Cutting glass bottles to make cloches

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Cutting glass bottles to make cloches
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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:20 am Post subject: Cutting glass bottles to make cloches

Res's pop bottle hanging garden and Tahir's comment about not having pop bottles reminded me of this technique that was very big in TKG a while ago. They showed how you can make a clean, smooth cut around the base of a demijohn, removing the bottom and leaving you with a nifty little cloche.

Now I suspect this is an awful waste of demijohns but still, wondered if anyone had tried it? I was thinking that the apple juice we have started buying comes in quite large based bottles, which might not be too bad for this, or perhaps there are other large glass bottles I haven't thought of. You could probably put the bases in the glass recycling bank as usual but you'd be getting much better use out of the top bits instead of having them ground down/melted.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:28 am Post subject:
There are instructions here: Bell cloches on Allotments4all Edited to fix awfully long link Last edited by Bugs on Wed Mar 29, 06 10:35 am; edited 1 time in total

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:33 am Post subject:
There is also a technique involving a piece of string soaked in paraffin or some such, but I can't remember exactly how it works - or where I saw it. (Helpful as ever).

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:43 am Post subject:

judith wrote:

There is also a technique involving a piece of string soaked in paraffin or some such, but I can't remember exactly how it works - or where I saw it. (Helpful as ever).

Probably you wrap the cord where you want the cut and light it - this will create a weak point around the bottle where a quick tap (or whack) will release it.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:45 am Post subject:
That sounds about right. Any volunteers to try it and see if it works?

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:48 am Post subject:
I think you need one of these: (very nice website by the way )

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:52 am Post subject:
Just read the other tips on that page. The trellis planting grid idea is brilliant - so simple!

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:53 am Post subject:
There are indeed some other nice projects there, one for the GYO sticky I think. What is that tool Lozzie?

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:59 am Post subject:
It is called a Glass Cutter. It is the tool that the writer refers to in the article about demijohn cloches. They are quite easy to come by ... I could lend you mine!

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:02 am Post subject:

I've been making for years them from old demi-johns that for one reason or another I can't get clean enough to use for brewing. I'm not allowed to do things with paraffin and matches

Take one demi-john, and decide where yu want the cut to be. Put the demi-john into a sink, put in the plug and run cold water in, up to that line where you want the cut to be. Take a funnel, put into the neck of the demi-john, and pour boiling water in, carefully. Where the boiling water meets the cold on the outside, the jar will crack fairly neatly and safely around its curcumference. The funnel is vital to stop the boiling water splashing on the sides, as it will cause the jar to crack where it hits - this way the boiling water goes exactly where it is needed. TEsted and reliable method, and fairly safe, with care.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:05 am Post subject:

They are quite bulky to store, but I leave them outside over the winter when not being used, lined up tidily in the garden. The advantage of these is they have a good amount of space inside for the plants to grow on, and water can get in the top, and air. I think they look good in raised beds as well, more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic ones. When finished with, they can go to the bottle bank.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:07 am Post subject:

Lozzie wrote:

It is called a Glass Cutter.

It is the tool that the writer refers to in the article about demijohn cloches.

They are quite easy to come by ... I could lend you mine!

Or she can rummage in my tool box as we have one. (Guess who does the DIY).

I remember seeing a programme a while back where the glass bottle was placed on a turn table and a small flame pointed at the break line. After rotating for a few moments a wet wire was placed on the break line and the top broke off cleanly.

Gloves and goggles would be a wise choice me thinks.

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:08 am Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

judith wrote:

There is also a technique involving a piece of string soaked in paraffin or some such, but I can't remember exactly how it works - or where I saw it. (Helpful as ever).

Probably you wrap the cord where you want the cut and light it - this will create a weak point around the bottle where a quick tap (or whack) will release it.

two methods:-

Method 1: Dip a piece of string in alcohol or paraffin or petrol or some such and squeeze dry or as dry as it will get without dripping. This string should then be placed on the already marked glass and tied tight. Light the string and let it burn off. Immediately, while the glass is still hot, plunge it into cold water.
Be sure the container of water is large enough to let the glass go completely under as well as your arm up to the elbow, so as to deaden the vibration when you strike the glass. Strike the glass with your other hand outside the line of cutting using a stick of wood and hitting a sharp stroke. This quick, sharp stroke will break the glass where it has been weakened by the burning string into a clean cut .

Method 2: First, scratch the glass with the corner of a file or sharp graver. Have a piece of wire bent to the desired shape you want to cut the glass. Heat the wire red hot and lay it upon the scratch. Sink the glass into cold water just deep enough to come on a level with the wire, not quite covering it. The glass will break clean.

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:11 am Post subject:
I think Sarah's technique sounds by far the best - nothing sharp, nothing burning, just a little boiling water, that's all!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 11:26 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Or she can rummage in my tool box

You've been warned before about bringing your private life onto the forum.

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