[MeatPuppwt]

So I was in my dining room reading and relaxing and some how got to thinking about my dining room chairs. All of them are mismatched and go to thinking about building some. Going with a F.L. Wright based design. Started brainstorming and had this great idea (least I thought so at first) but have no idea if there is anyone who does it or if it's even possible. On the top part of the chair, the wide horizontal board that holds all the vertical slats together, I want to drill holes through it, camber the edges on both sides, and pour molten glass into the holes. Kinda like making a simple wooden stain glass window. I know there are probably a hundred different ways to to do something that simulates this, but I'm more after personalizing my work, making something that when you look at it you kinda do a double take and say "what the...." "never seen that before"

Any ideas?

 

[woodman42]

Welcome to the site!
Don't know if I quite understand what you are trying to describe.

 

[Buffalo Bilious]

Dude, I always enjoy a "WTF" moment. Seems like I'm getting them a lot more often these days.... AND I LIKE IT, I LIKE IT A LOT! :laughing:

FLW is cool by me, way cool, FLW is one of my faves, though it's nothing I've ever even considered trying yet. Nevertheless, it's simple yet complicated, and it's just killer....

How about an pic-example about the chair you're talking about?

Pics? Further explanation?

 

[MeatPuppwt]

As far as the design of the chairs as a whole, think I want to combine these two type of chairs

and

. I like she shape of the first, the wrap around design, and the height of the second and the fact that is doesn't have arms.

As far as the whole glass thing I was trying to describe, imagine drilling a big hole through the middle of the top of the chair. Would be the wide board on the top of the wrap around chair. The hole would be about 2" to 3" in diameter. Then camber or bevel the edges of the hole on both sides for the board. This way after the glass cools it is locked in place.

Not really concerned about how transparent the glass would be, in fact it would probably look better if it had a frosted texture to it. Biggest problem I foresee is how to keep the wood from scorching.

Was trying to draw a picture of what I'm describing but I can't figure how to upload the image from my computer.

 

[Buffalo Bilious]

OK, I see where you're at. This is good stuff... you made me see a little wider and think a little deeper than I was doing before, so thanks for that! :thumbsup:

You've got a great idea, the bevel/camber is key, the glass has gotta be locked in permanently. There's a bunch of options... any number of facing router bits would do the job nicely. Maybe one of those triple bead jobs....

If the only burned part of the wood is within the circumference of the hole, then it's all good, it shouldn't matter, as long as the glass isn't so transparent that it magnifies it.

But I'd be interested in seeing how the wood reacts at the surface in terms of the molten glass... it probably wont burn but you might get some discoloring. Maybe refrigerate the wood by blasting it with a CO-2 fire-extinguisher before pouring the glass? I dunno, I'm just guessing.

How do ya sand and buff the glass flush with the surrounding wood? I know it can be done, just never have done it before...

Too bad you're not my neighbor.... right now we'd be some beer-drinkin', wood-routing, molten-glass pouring idiots. :laughing:

Worse case scenario, you're only out a small chunk of wood and "x" amount of glass (and maybe a bit of a mess).

Best case scenario, it's a killer app, Martha Stewart and Oprah both love ya to death, and you sell the idea to Google for about 600 million bux. :laughing:


Seriously though... we ain't gonna find out 'til you try it.

But I gotta ask...I'm assuming you have the capability to melt glass, yes? What exactly is required to do so? Something tells me it costs a boatload, but your idea has thrown all my ideas into a new dimension. This could be some cool stuff...

I'd volunteer to help in a second, but I'm a little short when it comes to the molten glass thing...

(note to self... cripes, now I gotta learn how to melt glass and buy the gear to do it.. LOL)

Dude, I think you're on the right path, try it and see where it takes you. Good luck, and let me know how it works!

 

[woodman42]

OK. Now it makes sense to me, I'm a little slow some times.
Hey if you can find a market for and how to do it safely, go for it.
You never know until you give it a shot.

 

[MeatPuppwt]

I'm in the same boat Bill...coming up a little short with the whole how do I get molten glass idea. I'm sure I can you can get a small furnance that would do the trick. Might be able to rig something up with a propane tank and some black iron plumbing. As far as the wood goes, the more I think about it the more I think I might have to use wet wood. Might have to soak my pieces in water or work with green wood. Either case presents the problem with the hole changing shape as it drys. That or I might be able to place something in the hole to conduct the heat. Say some thin copper hammer (or however fitted) on the inside edge.

As far as grinding and buffing the glass, might make it so you don't fill the hole completely. Have the surface of the glass 1/32" or 1/16" below the surface so you have room to clean up any scorching and to allow some room so you don't chip the glass or dull a blade should you try any surfacing techniques on the wood. To texture the glass, since it is a round hole made with say a forster (sp?) bit, could rig up a sanding disk on a drill press and try different powder compounds. That would give a flat surface, and the uniformity of the drill press might make a nice swirl pattern in the glass.

Hot damn....Got me project to try to figure out:icon_smile:

 

[bigredc]

I've watched glass blowing shows, and they use wood ladle type forms to mold the glass. They pull the wooden tool out of a bucket of water and the instant it touches the glass it bursts into flames. They reuse the tools over and over so I don't know how much damage is being done to the wood. The idea of keeping the glass low so you are able to sand off some wood. It also takes quite a furnace to melt glass. Maybe put an add out looking for someone with the furnace that would be willing to help out. Keep us updated.

 

[MeatPuppwt]

Ok so I was work and some time to kill. Grabbed the acetylene (sp?) torch and a head light and went over to the work bench. Couldn't find a crucible, to I used an aluminum freeze plug from a Ford F-150. Found pretty quickly that we didn't have any O2 for the torch so it was pure acetylene. If I had the O2 I could have gotten a hotter flame. After 15 minutes of holding the torch I finally go a little blob of melted glass. About 5 grams in total. Not much for 15 minutes of work. I also go a very warped and disfigured freeze plug, a scorched workbench, a bench vise that has some incriminating black marks on it, an uncounted number of strange looks from co-workers, oh, and 1 potential customer who past by the shop door and looked in the window. I say potential cause after looking in the window he got back in his car and drove off. I will admit that I was grinning quite a bit while doing little project. I guess some grinning guy holding a torch and going to town at the work bench was not someone this guy wanted working on his car. Still, I did manage to melt the head light. The glass was very brittle and after handling a little bit kinda a crumbled. Don't know if I cooled it to fast, or it I didn't get it hot enough when I melted it. Have to do more research.

Might have a few less customers this week if today was any indication.

 

[BigDaddy]

You will have to make a forge, I think YouTube and Instructables.com have some examples of making cheap ones. You just put in some broken glass whatever color you want, melt it down and pour it into a mold. Then you can buff and polish them to your hearts content.

As for the Chair, get ahold of some thin stock and make matching panels with the holes in it and routed with a roundover bit. Then place the new glass piece between the two boards and glue them together like a sandwich.

Mike

 

[Rex Bloem]

What about having a glass shop cut the size glass you what and epoxy them into the holes in the chair?