LITMIR.BIZ

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a seven-inch length of glass in half by scratching it with the knife, and pulling the ends apart with a slight inclination away from the scratch. In other words, combine a small bending moment with a considerable tensional stress. It is important to learn to do this properly. If the proportions are not well observed, the tube will break with difficulty, and the section will not be perpendicular to the main length. If the knife is in good order it will make a fine deep scratch—the feel of the glass under the knife will enable the operator to decide when the scratch is made. The operation of cutting large tubes will be treated further on. The two halves of the tube being held one in each hand, and one tube closed at one end, the extremities to be united will be warmed, and then put in the flame as before.

      Fig. 16.

      There are many ways of proceeding - perhaps the easiest is as follows. As soon as the glass shows signs of melting at the ends—and care should be taken that much more is not heated—take both bits out of the flame. Stop rotating for a moment, and resting the arms carefully on the edge of the table, raise the tubes above the flame and bring the ends swiftly and accurately together. This is a case of "sudden death no second attempt at making the ends meet can be allowed; if the tubes join in any other than a perfectly exact manner a kink more or less objectionable will result. In practice the operator will learn to bring the ends together, commencing at one point; i.e. the axes of the tubes will be inclined at first, so as to cause adherence at one spot only. If this is not quite "fair," then less damage is done in moving one tube slightly up or down to get the contact exact. The tubes will then be closed upon one another as if they were hinged at the joint. This must be done lightly, yet sufficiently, to ensure that the glass is actually in contact all round.

      Having gone so far, replace the tubes—now one—in the flame, and carefully rotating the glass, raise the temperature higher than in the operation just described, in fact the higher the temperature, short of burning the glass, the better. Take the tube out of the flame and blow into the open end, turning constantly as before. One puff is enough. Then turn and pull the glass apart till it is of the same diameter and thickness throughout, and feel that it is straight as before.

      Though it is in general of high importance that the joint should be well heated, the beginner will probably find that he "ties up" his glass as soon as it gets really soft.

      If his object is to make one joint—at any cost—then let him be careful to use two bits of exactly the same kind of glass, and only get the temperature up to the viscous stage. If the joint be then pulled out till it is comparatively thin, it will probably stand (if of soda glass); certainly, if of lead glass, though in this case it may not be sound. In any case the joint should be annealed in the asbestos box if practicable, otherwise (unless between narrow tubes) with the asbestos rag. Care must be taken that the asbestos is dry.

       § 22. To weld two Tubes of different Sizes. —

      To do this, the diameter of the larger tube must be reduced to that of the smaller. The general procedure described in drawing down must be followed, with the following modification. In general, a greater length of the tube must be heated, and it must be made hotter. The tube is to be gradually drawn in the flame with constant turning till the proper diameter and thickness of glass are attained.

      Fig. 16.

      For this operation time must be allowed if the operator's hands are steady enough to permit of it; the shoulder should form partly by the glass sinking in and partly by the process of drawing the hot glass out. A shoulder properly prepared is shown in the sketch. Beginners generally make the neck too thin on large tubes, and too thick on smaller ones. There ought to be no great difference in thickness of glass between the neck on the larger tube, and the smaller tube. The diameters should be as nearly as possible alike.

      Having drawn down the larger tube to a neck, take it out of the flame, and as it cools pull and turn till the neck is of the right thickness and is perfectly straight, i.e. make the final adjustment outside the flame, and to that end have the neck rather too thick (as to glass) before it is taken out. It is not necessary to wait till the neck gets cold before the end can be cut off. Make a scratch as before—this will probably slightly damage the temper of the file knife, but that must be put up with. Hold the tube against the edge of the table, so that the scratch is just above the level of the rim, and strike the upper part a smart blow with the handle of the glass knife rather in the direction of its length. [Footnote: A bit of hoop iron nailed against the side of the table is a very convenient arrangement, and it need not project appreciably above the general level of the rim.]

      Of course this applies to a tube where economy has been exercised and the end is short. If the tail is long enough to form a handle, the tube may be pulled apart as before. As a rule a temporary joint between a tube and a rod is not strong enough to enable the shoulder to be broken at the scratch by mere pulling. The ends to be welded must be broken off very clean and true. Subsequent operations are to be carried out as already described.

      § 23. The above operations will be easily performed on tubes up to half an inch in diameter, if they are not too long. It is the length of tube, and consequent difficulty in giving identity of motion with the two hands, which make the jointing of long tubes difficult. There are also difficulties if the tubes are very thin, have a very fine bore or a very large diameter.

      All these difficulties merely amuse a good glass-blower, but to an experimenter who wants to get on to other things before sufficient skill is acquired (in the movement of the hands and arms) the following method is recommended. First, use flint glass. Then, assuming that any drawing down has to be done, do it as well as possible, for on this the success of the method to be described especially depends. Be sure that the tubes to be welded are cut off clean and are as nearly as may be of the same size at the point of junction.

      To fix the description, suppose it is desired to join two tubes (see Fig. 8), each about one inch in diameter and a yard long. Get four clip stands and place them on a level table. Be sure that the stands are firm and have not warped so as to rock. In each pair of clips place a tube, so that the two tubes are at the same height from the table, and, in fact, exactly abut, with axes in the same straight line. Close one tube by a cork and then fix the blowing apparatus as shown to the other.

      In such an operation as this the drying apparatus may be dispensed with, and a rubber tube simply connected to one end of the system and brought to the mouth. Take the oxygen blow-pipe and turn the nozzle till the flame issues towards you, and see that the flame is in order. Then turn down the oxygen till it only suffices to clear the smoky flame, and commence to heat the proposed joint by a current of hot air, moving the flame round the joint. Finally, bring to bear the most powerful flame you can get out of the blow-pipe, and carry it round the joint so quickly that you have the latter all hot at once. Put down the blow-pipe, and, using both hands, press the tubes together (which wooden clips will readily allow), and after seeing that the glass has touched everywhere, pull the tubes a trifle apart. Apply the blow-pipe again, passing lightly over the thin parts, if any, and heating thicker ones; having the end of the rubber tube in his mouth, the operator will be able to blow out thick places. When all is hot, blow out slightly, and having taken the flame away, pull the tubes a little apart, and see that they are straight.

      Throw an asbestos rag over the joint, loosen one pair of the clamps slightly, and leave the joint to anneal. It is important that the least possible amount of glass should be heated, hence the necessity of having the ends well prepared, and it is also important that the work should be done quickly; otherwise glass will flow from the upper side downwards and no strong joint will be obtained.

      Fig. 17. — Tube being opened at one end.

       § 24. To weld Tubes of very small Bore. —

      If the bore is not so small as to prevent the entrance of the point of the iron nail, get the ends of the tubes hot, and open the bore by inserting the end of the nail previously smeared

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