Thread: Glass scales....

Anyone ever make or see a set of glass scales? My mom has a little workshop and does some pretty amazing glass work. I brought her a razor and asked if she thought a pair of scales was within the realm of possibility and she thinks she can do it. She has ways to make the glass more resistant to breaking or chipping should it be mishandled.

She is capable of some pretty detailed stuff. I've attached some pictures (I hope, first time using that feature) to show what she can do. The challenge would be designing something masculine and that compliments a straight razor.

Anyone ever see something like this done or have any ideas on what would look cool?

My main concerns with glass is flexibility, weight, chipping or cracking when trying to pein, breaking especially with a less than 1/8 width for the scale if dropped or hit against a faucet or sink, buffing the scales to get any scratches out,...
But it's worth a try. I'd be very interesting to see the end result. Keep us updated and no I haven't seen glass scales, yet.

Doubt you could use it for the entire scales, but it'd be sweet to inlay some dichroic glass.

Okay my first post on the forum - and I never in a million years thought that two of my hobbies would cross over like this.

I also do lampworking - making glass beads\marbles\paperweights etc.

Glass scales should be possible - but I would suggest that "fusing" processes would be more successsful then flameworking as used for beads.

Dichro would then be a certainty - and rather easy to include.

In Softglass - the typical venetian glasses - or Bullseye from America - then there could be some concerns on the strength - but hey with the care you should give a straight anyway I think the risk is a moot point at best.

Using hardglass (Boro) or Pyrex as its commonly known makes it a very different story - that stuff is very very resistant to bangs and bumps.

This could be an interesting possibility to explore (why didnt I think of it sooner - DOH)

Originally Posted by navarre

Okay my first post on the forum - and I never in a million years thought that two of my hobbies would cross over like this.

I also do lampworking - making glass beads\marbles\paperweights etc.

Glass scales should be possible - but I would suggest that "fusing" processes would be more successsful then flameworking as used for beads.

Dichro would then be a certainty - and rather easy to include.

In Softglass - the typical venetian glasses - or Bullseye from America - then there could be some concerns on the strength - but hey with the care you should give a straight anyway I think the risk is a moot point at best.

Using hardglass (Boro) or Pyrex as its commonly known makes it a very different story - that stuff is very very resistant to bangs and bumps.

This could be an interesting possibility to explore (why didnt I think of it sooner - DOH)

I'd be interested in a pair of glass scales myself. I hope this is successful.

I think the main problem would be getting the pin holes in the scales and having them in the same location side to side. Drilling glass is always a risk. The other possibility would be to make a mold and slump the glass in the mold. But as Max said flex would be an issue or the blade would have to be loose so as not to flex the scales.

Good luck

Tim

How about a three piece set, glass scales, glass mug, and a glass handled brush. I think that would be awsome.

Would quartz infused glass work or would that be to impractical. Note, I'm not sure what I'm talking about. All I really know is some guy made a quartz glass armonica. He said it made the glass stronger and more flexable.
If I was home I would have better info.

She is the glass pro not me. But in her processes she was tossing around she mentioned slumping or maybe we could make a cast of the old scales.

Since the glass cannot flex, if you are going to pursue this you would need flexible mounts for the razor and the "wedge"....Perhaps even rubber "pins"

Razors do flex as they open and close as the tangs are not straight they have taper, actually sometimes in two directions....

Originally Posted by Maximilian

My main concerns with glass is flexibility, weight, chipping or cracking when trying to pein, breaking especially with a less than 1/8 width for the scale if dropped or hit against a faucet or sink, buffing the scales to get any scratches out,...
But it's worth a try. I'd be very interesting to see the end result. Keep us updated and no I haven't seen glass scales, yet.

Use Microfasteners with small rubber washers to dampen the metal from the glass.