May 2002   Denatured Alcohol   Posted On: 5/5/02   In April I mentioned denatured alcohol. It is an excellent cleaning agent to be used like lacquer thinner without the yucky chemical properties. A doctor told me that lacquer thinner is absorbed through the skin and travels happily to your unsuspecting liver. It will clean off glue residue from the resist, fingerprints, or food or oil stains. As I repeatedly hammer into my students' heads, hot water is your best friend. Anything small enough to wash with hot water and dishwashing liquid, (using your fingers as a sponge) should indeed be cleaned in that way. It's the best. However, sometimes you get spots that just refuse to come out without denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner. So, if all else fails, resort to chemicals. But, remember, use them with care, proper protection and ventilation, and disposal.

April 2002   Film Container Usage   Posted On: 4/2/01   Save your 35mm film containers. They are wonderful to use as storage units for paint, lacquer thinner, or denatured alcohol. Many plastic containers will dissolve when in contact with chemicals. Often, you will want to continue painting at another time, or just do not want to waste perfectly good paint. The snap-on tops provide air-tight protection to the contents. There is no sense throwing perfectly good, clean lacquer thinner. When I use it for cleaning painting or gold leaf errors, I never use the same Q-tip twice. Therefore, the lacquer remains pristine. Just snap on the lid and it's good for the next time. Just remember to label each container. I just write the contents on a piece of masking tape and stick it on.

March 2002   The Light Air Hose Assembly   Posted On: 3/26/02   Frequently, when one orders a pressure pot, it comes with a hose the equivalent of something used to fight a major industrial fire. This greatly inhibits your maneuverability and the ability to do small, delicate work. The answer lies in the light air hose assembly, which consists of regular air hose, an adapter to fit it to your sand hose, and a fitting for your nozzle cap and nozzle. I sell one that actually comes with two hoses and two sets of fittings so that you can go to a plumbing supply store and buy your own. Since you will then be working with a air hose, not made for grit, there are a few things you must do. First of all, have plenty of extra hose since the punishment of the grit will gradually eat through at the weak spots. The weak spots are any bends; which leads to the next tip. Don't have the light air hose any longer than you need; ie., the fewer bends, the fewer "walls" the grit hits at high pressure. Also, secure the hose at each end with a small hose clamp, and wrap electrical tape about six inches from each end. This will reinforce the natural bend at each end and give added life. In the case of a "blowout", simply cut down several inches to good solid hose and reattach. Simple. Takes about three minutes. A small price to pay for the results you can achieve with your newly found dexterity. Extra tip absolutely free. I like to bring my hose through my armhole instead of a hole through the side or front of the cabinet. This allows you to only have the hose you need inside the cabinet at a given time instead of about fifty feet of it coiled up in there attacking you at every move and reducing your vision. I sell my assembly for $40.00 plus shipping. Glastar sells one also. The only thing I don't like about it is it has a big fitting at one to fix it at a given length within your cabinet. Therefore, you have a lot of extra hose inside. I guess the excessive hose doesn't bother a lot of people; however, it is terribly distracting and awkward to me. Glastar's sells for about $50.00 plus shipping. I'm sure other people also sell them: but, these are the only two that I have experience with. Hope this helps.

February 2002   Grit Size Matters   Posted On: 2/5/02   Many people equate a smooth finished to your blasted surface with a smaller grit size. All I can say is that I always use size100 grit, which is as large as I can get it and still have it fit through a 1/16" nozzle. My work is smooth as it must be when I am dealing in high end fine art work as well as residential or commercial blasting and awards. It is as foolish to buy smaller grit for general blasting as it is economically unrealistic. Why should you buy something two or three times smaller when it's going to wear to that size anyhow. Talk about wasting money. Go buy a new car or something with all of your savings. Probably the most intelligent thing you can do to achieve a smoother texture is to regulate your grit to air ratio. I know lots of people who blast with about three grains of grit and the rest air. This pushes those three grains through the hose and nozzle at about a zillion miles an hour and they hit hard and far apart, resulting in a rough deeply pitted surface. The handle on the bottom of your pressure pot regulates how much grit moves through the hose. Experiment with different ratios until you have found the perfect mix for you. Obviously, if a solid black stream comes out, that is too much grit. If you're practically solid air, too much air. Simple. Check it out. Your finished product will change dramatically. Good luck.

January 2002   Carpeted Workbench   Posted On: 1/12/02   Start the year off right with a fresh carpeted work space. By applying a carpet to your work table you will have a soft, easy to clean surface. You can just brush or vacuum debris away. Always use bumpers on your glass to avoid scratching, even with your carpeting. If for some insane reason, you don't use bumpers, do not push your glass around on the table. Take the weight off all but one edge and push or pull that way. Happy New Year!

December 2001   For more really big tips: Catch Butch's Regular Columns!   Posted On: 12/4/01   Be sure to read Butch's regular columns in Glass Art and Recognition Review Magazines. Subscribe to Glass Art call Kevin at (303) 791-8998 Subscribe to Recognition Review toll-free at (800) 344-2148 Become an "Awards and Recognition Association (ARA)" member or learn more online at www.ara.org http://www.artglassworld.com http://www.ara.org

December 2001   Quick and Easy Glass Gifts   Posted On: 12/4/01   Blasted glass pieces make great gifts for the Holidays. You can find glass plates, mugs, wine glasses and more. Maybe blast a simple snowflake pattern on a plate, a name on a drinking glass or mug, or a holiday design on a mirror, and voilà a great personalized gift. Private student Kim Knight proudly displays her "Snowflake Teddy Bear" which she says will be used as a holiday decoration for years to come. Happy Holidays!

November 2001   Glass Cleaner   Posted On: 11/13/01   Cleaning Glass Always take care of your glass. Remember: your very best cleaning friend it hot water. However, holding a blasted shower door under a sink faucet is a little tricky. Use CRL S50, Sprayway's leading glass cleaner, the formula includes perfume-grade alcohols, which are the best cleaning agents you can use. It also has a fast evaporation rate, which keeps it from leaving a film and adversely interacting with other materials. Use the ammonia free. CRL is also clear, not blue like other commonly found cleaners, thus it will not stain and leave a discoloration in the blasted areas of your glass. Shake well, spray a good amount on your glass and use lots of paper towel. CRL Glass Cleaners are manufactured exclusively for distribution through the Glass Industry through an alliance with Sprayway. Contact Info: C.R. Laurence Company 2503 East Vernon Avenue Los Angeles, California 90058 Phone (800) 421-6144 Fax (800) 262-3299 http://www.crlaurence.com

October 2001   Nozzle Size, Distance and Pressure   Posted On: 10/3/01   There is a definite relationship between nozzle size, pressure, distance, and what type of blasting you're doing. Carving small shapes would require a nozzle with very small orifice and possibly less than 40 psi. Surface blasting of smaller pieces could be a bigger, more worn nozzle with 40 psi and greater distance to cover more area. Solid frosting of huge pieces would require the oversize nozzle 3 1/2 inches long with the adapter higher pressures are possible the (up to 60 psi). Shading of light frosting–you would once again use a worn–large orifice nozzle at extremely low pressure. As low as you can get and still have a steady grit stream. Of course there's much more to it than this. But start thinking in terms of distance, pressure and nozzle size. Check out the article "Nozzletov" in Glass Art Magazine July/August issue for more in depth info.