Is it possible to make glass at home? How to make frosted glass yourself at home. Abstracts before starting work - briefly about glass frosting

How to do liquid glass at home, experienced builders know. Liquid glass is presented in the form of an aqueous solution of sodium silicate, which is produced by firing the mixture. The last composition is made using soda and quartz sand.

Liquid glass is quite easy to make, the main thing is to follow all the recommendations.

Main characteristics and purpose

The use of sodium liquid glass allows us to produce:

  • high-quality concrete with unique properties;
  • fire retardant paints and other materials.

Liquid glass is an excellent waterproofing material.

This substance is indispensable in the chemical industry and construction (protection of foundations, floors, walls and ceilings from moisture). The use of liquid glass allows you to glue and connect various Construction Materials, including the production of fire-resistant, acid-resistant and other masses. This glass is used to impregnate paper, cardboard, fabrics, and wood products (to give them greater fire resistance and density).

Before applying it to any material, it is necessary to find out in what proportions the substance is diluted. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that liquid glass is used to make acid-resistant cement. Often, builders mix 1 part silicate glue with 1 part cement. The resulting composition is suitable for making fireproof masonry. To protect walls from moisture you will need cement mortar add silicate glue (maintaining a ratio of 8:1).

It is arranged using liquid glass and sand and cement. To make the primer, specialists use silicate glue, cement and water in equal proportions of 12 kg each (except for liquid). Impregnation to impart strength to the material is made from 400 g of glue and 1 liter of water.

It is necessary to take into account that any work with liquid glass is carried out with gloves and glasses.

The manufactured substance is stored in a dark place.

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Manufacturing Basics

The composition of liquid glass depends on the method of its production. The easiest way to obtain this material is to use a mixture of an alkali solution with siliceous raw materials. In this case, pressure and temperature indicators should be normal. The latter indicator is often equal to the value at which it boils alkaline solution. The consumption of this glass depends on the coating being processed. The drying period of liquid glass depends on whether it was used in pure form or as part of a specific mixture. This indicator fluctuates within 10 minutes. — 12 hours

The easiest way to produce liquid glass is to use a mixture of an alkali solution with siliceous raw materials.

To make liquid glass at home, you will need following materials and tools: autoclave;

  • raw materials containing silicon;
  • concentrated sodium hydroxide solution.

Initially, raw materials with silicon are processed in an autoclave. For this, a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide is used. Another method for producing the material in question is to alloy soda with quartz sand.

To obtain a detergent and cleaning agent at home, you will need to use liquid glass. Foundry production involves the use of the material in question in the form of a flotation reagent.

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Production of additional compounds

You can do it yourself various mixtures, which contain liquid glass. To obtain a primer, you will need to dilute the latter substance. For this you will need water and cement. For 10 kg of the second component, a similar amount of liquid glass will be consumed. Initially, the cement is mixed with the liquid. To do this, use a drill with an attachment or a mixer. The component in question is added to the resulting mixture. The composition is mixed. If the resulting primer hardens quickly, then water is added.

Liquid glass can be used to treat wooden surfaces.

At home, you can get a special waterproofing solution for wells. To do this you will need to sift the sand. The latter is mixed in equal proportions bulk material, cement and liquid glass. The walls of the well are coated with the resulting composition. If necessary, the solution is applied 2 times.

Fireproof mortar is used to construct the stove and fireplace. It can be easily obtained at home. Initially, a cement-sand mixture is prepared. Then liquid glass is added to it. It is not recommended to dilute such a solution in large quantities. This is due to its rapid hardening.

To protect wood from mold and mildew, you can use a special antiseptic. To do this, you will need to dilute liquid glass with water in a 1:1 ratio. It is not recommended to apply such a mixture to concrete walls or plastered surfaces cement-sand mortar. They are covered with a special sliding film. Therefore, subsequent puttying and painting is impossible.

You can easily prepare a surface impregnation with your own hands various materials. For this, water and liquid glass are used. The second component dissolves in 1 liter of liquid. The resulting composition is applied to the surface with a brush several times. Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous impregnation has dried.

It should be noted that modern building materials do not provide for the use of liquid glass in its pure form. Typically this material is used as a mixture intended to solve certain tasks, including waterproofing, increasing strength, etc.


So today we will talk to you about how to do glass panel in Minecraft. The point is that this element is already the item that is required to create a good home or complex structures. So let's get to know him better.

What it is?

But first of all, you should generally understand why our today’s panels are crafted and what they are used for. The thing is that this material serves as interior decoration. If you know how to make a glass panel in Minecraft, you can easily make windows in your home and bring the game world closer to reality.

In addition, this item can be installed as a fence or fencing. That is, it can be placed in the middle of the block. Connection with other panels is also possible. If you are thinking about playing a panel, then you should understand that you need to stock up on some resources for it. Let's see what they are.

Glass

So, in order to get our today's item, you will have to find glass somewhere. In its pure form it requires processing. This is one of the most popular materials used in crafting. So let's see how you can get it. Let's start with the simplest method.

We have already found out that in order for a glass panel to be made in Minecraft, you need to find glass. But where can I get it? As already mentioned, we will begin our study with the simplest sources of obtaining. In order to receive glass blocks, you need to explore ponds and reservoirs. At the bottom you will find the items you need for crafting. True, sometimes this method exhausts players. Especially when glass panels are needed urgently and in large quantities. Then there is no time to wander around the world in search of glass blocks. So let's see what other way you can get the necessary material.

Crafting

Naturally, where would we be without crafting! Glass can be made with my own hands. But what is needed for this? There are several ways. The first is working with sand. If you place it in the oven, you will get the block you need, which you will then use to create a panel. But where can I get it?

Most often, sand can be found in deserts, on beaches and in reservoirs. Occasionally found in caves located under seas and lakes. This resource is extracted by hand or with any tool you have. At all sand blocks absolutely unsuitable for construction. They can be used to craft glass. But there are some other ways to get the glass blocks you want.

If you put coal in the furnace, you can get the item needed for the panel. So, if you are wondering how to make a glass panel in Minecraft, but you don’t have sand or glass blocks, then look for wood. This produces coal, which is then processed in a furnace to produce a block of glass. But there is another interesting way to get the necessary item.

Trade

Of course, you can haggle a little! In the Minecraft game there are villagers who will happily exchange things and materials with you. So, the first thing you need to do is talk to the character. After that, you can exchange glass from him. True, the fee is not very low. You will have to give one emerald for it. After this you will receive glass for crafting.

In order to make a glass panel in Minecraft, you will have to obtain 6 units of material. Once you combine all the glass on the workbench, you will have a whopping 16 panels. Now you can use them to create your interior or further improve it. For example, in order to make thickened glass. Now we know how to make a glass panel in Minecraft. You can start making windows!

You can make simple glass original using several technologies. For example, make a stained glass window, create a drawing on it, or make a mosaic. But most in an interesting way make a truly designer product - transform it into frosted glass.

After matting, it turns into a material with a modified surface structure, becoming opaque. Several processing techniques can be used on one glass to produce original and truly individual products.

Glass products- decorative lighting fixtures, souvenirs, vases, various dishes - these items are in great demand among the population. Often, we choose these items if we need to give a gift. We are attracted by matte sconces, salad bowls and glasses; they are decorated with various designs, patterns and natural ornaments.

Undecorated products, although they cost much less, practically do not attract attention.

You can matt both completely flat surfaces and things complex shape. There is no thing that would be impossible to decorate using matting. And their appearance is limited solely by the richness of your imagination.

Usage

The main purpose of frosted glass– protection from prying eyes, appears often. For example, to organize a protected and intimate environment in the bedroom, when organizing common area separate compartments or for the manufacture of partitions in sanitary rooms.

When planning an office space, dividing walls with frosted glass will become indispensable.

Often, matting is used in everyday life, making parts of glazed doors, edging mirrors, dishes and lighting fixtures. You can purchase ready-made frosted glass from glass workshops or make it yourself.

The process is carried out in the following ways:

  1. Mechanically.
  2. Using chemicals.
  3. Using a sandblasting machine.

Technology machining(with special pastes) is quite simple. Using chemicals at home is risky. And the use of sandblasting requires special equipment and makes it possible to transform mainly thick glass, and processing using this method turns out to be rough.

To install frosted glass in all-glass products, it is tempered.

Knowing how to frost glass can help and home handyman. Often, doors kitchen cabinets made using frosted glass. Restoring furniture is expensive, it will be cheaper and more convenient to make it yourself.

Pros and cons

Why are they good:

  1. Isolation of space from prying eyes.
  2. Variety of designs, elegance and beauty of frosted glass products.
  3. Variety of types of material.
  4. Choice suitable technology matting.
  5. Versatility of use.

The negative qualities of this material are considered to be slight roughness; dust collects on them. This flaw can be eliminated by covering the glass with a special varnish.

Manufacturing technologies

There are several ways:

  1. Processing using a sandblasting unit.
  2. Chemical treatment.
  3. Pasting with special film.
  4. Lakomat.

Changing the structure of a glass surface using sandblasting– the most common matting technology. Sand flow removes top surface ordinary glass, and it loses transparency. By changing the fraction of abrasive material and the pressure in the unit, you can change the roughness and degree of dullness.

There are several types of sandblasting glass:

  1. Planar.
  2. Colored.
  3. Tinted.
  4. Three-dimensional.

Glass etching to form an opaque glass surface is done using hydrofluoric acid. The matting paste covers the unprotected parts of the product through a stencil, and after a certain time it is removed and the glass surface is washed.

Areas treated with paste become matte. Compared to sandblasting, sandblasting makes the surface less rough and does not require a protective coating after treatment.

In industries using matting substances glass surface are processed completely, thanks to which it is possible to create an ideal matte plane, which is called satinato. Frosted films for glass

Film finishing-most economical way. The glass is covered with a film with shading, patterns or designs.

The disadvantage of this method of matting is the need to use the finished glass under special conditions - friction or heavy wetting of the surface should not be allowed.

Lakomat– a special matting method. The surface is covered with a layer of matting varnish; it can be either translucent or white.

When coating glass with varnish, the following tools are needed:

  • rubber trims;
  • rollers;
  • brushes;

This method requires special care and accuracy.

Original products with an unusual effect are obtained by changing the glass surface using laser radiation. There is a method of processing glass using surface detonation and using metal spraying using a plasma installation; with this processing, small drops of molten metal heat the glass to a high temperature.

As a result, microchips and very small cracks form on the surface of the glass. They create matte areas. But such matting technologies are practically not used due to the high price of equipment and the complexity of the manufacturing process.

Types of glass that are used in the manufacture of frosted products:

  • mirror;
  • tinted;
  • painted;
  • hardened;
  • triplex;
  • polished;

Preparation of matting paste

Attention! Since making pasta with your own hands requires working with chemicals, everything must be done wearing protective gloves and a gown.

There are several “recipes” for matting paste. Made using hydrofluoric acid or liquid glass.

For hydrofluoric acid paste you need:

  1. Sodium fluoride.
  2. Gelatin.
  3. Distilled water.

Add the components in a ratio of 2:1:25 and mix well. Ready mixture Apply to the glass surface with a roller, after treatment they are washed off with clean water.

After this, the glass is dried and kept in 6% hydrochloric acid for 60 seconds. Frosting of glass using this method is done using hydrofluoric acid. It cannot be used to form a pattern - the mixture will penetrate under the stencil.

Liquid glass must be mixed with distilled water, after which a small amount of tooth powder is added to it, and the composition is mixed well. Pigments are sometimes added to the paste, for example, ultramarine or red lead. The washed glass surface is coated with paste using a roller, and after drying, washed with water.

Care

More intensely than on regular glass, any dirt is more noticeable on frosted glass, even fingerprints are clearly visible. Immediately after they appear, it is easier to remove them - you need to wipe the contaminated area of ​​the surface with a slightly moistened microfiber cloth.

Serious stains, such as those caused by grease, can be removed. Such glass must be occasionally wiped with a piece of natural suede and washed with heated water and a small amount of vinegar. After this treatment, the cleaned surface is dried using microfiber.

Another option for cleaning a frosted glass surface can be treatment with a composition of several spoons of powdered chalk and 200 grams. clean water. The mixture is applied with a piece of rag to the glass surface, and when it dries, it is wiped off with newsprint.

Heavy stains must be removed using ammonia, but it smells strong and unpleasant, for this reason, during such treatment it is necessary to intensively ventilate the room.

Self-made frosted glass can become a true work of art, and with the help of timely care, the beauty of the product will last for a long time.

Source: http://househill.ru/otdelka/okna/plastikovye/kak-sdelat-styekla-matovymi.html

How to make frosted glass at home with your own hands - how to make a drawing

Frosted glass can be found in almost any room from an apartment to an office. It is used to make dishes, lamps, mirror frames, glass on doors and other household items.

Home craftsmen often have the idea of ​​transforming the interior of their home by changing appearance glass kitchen cabinets or interior doors.

After the necessary manipulations, such things become beautiful and look like works of art.

There are several ways to make a glass surface matte:

  1. Paste a matte film on it.
  2. By applying a special matting paste.
  3. Sandblasting.

Matting with film

This is the easiest and most affordable way for those who want to make the glass frosted. You just need to purchase a special film that you need to stick on reverse side products. This method makes the sample opaque, but it does not become truly matte. If you need to get a high-quality matte surface, then it would be better to use one of the following options.

Special paste for matting

Nowadays, such a paste is easy to find in the appropriate store. It happens various types and manufacturers. You can also make it yourself.

The process of frosting glass using a special paste should occur in the following order:

  1. Prepare necessary tools and materials.
  2. Wipe the working surface with a cloth to remove dirt (preferably with alcohol for degreasing).
  3. Using a spatula, quickly apply the paste to the surface in a thin layer (about 4 mm).
  4. After the required period of time indicated on the package, it is necessary to remove the paste from the surface. If an abrasive paste is used, then after application, it needs to be rubbed in for another hour using another glass, but you can take short breaks. If paste is used own production, then you need to wait until the paste dries.
  5. Rinse the product under warm water.

Matte pattern

To give surfaces a more varied and presentable appearance, matte patterns are often used.

To decorate glass or mirror with a matte pattern, you need to do the following:

  1. Make (buy) a stencil of the image you plan to apply.
  2. Carefully glue the stencil onto the surface. Smooth out from the center to the edges. If there are bubbles, then they need to be smoothed out on the stencil. You can use both glue and mounting film.
  3. If the surface area is larger than the stencil, then the free area must be sealed with tape.
  4. Apply the paste evenly onto a clean surface using a spatula according to the pattern.
  5. After the required period remove the paste. If an abrasive paste is used, then it is necessary to carry out already known manipulations.
  6. Wash the glass hot water.
  7. Remove the stencil and remove traces of glue on the glass.

Sandblasting method

This matting method is most often practiced in production. However, there are also household units, intended for this procedure.

With this machine you can perform matting of varying densities and depths, and it also makes it easier to work with large surfaces.

But you need to learn how to work with this device; you shouldn’t start working on the surface right away, you should practice first.

The disadvantages of this method include the fact that after processing the glass thickness decreases by about 3 mm.

Therefore, you can only work with glass with a thickness of 5 mm. If sandblasting machine is already in stock, then before processing the glass you need to ensure that you have a respirator and clean sand.

With this method of frosting glass, the work flow is as follows:

  1. Clean the work surface.
  2. If there is a drawing, then glue the stencil to the desired place. It is important to note that you must glue carefully, because grains of sand under pressure can get under the stencil. It is not recommended to cut lines thinner than 5mm or other small parts. Seal the open space of glass or close it in another way.
  3. Protect the room, hands, face and eyes, because a small sandstorm will be created.
  4. Check the pressure and quality of the jet on a test piece of glass.
  5. Press the pump onto the glass with the stencil and use circular movements to evenly process the desired surface. Do this several times (the longer the time passes, the deeper the layer will break out in the glass).
  6. When finished, peel off the stencil and wash the glass product.

How to make matting paste

Matting paste, made independently, can be of two types: liquid glass and hydrofluoric acid based.

To make a mixture on liquid glass, you must do the following:

  1. Dilute liquid glass with a small volume of distilled water.
  2. Add a little, if desired, tooth powder and stir.
  3. If necessary, add dye to the substance (for example: red lead or ultramarine).

This paste can be applied with a velor roller to a clean and dry glass product. After drying, it must be washed off with hot water.

Hydrofluoric acid paste

To create this substance, you will need the following elements: sodium fluoride, gelatin and distilled water. These components are mixed in the following ratio: 25 parts distilled water, 2 parts sodium fluoride (potassium) and 1 part gelatin. The mixture must be brought to homogeneity and applied to the surface using a roller.

After upper layer dries, it must be filled with 6% hydrochloric acid for 60 seconds, at a temperature of 18°C. As a result there will be chemical reaction, as a result of which hydrofluoric acid appears. It will etch the glass, and after that it will become frosted. When finished, wash the glass thoroughly with warm water.

Care of frosted glass

On frosted glass More clearly than on ordinary ones, dirt, stains and fingerprints are visible. Therefore, they need more careful care.

The easiest way is to remove dirt immediately after detection; to do this, just wipe the product with a slightly damp (or dry) microfiber cloth.

If there is serious contamination on the surface, then it is necessary to use special means, which are sold in supermarkets or specialized stores. It is important to know that matte surfaces are harmful to cleaners that contain fluorine or silicone.

You also need to remember to periodically care for the matte product. To do this, you need to wipe it with a piece of natural suede. In addition, it can also be washed with hot water and vinegar. After such prevention, the surface should be dried immediately using the same napkin.

There is another way to clean a matte surface: add a couple of spoons of chalk powder crushed into a glass of water. This composition is applied with a rag to a matte surface, and when it dries, the dirt must be removed using newsprint.

If serious contamination appears, you can get rid of it with ammonia. But at the same time, the room must be well ventilated, since ammonia has strong smell. Whether purchased or made by a home craftsman, frosted glass can be a work of art, and if properly cared for, it can retain its beauty for a long period of time.

Source: http://homehill.ru/otdelka/okna/styokla-matovymi.html

What is glass made from?

When faced with glass products every day, few of us think about what glass is made of? What is the process of its production? Appearing in Ancient Egypt 5 thousand years ago, glass was very cloudy and had an unattractive appearance. The material we are confronted with now was obtained much later.

Glass composition

For glass melting use pure quartz sand(about 75%), lime And soda. To obtain a product with specific properties, the composition may include oxides and metals.

  • Boric acid oxide. Reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion of the resulting products, and increases the gloss and transparency of the finished products.
  • Lead. This component is added during the production of crystal. Products made from crystal are cooler to the touch and have the shine and ringing characteristic of this material.
  • Manganese. The addition of this heavy metal helps produce products with a green tint. In addition to manganese, using nickel, chromium or Colt, you can obtain products of other colors.

Physical properties

The most important characteristics of glass:

  • Density. This characteristic depends on chemical composition and ranges from 2200 to 6500 kg/m³. As the temperature rises, the density of the glass decreases and it becomes especially fragile.
  • Strength. Depending on the type of glass, its strength varies from 50 to 210 kgf/mm². Slight damage to the surface of the material reduces this indicator by 3-4 times.
  • Fragility b. The fragility of glass and its inability to withstand impact limits its use in some areas of life. When adding certain chemical elements, this characteristic increases.
  • Heat resistance. Heat resistance is the ability of a material to withstand huge temperature changes. Regular window glass can withstand temperatures up to 90°C. In industry, these figures increase significantly.

Types of glass

We see many products made of glass on the street and use them in Everyday life. These are glassware, light bulbs, glasses, windows. Depending on the physical and chemical properties, glass is also used in the production of shop windows, mirrors, and lamps. What types of this homogeneous amorphous body exist and what is made from it?

  • Crystal glass. Contains lead oxide. High transparency and shine give this glass an attractive and aesthetic appearance. They are mainly used for making dishes and souvenirs.
  • Quartz glass. The composition contains the purest quartz sand. Due to the fact that products from quartz glass can withstand large temperature changes, they are made from it laboratory glassware, insulators, optical devices, windows.
  • Foam glass. It is a glass mass containing numerous voids. Excellent thermal and soundproofing properties conditioned it wide application in construction.
  • Glass wool. It looks like thin glass threads with high tensile strength. They are used both in construction and in the chemical industry. Glass wool is fire resistant. Therefore, it is used as a material for sewing clothing for welders and firefighters.

To this list you can add glass that has specific properties:

  • Fire resistant. Resists open flames and withstands high temperatures.
  • Heat resistant. Has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and can withstand sharp jumps temperature
  • Bulletproof. Impact-resistant glass that can withstand powerful impacts.

How is glass made?

Glass production includes the following stages in its process:

  1. Preparation necessary materials . Prepared raw materials require special processing. Quartz sand is enriched, and iron impurities are removed from its composition. Limestone and dolomite are carefully crushed.
  2. Mixing material in certain proportions. The amount of a particular material and its percentage in the prepared admixture depends on the required physical and chemical properties of glass products.
  3. Melting in glass furnaces. The cooking stage occurs at high temperatures, the range of which ranges from 800°C to 1400°C. There is an active process of melting quartz sand, and the glass melt becomes viscous and transparent.

After obtaining a homogeneous glass mixture, future products are formed, the product is sharply cooled, followed by thermal and physical treatment.

Industrial Applications

The use of a transparent, wear-resistant and durable material with a smooth surface is amazing. Despite the fact that glass is a very fragile material, it is widely used in various fields of industry and everyday life.

  • Mechanical engineering– is part of non-stick paints used to treat vehicles.
  • Paper industry– impregnation of the finished paper pulp.
  • Construction– added to acid-resistant materials and heat-resistant concrete structures.
  • Chemical industry– production of detergents.

This functional material can be bent, cut, melted and made into unique and beautiful products. That is why colored glass actively used for decorative works during construction public buildings and make all kinds of souvenirs.

Glass categories

According to its purpose, glass is divided into the following: categories:

  • Household glass. This group consists of five subgroups - kitchen utensils, household utensils, lamp products, art products and household utensils.
  • Building glass – sheet glass, shop windows, double-glazed windows, thermally insulating double-glazed windows, reinforced glass.
  • Glass technical purpose– laboratory instruments, protective products for industry, glass wool, optics.

In addition to protecting our homes from wind, rain and cold, glass gives a person a vast area for creativity. The process of creating it is as beautiful and mysterious as the material itself. Glass is transparent, hard, acid-resistant, and has become an indispensable material in architecture and in everyday life.

In this article, we took a detailed look at what glass is made of. This material has taken a special important place in a person’s life, without it many everyday things would be much more difficult.

: process of making a substance

Badges, brooches, various jewelry and many household items cover enamel- glass applied to metal. So we will try to make glass. These experiments require a special oven. For this reason alone, glass production cannot be done at home. But, in addition, skills in working with hot melts are also needed, so experiments, of course, must be carried out in the presence of seniors.

In factories and chemical laboratories, glass is obtained from charge- a thoroughly mixed dry mixture of powdered salts, oxides and other compounds. When heated in ovens to a very high temperature, often above 1500°C, salts decompose into oxides, which, interacting with each other, form silicates, borates, phosphates and other stable high temperatures connections. Together they make up glass.

We will prepare so-called fusible glasses, for which laboratory testing is sufficient. electric oven with heating temperatures up to 1000°C. You will also need crucibles, crucible tongs (so as not to get burned) and a small flat slab, steel or cast iron. First we will weld the glass, and then we will find a use for it.

Mix with a spatula on a sheet of paper 10 g of sodium tetraborate (borax), 20 g of lead oxide and 1.5 g of cobalt oxide, sifted through a sieve. This is our batch. Pour it into a small crucible and compact it with a spatula so that you get a cone with the top in the center of the crucible. The compacted charge should occupy no more than three-quarters of the volume in the crucible, then the glass will not spill. Using tongs, place the crucible in an electric furnace (crucible or muffle), heated to 800-900 °C, and wait until the charge is fused. This is judged by the release of bubbles: as soon as it stops, the glass is ready. Remove the crucible from the furnace with tongs and immediately pour the molten glass onto a clean steel or cast iron plate. Cooling on the stove, the glass forms a blue-violet ingot.

To obtain glasses of other colors, replace cobalt oxide with other coloring oxides. Iron(III) oxide (1-1.5 g) will color the glass brown, copper(II) oxide (0.5-1 g) will color the glass green, a mixture of 0.3 g of copper oxide with 1 g of cobalt oxide and 1 g iron (III) oxide - black. If we only take boric acid and lead oxide, the glass will remain colorless and transparent. Experiment yourself with other oxides, for example, chromium, manganese, nickel, tin.

Grind the glass with a pestle in a porcelain mortar. To avoid injury from the fragments, be sure to wrap your hand in a towel and cover the mortar and pestle with a clean rag.

Pour fine glass powder onto thick glass, add a little water and grind until creamy with a chime - a glass or porcelain disk with a handle. Instead of a chime, you can take a small flat-bottomed mortar or a polished piece of granite - this is what the old masters did when they ground paints. The resulting mass is called slip. We will apply it to the surface of aluminum in much the same way as they do when making jewelry.

Clean the aluminum surface with sandpaper and degrease by boiling in a soda solution. On a clean surface, draw the outline of the design with a scalpel or needle. Using a regular brush, cover the surface with slip, dry it over a flame, and then heat it in the same flame until the glass is fused to the metal. You will get enamel. If the icon is small, it can be covered with a layer of glass and heated entirely in a flame. If the product is larger (say, a sign with an inscription), then you need to divide it into sections and apply glass to them one by one. To make the enamel color more intense, reapply the glass. In this way, you can obtain not only decorations, but also reliable enamel coatings to protect aluminum parts in all kinds of devices and models. Since in this case the enamel bears an additional load, it is advisable to cover the metal surface with a dense oxide film after degreasing and washing; To do this, it is enough to hold the part for 5-10 minutes in an oven with a temperature just below 600°C.

Of course, it is more convenient to apply slip to a large part not with a brush, but with a spray bottle or simply by watering (but the layer should be thin). Dry the part in an oven at 50-60°C, and then transfer it to an electric oven heated to 700-800°C.

You can also make painted plates for mosaic work from fusible glass. Cover pieces of broken porcelain (they will always be given to you at a china shop) with a thin layer of slip, dry at room temperature or in an oven and fuse the glass onto the plates, keeping them in an electric oven at a temperature not lower than 700°C.

Having mastered working with glass, you can help your colleagues from the biology club: they often make stuffed animals, and stuffed animals need different-colored eyes...

Drill several holes in a steel plate about 1.5 cm thick different sizes with a conical or spherical bottom. In the same way as before, fuse the different colored glasses. The gamma is probably enough, but to change the intensity, slightly increase or decrease the content of the coloring additive.

Place a small drop of brightly colored molten glass into the recess of the steel plate, then pour in the iris-colored glass. The drop will enter the main mass, but will not mix with it - this way both the pupil and the iris will be reproduced. Cool items slowly, avoiding sudden temperature changes. To do this, remove the hardened but still hot “eyes” from the mold with heated tweezers, place them in loose asbestos and cool them to room temperature.

Of course, fusible glass can also be used in other applications. But wouldn't it be better if you look for them yourself?

And to complete the experiments with glass, using the same electric furnace, we will try to turn ordinary glass into colored glass. A natural question: is it possible to make sunglasses this way? It is possible, but it is unlikely that you will succeed the first time, because the process is capricious and requires some skills. Therefore, take up glasses only after you have practiced on pieces of glass and made sure that the result meets your expectations.

The base paint for glass will be rosin. From resinates, acid salts that make up rosin, you previously prepared driers for oil paints. Let us turn again to resinates, because they are capable of forming a thin, even film on glass and serving as carriers of coloring matter,

Dissolve pieces of rosin in a solution of caustic soda with a concentration of about 20%, stirring and remembering, of course, caution until the liquid turns dark yellow. After filtering, add a little solution of ferric chloride FeCl 3 or another ferric salt. Keep in mind that the concentration of the solution should be small; salt cannot be taken in excess - the precipitate of iron hydroxide that forms in this case will interfere with us. If the salt concentration is low, then a red precipitate of iron resinate is formed - this is where it is needed.

Filter the red precipitate and dry it in air, and then dissolve it until saturated in pure gasoline (not automobile gasoline, but solvent gasoline); it would be even better to take hexane or petroleum ether. Using a brush or spray paint a thin layer of glass surface, let it dry and place in an oven heated to approximately 600°C for 5-10 minutes. But rosin is an organic substance, and it cannot withstand this temperature! That's right, but that's exactly what you need - let the organic base burn out. Then a thin film of iron oxide will remain on the glass, well adhered to the surface. And although the oxide is generally opaque, it is so thin layer it transmits part of the light rays, i.e. it can serve as a light filter.

Perhaps the light-protective layer will seem too dark to you or, on the contrary, too light. In this case, vary the experimental conditions - slightly increase or decrease the concentration of the rosin solution, change the firing time and temperature. If you are not satisfied with the color in which the glass is painted, replace the ferric chloride with the chloride of another metal, but certainly one whose oxide is brightly colored, for example, copper or cobalt chloride.

And when the technology is carefully developed on pieces of glass, it is possible to transform ordinary glasses into sunglasses without much risk. Just remember to remove the glass from the frame - the plastic frame will not withstand heating in the oven in the same way as the rosin base...

O. Holguin. "Experiments without explosions"
M., "Chemistry", 1986

  • It will take a million years for glass to decompose.
  • Glass is recycled without loss of quality.
  • The thickest glass in the world is the 26 cm screen of the Sydney Aquarium.

What is glass made from?


To make glass, craftsmen take: quartz sand (the main component); lime; soda;

First, quartz sand, soda and lime are heated in a special furnace to a temperature of 1700 degrees above zero. The grains of sand connect with each other, then homogenize (turn into a homogeneous substance), and the gas is removed. The mass is “dipped” into molten tin at temperatures above 1000 degrees, which floats on the surface due to its lower density. The smaller the mass that goes into the tin bath, the thinner the glass that comes out will be.

Interesting Facts:

  • Murano glass is considered the most expensive in the world. Products made from it cost millions of dollars. Since ancient times, Venice has been famous for the production of high-quality glass. It is reliably known that in the 13th century the state government moved production to the large island of Murano, and the craftsmen were strictly forbidden to leave it. The punishment is a death sentence. In addition, entry to the island was also closed to tourists or other residents of Venice. Such strict measures made it possible to maintain the secret of production.
  • One of the most interesting mental illnesses of the Middle Ages is the “glass disease.” A person with such a disorder thought that he was made of glass and was afraid of breaking. I suffered from such a disease french king Charles VI. The monarch always wore several layers of clothing and forbade anyone to touch himself.

What functions do soda and lime perform in the production process?


Baking soda helps reduce the melting point by 2 times. If you do not add it, it will be very difficult to melt the sand, and, accordingly, to connect individual grains of sand with each other. Lime is needed so that the mass can withstand water. If it had not been included, the window, for example, would have dissolved immediately after the first rain, and the glass would have burst after contact with water.