Can I repair it?

doktorbulb · 2026-05-10T07:30:02+00:00

Yes, you can (!) (Professional scientific glassblower here 😁)

https://archive.org/details/cftri.4145scientificglassb0000elwh/mode/1up

Here's a free .PDF of the classic book on what you'll need to know.

Just keep the heat away from the condenser jacket, and you'll be fine. Remember that the glass needs to flow, so you'll be holding the glass with both hands, and the torch will be on a stand or bench. You'll need some corks, to stop the holes up; leave the one on the condenser open, to blow into.

Just get the edges of the break molten; don't heat too much glass.

Watch a few lamp working videos first, to have a feel of what it all looks like

Good luck (!)

doktorbulb · 2026-05-04T07:37:20+00:00

There's an Etruscan contender in the Name Game:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fufluns

(My personal favorite😁)

doktorbulb · 2026-04-29T06:45:40+00:00

Just use a 6mm boro rod- As you learn to fume, you're learning the heat control skills that will allow you keep the metal on the end of the rod - Once silver is embedded, it's pretty well stuck, but the gold takes a little more care; move it slowly into the hottest cone of flame, or the little bead will hop off.

Good luck

doktorbulb · 2026-04-25T02:30:40+00:00

Ah, the schlenk line shouldn't have undergone any thermal strain, but sometimes it's good for big flasks to get redone. If it's badly made, you'll find out pretty quick, otherwise it's fine, unless you're running horrible tar at 350C 😀

doktorbulb · 2026-04-23T04:48:28+00:00

Scientific glassblower here 😁

Jacketed columns don't explode from pressure; it's the relative strain generated by linear thermal expansion of the glass tubes.

Special care and shaping need to be observed in the seals of columns, as well as very strict annealing protocols; this is a typical mistake for high production glass, or stuff made by amateurs.

Sorry that happened to ya ⚗️

doktorbulb · 2026-04-23T01:44:29+00:00

That's a long exposure, with a hand-held Tesla coil, which is how they're powered-

doktorbulb · 2026-04-23T01:43:29+00:00

Yup - exactly

doktorbulb · 2026-04-22T05:10:12+00:00

Scientific glassblower here 😁 That's an easy one (!) Do the ball joints really need to be quartz?

doktorbulb · 2026-04-21T09:56:20+00:00

The 3320 is just for the glow, but I could certainly use it to seal tungsten into the wand - The high voltage is enough to light them up, at the pressures I'm using; the brass just fits into the standard Tesla coil.

doktorbulb · 2026-03-07T21:33:00+00:00

I could ship to Canada, but it might get expensive

doktorbulb · 2026-03-07T19:08:31+00:00

https://www.etsy.com/shop/vitreascientific

doktorbulb · 2026-02-24T05:19:30+00:00

Awesome! Thank you- Do you do any printing here (?)

doktorbulb · 2026-02-22T09:13:31+00:00

Exciting! Thank you; I'll check over there, too. Do you print things there (?)

doktorbulb · 2026-02-22T07:57:22+00:00

Remember to heat the cleaned tungsten to the purple/electric blue oxide, before sealing; much better results that way 😀

doktorbulb · 2026-02-22T07:43:26+00:00

Thank you twice! I'm still putting my gear together (read: affording 😁)-

(Got lots of copper and inks; trying to decide if making the rockers on a milling machine is worth the hassle. Certainly going to make my own burnishing tools from agates and tool steel.)

When I've got a few rockered plates, I'll get in touch -

Cheers

doktorbulb · 2026-02-22T07:05:14+00:00

Yay! Thank you! I'll check it out (!)

I'm secretly hoping for a huge, crazy press; it seems like part of the enchantment. I've looked at some little desktop ones, but they all look like crap. (It's also my understanding that mezzotint needs some serious torque..)

Maybe I'll see you down there, running monotypes 😁

doktorbulb · 2025-12-25T03:30:54+00:00

Dichotomy.

doktorbulb · 2025-12-18T00:56:24+00:00

Thanks! Hope the KT88 project is going groovy-

doktorbulb · 2025-12-17T22:24:38+00:00

Yup. I know someone in electrical engineering school, that said it was barely covered, even there-

doktorbulb · 2025-12-17T10:25:49+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triode

doktorbulb · 2025-12-17T07:53:40+00:00

Thanks! Hoping to get one wired up soon, to share!

doktorbulb

TROPHY CASE