Bend a Glass Tube [Published]

Mayberry

Bending glass tubes is quite easy, and all you need is a strong flame.

There are many apparatuses that can produce the steady flame required. Here are several examples:

Bunsen burner


Fishtail burner


Blowtorch


Gas burner


Alcohol lamp


Furnace

How to bend a glass tube

1. Wear heat-resistant gloves on your hands.
2. Place the tube over the flame.
3. Concentrate the heat on the desired bending point. Rotate the tube to evenly heat it.
4. When the glass becomes red hot, remove it from the flame.
5. Grip the unheated areas of the tube and bend to the desired angle.
6. If a stronger glass is required, blow cool compressed air onto the glass to temper it. Do not use cold water as it will shatter.

Mayberry

Good point. Added to the guide :thumbsup:

Amie

I remember playing with a bunsen burner, glass lab equipment and a bowl of water during high school chemistry lab ... Cracked a couple things before I figured out it must be the wrong way to temper glass

We had finished our assignments already while the rest was still busy and we were getting bored. Ah, high school chemistry, the only time in your life you can play with so many potentially harmful stuff with so little training and supervision.

Mantikore

can alcohol burners get enough heat to soften glass significantly?? i would have thought a much higher temperature was needed

Mayberry

Mantikore wrote: »

can alcohol burners get enough heat to soften glass significantly?? i would have thought a much higher temperature was needed

I haven't tried it, but was told that it would work in a glass bending demonstration back in high school. If someone can test it and prove that it doesn't work, I can modify the guide accordingly.

thewanderer

Taken from: Laboratory Tips