Glass & Metal melting equipment free if you haul it away

I have in my backyard equipment which has been used for melting glass for blowing and metal for casting. It hasn’t been fired up for some years due to my health issues and I need to get rid of it so my wife does not have deal with it if something else happens to me. I would rather have someone use it rather than just trash it, so if you have a trailer or truck and a couple of muscular friends, you can have it for free. Included as a partial reward/payment are two 100# (20 gallon) propane tanks which are partially filled - with cautions.*
An article with pictures on the furnace can be seen here: http://mikegigi.com/furnaces.htm#DOMED and this is a link to the main sitemap page listing of equipment links http://mikegigi.com/sitemap.htm#Equipment As shown in the first link, the equipment comes apart in sections. but is still very heavy & awkward. Equipment can include 12 psi regulators (“high pressure”), home-made burners matched to this pressure, black steel piping w/joints, elbows, etc., flex connecting tubing, blowers with home-made slide valves.
http://mikegigi.com/burner.htm#REGUTANKS
The one near the house is dated 11–95, The one by the annealer is 02-00. This means that both tanks would need to be recertified before they could be refilled, which costs about $35 I am told. Also the propane inside has been there for some years and I don’t know if it deteriorates. From tapping sound and chill line on opening valve one is almost empty the other almost full. A final consideration is that the connectors are the old-style threaded as are the matching regulators in my equipment rather than the newer dual thread & twist lock propane connectors.
I will also be posting this to Dallas CraigsList

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@Team_Fired_Arts?

Here are a couple of pics I took when I was over there picking up the buckets of components and wires. It’s a nice setup under a small covering.

Regulators mounted to a shaft:

IIRC, the tanks are under the plastic next to the regulators.

Raymond

Is this a glory hole? It would be a wonderfull assest if we could figure out how
to use it

Would you explain what you mean by glory hole. The use of the term I am familiar with and its being an asset to DMS don’t jive.

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Just guessing:

Glassblowing involves three furnaces. The first, which contains a crucible of molten glass, is simply referred to as the furnace. The second is called the glory hole, and is used to reheat a piece in between steps of working with it. The final furnace is called the lehr or annealer, and is used to slowly cool the glass, over a period of a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the pieces. This keeps the glass from cracking or shattering due to thermal stress. Historically, all three furnaces were contained in one structure, with a set of progressively cooler chambers for each of the three purposes.

I would wager this pre-dates the meaning you’re familiar with (and is much more prevalent on teh Interwebs). Also, arguably, might be an asset to DMS; depends on a LOT of variables…

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Ah, OK that makes sense. thanks!

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A glory hole is used to melt glass before it can be clowns on worked

snaller ones can be used for making bead, out of the furnace or vor
small item
Most glass beads now are made with lamp working techniques where a rod of glass is remelted
in a flame A glory hole would even allow folks to make theri one glass canes for lampwork, instead 'of
having to but them

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“Just guessing” is exactly right with all three of the processes. This equipment includes some of everything mentioned in that short paragraph. In other words, a complete studio in my backyard, where I was the maker. http://mikegigi.com/m-bckyrd.htm there is also a smaller unit I labeled Firehole which can be used as foundry, Gloryhole, or forge depending on backplate and positioning. http://mikegigi.com/firehole.htm
Mike

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What an interesting website. :+1:

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@Team_Blacksmithing

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I super appreciate the heads up but I don’t think our glass program is ready for that at the moment. I’m trying to squeak every square inch I can for our new layout and have none to spare. It looks like a great backyard set up though, I miss blowing glass even though it was even more frustrating than throwing clay!

When I posted to fired arts just the most basic equipment offering it for free, the feedback was it required too much babysitting, which I agree with. Now this is getting everything out and letting someone else break it up or use it.
Between the posting and 3 o’clock, I got three responses from the craigslist post two of which one to use the equipment for glassblowing, so I am pursuing them.
Mike

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A glory hole would not be indoor equipment

Lots of places have indoor glory holes and furnaces for glass http://mikegigi.com/hotwalls.htm just have to have good ventilation and in Texas most places without heavier conditioning shut down for the summer. Most everyplace has a separate ventilation system divided by a wall so the hot equipment is mostly on one side of the wall and the people working glass or on the other side.
Mike

I know that some places do, my thought was with the landlord and such that we would need to figure out a none inside place

I have wanted a glory hole for years, and now with my bad eyes I cant use oen
Talk about fate

I blew glass for several years when I was in college in Iowa. It would be pretty cool to have something like this at makerspace. Downside is you can startup the gloryhole when you need it but you need to keep the furnace running or pull most of the glass out before you shut it down or else as the glass cools and shrinks it will tear the tank apart.

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so could you teach some basics?

Sure, I don’t belong to makerspace yet because I’m sort of a toolnut and have a very well equipped shop. I have thought about putting in a furnace and glory hole in our backyard but we don’t have a big enough yard to hide it and my wife prefers flowers and plants. If there is a place to put the donated furnace and gloryhole I could help get it setup but don’t have any free time till mid December. I am finishing a masters program and looking forward to time to play again.

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Which college out of curiosity, Iowa State set their’s up after I was there as a student.
Mike