 2 inches above the table top—is 3 feet 2 inches. Nothing is so convenient to sit upon as a rough music-stool with a good range of adjustment. The advantage of an adjustable seat lies in the fact that for some operations one wants to be well over the work, while in others the advantage of resting the arms against the table is more important.
§ 19. Special Operations. —
The preliminary to most operations before the blow-pipe, is to draw down a tube and pull it out to a fine point. This is also the operation on which a beginner should exercise himself in the first instance. I will suppose that it is desired to draw out a tube about one-quarter of an inch in diameter, with the object of closing it, either permanently or temporarily, and leaving a handle for future operations in the shape of the point, thin enough to cool quickly and so not delay further work.
For this simple operation most of the glass-blower's skill is required. The tube must be grasped between the first finger and thumb of both hands, and held so that the part to be operated on lies evenly between the two hands. The distance between the operator's thumbs may conveniently vary from 2.5 to 4 inches. Releasing the grip of the left hand, let the operator assure himself of his ability to easily rotate the tube about its axis—by the right thumb and finger—he will incidentally observe by the "feel" whether the tube is straight or not.
A good deal of progress can be made from this point before the tube is heated at all. The operator can acquire a habit of instinctively rotating the tube by both hands, however the tube itself be moved about in space, or however it be pushed or pulled. The habit of constant and instinctive rotation is literally about one-third of the whole art of glassblowing. It is unlikely, however, that the beginner will discover that he has not got this habit, until a few failures draw his attention to it.
The glass tube being held in position lightly yet firmly, and the operator