[Makerspace-keymembers] Costs for a glass lampworking starter kit

[Emily Knox]

At the moment we have $500 in the budget for 2015Q1, just FYI.

On Sun, Jan 25, 2015 at 8:57 PM, Dena Strong <dena.strong at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, all! Gergana and Jeff asked me to mail out a list of what it would
> cost to put together a glass lampworking basic kit for the Makerspace. My
> hypothesis is that it should be doable for under $100 and that everything
> should be available at either the hardware store or the grocery store
> except for the actual glass rods and mandrel release. Let's see if that's
> an accurate guess...
>
> (Some Internet investigations later...)
>
> OK, it looks like a pair of didymium glasses are the break point between
> "could get going under $100" and "over $100."
>
> Here's a kit for $99 that would need the gas, glass, and a table
> protecting aluminum tray added; it contains a set of didymium glasses.  (
> http://www.sundanceglass.com/kitslamp1.htm ) Adding the gas, glass, and
> aluminum tray would take the total to about $140.
>
> I've got to admit this is a pretty good deal, because the lenses by
> themselves start at $60 and go up from there. If the Makerspace wants to
> own a set of those lenses, this kit is definitely the way to go because
> adding them on to a piecemeal order later would end up costing about $20-30
> more overall. (Getting the kit and adding glass/gas would total about $140.
> Getting the components separately and adding the glasses would cost
> $160-$170, without factoring in multiple shipping costs.)
>
> But it is possible to hit the "under $100" target if the didymium glasses
> aren't in the equation.
>
> If we wanted to piece it out and not get the didymium lenses to start
> with, here's how the math would go:
>
> Fire:
> MAPP gas - $7.50, Menards
> Mag-torch aka hot head torch - $15, Menards (currently on sale for $12)
>
> Table anchoring stuff (the Makerspace may already have some of these for
> other purposes too):
> C-clamp - $3
> 4" angle bracket - $3
> Hose clamp - $1.50
> Aluminum baking tray for table surface protection:  $3
> Vermiculite - (I've got a partial bag of the stuff, I'm happy to donate a
> gallon-ziploc of it for bead use)
> Wide mouth can or clay pot for holding the vermiculite - (I bet there's
> something kicking around we could reuse; if not, we should be able to find
> something suitable under $5)
> Regular non-didymium safety glasses - (the Makerspace has some, right?)
>
> Glass stuff:
> Sampler set of 30 rods with assorted colors: $30 from Sundance
>
> Mandrel release bottle: 4 oz - $7 from Sundance
>
> Mandrels - $7 per dozen from Sundance, or $33 per pound; alternatively, 1
> pound of stainless steel welding rods would be $15, in 36 inch lengths that
> would need cutting down but would give you several dozen. (Given how easy
> it is to have a glass item adhere to the mandrel, a few dozen would be a
> good idea.)
>
> So the without-glasses version works out to $90ish by making our own
> mandrels from the pound of welding rods, or $108ish by buying a pound of
> already-made mandrels from Sundance along with the glass and bead release.
>
> What do you think of the options?
>
>
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