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Are there any modern glassblowers who will touch uranium glass? The few I talked to thought I was insane for thinking they'd consider it. (In my defense, cadm

Are there any modern glassblowers who will touch uranium glass? The few I talked to thought I was insane for thinking they'd consider it. (In my defense, cadmium is very toxic but glassblowers don't seem to mind blowing cadmium glass.)

lumost 5y ago
IIRC the main ingredient for uranium glass is processed uranium ore aka yellow cake. I don't believe there are any methods of purchasing this available to consumers. Inhalation of uranium is also a high risk during the glass blowing process particularly as the powder is mixed to the glass. This could probably be bounded to roughly the same risk as blowing waterford crystal if the glass is pre-mixed.
- domino24 5y ago
  What is in Waterford crystal? Is it dangerous in any point of the process?
  - xref 5y ago
    Waterford is leaded glass, often just called “crystal” because of its clarity and to not call attention to the lead content which is minimum 25% lead oxide powder by weight https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass > In a study performed at North Carolina State University, the amount of lead migration was measured for port wine stored in lead crystal decanters. After two days, lead levels were 89 µg/L (micrograms per liter). After four months, lead levels were between 2,000 and 5,000 µg/L. White wine doubled its lead content within an hour of storage and tripled it within four hours. Some brandy stored in lead crystal for over five years had lead levels around 20,000 µg/L For ref the EPA limit is 15 µg/L and even that is prob on the high side since the human body has 0 use for any level of lead
- sgtnoodle 5y ago
  There's a guy on YouTube who goes by "nilered". He does various crazy chemistry projects. He has a video where he makes uranium glass.
- cameldrv 5y ago
  https://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=873 https://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&c...
  - lumost 5y ago
    Looks like it would take 10 of those vials to make roughly 1 pound of uranium glass at its minimum concentration and 150 vials to make a pound of glass at the concentrations typical of the 1800s.
    - cameldrv 5y ago
      Hey you didn't say it had to be cheap!
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Baeocystin 5y ago
You can buy uranium glass frit from here: http://www.gafferglassusa.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=74 http://www.gafferglassusa.com/index.php?route=product/produc... FWIW. I'd work with it, some wouldn't.
wbraun 5y ago
I took some glass blowing classes in undergrad and wanted to make something with uranium glass. I bought uranium glass frit from Gaffer glass and used it, none of the instructors or students seemed to mind. The main concern was the dust when pouring out the frit, once it is melted into something its pretty inert. I made some cool stuff with it (only limited by my glass blowing skills).

lumost 5y ago

IIRC the main ingredient for uranium glass is processed uranium ore aka yellow cake. I don't believe there are any methods of purchasing this available to consumers. Inhalation of uranium is also a high risk during the glass blowing process particularly as the powder is mixed to the glass. This could probably be bounded to roughly the same risk as blowing waterford crystal if the glass is pre-mixed.

domino24 5y ago
What is in Waterford crystal? Is it dangerous in any point of the process?
- xref 5y ago
  Waterford is leaded glass, often just called “crystal” because of its clarity and to not call attention to the lead content which is minimum 25% lead oxide powder by weight https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass > In a study performed at North Carolina State University, the amount of lead migration was measured for port wine stored in lead crystal decanters. After two days, lead levels were 89 µg/L (micrograms per liter). After four months, lead levels were between 2,000 and 5,000 µg/L. White wine doubled its lead content within an hour of storage and tripled it within four hours. Some brandy stored in lead crystal for over five years had lead levels around 20,000 µg/L For ref the EPA limit is 15 µg/L and even that is prob on the high side since the human body has 0 use for any level of lead
sgtnoodle 5y ago
There's a guy on YouTube who goes by "nilered". He does various crazy chemistry projects. He has a video where he makes uranium glass.
cameldrv 5y ago
https://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=873 https://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&c...
- lumost 5y ago
  Looks like it would take 10 of those vials to make roughly 1 pound of uranium glass at its minimum concentration and 150 vials to make a pound of glass at the concentrations typical of the 1800s.
  - cameldrv 5y ago
    Hey you didn't say it had to be cheap!

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Baeocystin 5y ago

You can buy uranium glass frit from here: http://www.gafferglassusa.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=74 http://www.gafferglassusa.com/index.php?route=product/produc... FWIW. I'd work with it, some wouldn't.

wbraun 5y ago

I took some glass blowing classes in undergrad and wanted to make something with uranium glass. I bought uranium glass frit from Gaffer glass and used it, none of the instructors or students seemed to mind. The main concern was the dust when pouring out the frit, once it is melted into something its pretty inert. I made some cool stuff with it (only limited by my glass blowing skills).