A HANDBOOK OF LABORATORY GLASS-BLOWING
_To my Friends Eric Reid and Sidney Wilkinson_
A Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing
BY
BERNARD D. BOLAS
WITH NUMEROUS DIAGRAMS IN THE TEXT
BY NAOMI BOLAS
[Illustration]
LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LTD NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO. 1921
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. Introduction and Preliminary Remarks--General Principles to be observed in Glass Working--Choice of Apparatus--Tools and Appliances--Glass 1
II. Easy Examples of Laboratory Glass-Blowing--Cutting and Sealing Tubes, Tubes for High Temperature Experiments--Thermometer-Bulbs, Bulbs of Special Glass, Pipettes, Absorption-Bulbs or Washing Bulbs--Joining Tubes, Branches, Exhaustion-Branches, Branches of Dissimilar Glass, Blowing Bulbs, A Thistle Funnel, Cracking and Breaking Glass, Leading and Direction of Cracks--Use of Glass Rod or Strips of Window-Glass, Joining Rod, Feet and Supports--Gripping Devices for use in Corrosive Solutions--The Building up of Special Forms from Solid Glass 10
III. Internal Seals, Air-Traps, Spray Arresters, Filter-Pumps--Sprays, Condensers; plain, double surface, and spherical--Soxhlet Tubes and Fat Extraction Apparatus--Vacuum Tubes, Electrode Work, Enclosed Thermometers, Alarm Thermometers ... Recording Thermometers, "Spinning" Glass 32
IV. Glass, its Composition and Characteristics--Annealing--Drilling, Grinding, and Shaping Glass by methods other than Fusion--Stopcocks--Marking Glass--Calibration and Graduation of Apparatus--Thermometers--Exhaustion of Apparatus--Joining Glass and Metal--Silvering Glass 55
V. Extemporised Glass-Blowing Apparatus--The use of Oil or other Fuels--Making Small Rods and Tubes from Glass Scraps--The Examination of Manufactured Apparatus with a view to Discovering the Methods used in Manufacture--Summary of Conditions necessary for Successful Glass-Blowing 80
Index 105
PREFACE
To cover the whole field of glass-blowing in a small handbook would be impossible. To attempt even a complete outline of the methods used in making commercial apparatus would involve more than could be undertaken without omitting the essential details of manipulation that a novice needs. I have, therefore, confined myself as far as possible to such work as will find practical application in the laboratory and will, I hope, prove of value to those whose interests lie therein.
The method of treatment and somewhat disjointed style of writing have been chosen solely with the view to economy of space without the undue sacrifice of clearness.
BERNARD D. BOLAS.
Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing by Bolas
- 2: The whole effect being that of seven blowpipes
- 3: And stands inside the pedestal of the blowpipe table
- 4: Absorption Bulbs or Washing Bulbs Joining Tubes
- 5: Now bring the tube into the blowpipe flame gradually
- 6: The large tube should first be sealed
- 7: Absorption Bulbs or Washing Bulbs
- 8: Shows an easily constructed thermo regulator
- 9: 8 also shows various forms of stirrer
- 10: An Air Trap on a Barometer Tube
- 11: Thus giving the form shown by b2
- 12: Hold the glass thus until the syphon is no longer flexible
- 13: The electrode is coated with a layer of similar glass
- 14: A Maximum and Minimum Thermometer
- 15: Without withdrawing the original rod from the blowpipe flame
- 16: Tends to devitrify when worked
- 17: And less suitable for working in the blowpipe flame
- 18: There is little need for annealing
- 19: And a finer abrasive substituted
- 20: The carborundum or abrasive pencil
- 21: In all cases where hydrofluoric acid is used
- 22: Slightly acid zinc chloride being used as a flux
- 23: And jet are combined in the ordinary Black's blowpipe
- 24: A Mouth Blowpipe With an Expanding Reservoir
- 25: If the blowpipe is to be used with gas
- 26: In using paraffin wax as a fuel
- 27: The spiral is made of uranium glass
- 28: The electrode is shaken into position
- 29: Unless a special blowpipe is employed
- 30: As will doubtless happen at times
- 31: General principles and precautions