Glass Drinking Straws...

[Bunyip]

Please forgive me in advance if my Search-Fu is not strong enough to find the answers which may have been already posted here...I looked, and did NOT find much.

A friend of mine is requesting some glass drinking straws, and I'm not exactly sure what to do? I looked around on the webs, and found some people who are doing glass straws in a variety of sizes, including colored 12.7mm ... I have some 12 x 1 mm clear tubing, but that seems kind of flimsy, so I'm guessing I'd need heavy wall - and where do you find colored 12.7mm tubing?

I measured some drinking straws I have here at the house and they're about 6MM inside diameter, So glass wise, I'm thinking maybe some 9.5mm HW for a "small" straw, and maybe the 12.7 HW I mentioned before for a "large" straw. Throw a mib or some dots or both on for decoration (and to stop rolling) and viola...Basically: Cut, clean, flame polish, decorate, anneal?

Is it really this simple? Are there any pitfalls, techniques, suggestions etc I should keep in mind when I try my hand at making these? I'd like to hear your experiences and input.

[Orion Glass Works]

cleaning can be a bit of a pain. crazy straws with constrictions and little bubbles are fun too!

[Bo Diddles]

I made a couple for my neice and nephew out of 12 mm heavy wall and they turned out pretty good. I tapered the mouth end to make it easier to sip out of... Do some experimenting and be sure to post what you come up with.

[Mr. Wonka]

This is just my personal opinion, but I stay away from glass drinking straws for safety reasons. One small (micro) chip of glass in a cup of iced tea can cause some serious internal damage if ingested… not to mention the product liability risks you are taking as a “manufacturer”.

I know a girl who was eating "clams on a half shell" and (unknowingly) swallowed a small sliver of the shell. She ended up in the emergency room, followed by 2 surgeries.

I always take product usage and health / safety issues into account before I make something as a special request, but that’s just me.

I hope that helps… Tom

[gn0me]

If the points you pull are pretty solid, it's a good way to recycle otherwise scrap glass, and they come out pretty interestingly shaped, too....

Thick pulled point handles also make pretty good cigarette holders in case you feel like smoking like Cruella de Vil....

[berning]

i make 'em out of 9.5 and 12 heavy wall. most people like like the 9.5's better than the 12. they sell a lot better than i thought they were gonna. i make 'em 10 inches long , with a little color/dot/squiggley somthin-r-other about 1 inch from the top. i've been sellin them for 6 each or 4 for 20. people usually buy 4.

[berning]

several people have asked me to make them a little longer and put a slight bend at top, just below the decoration. but i haven't made any yet.

[Bunyip]

Thanks for the input guys. I was concerned about cracks/chips myself - but I think an informed consumer can make their own choices. Weighing a little vigilance against poisoning yourself with plasticizers, biphenyls, butadiene & styrene is a fair trade, in my opinion. A stiffly worded warning/disclaimer is probably a good idea though.

I like the idea about points, but maybe not for FILTERED-type cigarettes... and if the point has some leftover fume so much the better, eh?

The real challenge I think is going to be if they want a lip wrap or some fancy bends...

[godling]

One small (micro) chip of glass in a cup of iced tea can cause some serious internal damage if ingested… not to mention the product liability risks you are taking as a “manufacturer”.

Is this concern about improper cleaning during manufacturing, or about improper use by the customer?

[somewhere]

with the millions of straws for smoke I wouldn't worry to much. lol just kiddin

I guess the idea is if you bang a glass straw on the bottom of a glass cup you could end up breaking it then sucking up the chips.


What about the guy that eats light bulbs?

[dnug42]

i would think its the same risk as drinking out of a glass cup- ...
people make matte straws round here- so they close up the ends and pop small holes in the bottom- so the matte does not get through to your mouth...very popular. oh and blow bubble in top and flatten- then slighty bend so it fits right in yer mouth...not my trip- but have fun....
goldy

[Bo Diddles]

Rubber tips of some sort? That might work...

[Conchis]

If you make sets of these, add 4 different colors so that folks can use them to tell which drink is which, it's a sales point.

[berning]

If you make sets of these, add 4 different colors so that folks can use them to tell which drink is which, it's a sales point.

exactly

[byron3]

For the small diameter colored tubing try either Glasscraft or Winship. Winship generally has a larger inventory than GC, but either generally has 12 mm X 2 mm, not exactly hvy wall but close ........................

[gn0me]

And lip wraps are easy with a good set of diamond shears ;)

[kage]

i never used them but made some crazy straws once in the neon studio. soft glass and a ribbon burner. diameter was about 6 mil. takes no time and no skill.

[godling]

And lip wraps are easy with a good set of diamond shears ;)

Lip wraps? Mind elaborating?

[Studio K]

why not do a mini tube pull and pull it down to the diameter you want ?

[sunray]

We once made some for a custom order out of the 6mm x 1mm that we carry at Trev's
They needed them bent for a person ill in bed..
Worked out good and 6mm x 1mm is only 65c a piece for 5'

[somewhere]

And lip wraps are easy with a good set of diamond shears ;)

Yes I'm curious too. How do diamond shears help you do a lip wrap? I'm guessing your doing something besides a lip wrap? Encalmo color then use the diamonds to part the glass?

[byron3]

why not do a mini tube pull and pull it down to the diameter you want ?


..... Throw a mib or some dots or both on for decoration (and to stop rolling) and viola...Basically: Cut, clean, flame polish, decorate, anneal?

Is it really this simple? .........

I do not know about bunny but my biggest problem with doing a tube pull requiring this much finesse is that it is way above my skill set.............

The second drawback is how much do you think these straws would be worth and do you think the selling price would actually cover the labor and time involved?

I would think LOW COST, REPETITIVE results would be the A ticket here........

[byron3]

And lip wraps are easy with a good set of diamond shears ;)

Holy cow batman, I must have missed something here...........

Lip wraps, diamond shears??

I may be a little redneckish, but why not just put a color coil on the end and blow it out, then pop a hole in the end .................. seems like somebody is really trying to complicate a simple task.................

[Conchis]

That's exactly what I do Byron....little color on the end, blow it out...pop a hole...NEXT!....

[byron3]

/\/\/\/\ Great minds think alike ...........................

[gn0me]

If you've got a set and haven't watched the Sizelove vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1o3Rq3HHYs), you're missing out ;)

It's a great, easy way to do the most consistent lip wraps. You've got a straw with a flat surface already. Coilpot a bubble of color, pull it out into a tube, cut, weld, constrict, snap, use on the next 20 straws :). If you're doing a bunch it's way faster than coiling individually and gives you cleaner, more consistent results.

If you're doing low end prodo, you could probably just heat the edge of the straw and dip in powder or fine frit and then smooth it out, but shears are more versatile and give a better look, not to mention being almost as fast.

ETA: You can also take advantage of shears if you encalmo on some chinese color tubing... now there's a use for cobalt tube if I've ever seen one ;)

[Deez]

Holy cow batman, I must have missed something here...........

Lip wraps, diamond shears??

I may be a little redneckish, but why not just put a color coil on the end and blow it out, then pop a hole in the end .................. seems like somebody is really trying to complicate a simple task.................


Diamond shears allow you to get a real nice straight lip wrap. diamond shear down your tube. snap it off. lip wrap with small stringer. then flare open.

By doing it this way you can get a real thin even crisp lip wrap.

warning-This may be a little ITALIAN'ish

[Bunyip]

Interesting. I need that video I think. Not necessarily for lip wraps, just to absorb some skills. :)

[Swampy]

As mOOt mentioned, Steve Sizelove's dvd is well worth the investment.

I learned a lot of other stuff from the same dvd, you definitely won't regret purchasing it.

[Mecha]

+ one on the Sizelove vid. Definitely one of the best put together, most comprehensive instructional DVDs I have seen.

[bombheadster]

Yeah Bunyip. Goog looks on the Italian technicals. me gusta

[J Howard]

Holy cow batman, I must have missed something here...........

Lip wraps, diamond shears??

I may be a little redneckish, but why not just put a color coil on the end and blow it out, then pop a hole in the end .................. seems like somebody is really trying to complicate a simple task.................

cuase it'll look like a beginner did it.


show me your martini cups with a decent lip wrap where you didn't use diamond shears, and i'll bet you $20 it won't sit flat upside down

this is how you do a lip wrap:

http://www.rjasonhoward.com/pages/Sunburst%20stemware%20set3.html

[J Howard]

anybody else want to infract me for that last post? "Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts."

screw you byron3, and grow a pair. Every other post out of you is a bunch of mindless dribble where you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. sorry to be just another one who got frustrated at your obvious lack of experience and called you out on it.... like advice about how to use diamond shears in the middle of a thread where you're also looking to purchase some diamond shears! your version of diamond shear experience was using a pair of frickin pliars! no wonder it's not working!

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33003&highlight=diamond+shears&page=2


we're all entitled to an opinion, retarded or not. just do it with some sort of humility until you actually get some experience under your belt and you actually have tried (and actually learned) whatever you're advising of. the problem is that you are usually so dead wrong and clueless you cause harm in the information you purvey. if you've been on the torch for 6 months (or it looks like 6 mos), i'm sorry, but you're not qualified to teach a class, or pretend like you could, so stop frontin' like you could.

case in point

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33265


frankly, i appreciate the opinions of beginners. they offer a unique and pristine way about thinking of glass: One that has not been tainted by what's perceived as the correct way of working, that sometimes leads to an exceptionally creative way of doing things. But there's a catch: That generally comes with a humble attitude of "well, i don't know any better, that's just how i'm doing it now". Conversely, nobody appreciates a bunch of made up crap trying to pass as knowledge, wrapped up in an attitude that you "obviously know best" when it's pretty clear you're fresh out of the box and haven't a clue. if you have to infract me for essentially calling "bullshit" infract away son.

respect your elders and respect your craft, you've got a long way to go so stop pretending like you've made it, and tone it down

[Swampy]

cuase it'll look like a beginner did it.


show me your martini cups with a decent lip wrap where you didn't use diamond shears, and i'll bet you $20 it won't sit flat upside down

this is how you do a lip wrap:

http://www.rjasonhoward.com/pages/Sunburst%20stemware%20set3.html

Repped for honesty.

and that's a shining example right there of how it should be done.

[Deez]

big ups cravyn. I tried to explain. thanks for showing a prime example of what i was talking about.
Never be able to get that look without the good ol diamond shears

[J Howard]

NP brother, cups are my thang

related thread about diamond shears, and a good way to practice using them: also another example of why not to listen to byron:

http://www.talkglass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=523128#post523128

[Julian]

Holy cow batman, I must have missed something here...........

Lip wraps, diamond shears??

I may be a little redneckish, but why not just put a color coil on the end and blow it out, then pop a hole in the end .................. seems like somebody is really trying to complicate a simple task.................


Yeah, I'm positive you missed something.

You should be listening to and learning from people like RJH, not correcting and questioning. Why would someone who is just getting to the 'adequate inside out spoon stage' be telling glassblowers with 10, 12 + years of experience that they are wrong about a technique? Give me a break.

[CripSkillz]

Thats Byron for ya,, good info here..

[lil'roller]

WOOO WEEE did I come into some stuff on these straws . Being a very newbie here & already a bit on the shy side I really hope that I would not be attacked like this . Admittedly I am not the brightest bulb burning .And I may say & do dumb stuff at times but. If someone is honestly trying to help by their given opinion . I would not feel good about such an attack on them . Shouldn't one take it like it an church or NA meeting . All advice is welcome , What works for you may not work for me . But I am allowed to take all advice & find what works for me with out fear of persecution of me & the person who is trying to help . And allowed to give advice in the same heart felt way to help another . Now that you all have made a simple question a personal attack.... scary place to put a person there . So hey call me names & ride my buttt for saying this if you must .I can always find another horse to ride . But I really would like to ride this horse & see where we will wind up on the open range of life . Peace & love all intended here . Hope all works out & we all play together in a fun filled environment . Smiling at you all nicely . Happily on my way Do da do da day

[kage]

WOOO WEEE did I come into some stuff on these straws . Being a very newbie here & already a bit on the shy side I really hope that I would not be attacked like this......

there is some history with byron3... its not that he's getting ripped for being a noob. just wait, you'll come across a post eventually where byron asks for help and then bashes the responses given bc he can't understand what the people helping are trying to say. its the attitude he has and the better than thou remarks he makes which get under most peoples skin. and actually this fight started elsewhere, in another thread, it just ended here.

[Mtn-Burn]

byron3,
I am a noob too, and you are giving us all a bad name, so shut the F$&* UP! Not everyone is as clueless as you (fighting with Cravin about something he OBVIOUSLY knows more about).
Keep up the good work and maybe your mouth will get you put in the slammer or something so the rest of us wont have to deal with you.

Cravin +1 for sure.

This is retarded and sad. :bummed:

[lil'roller]

Kage you rock, There are a few that are really welcoming & will add you to that list . I did follow the links provided in the middle of all that . But it all made my pretty little ol head hurt. OHHHH. I saw where he was bashed on about his work. and then wondered into this . I just thought ... maybe I could bring a bit of peace in here & get things back to a fun place . So there is history , am I to get used to the run ins in a public form. Could they have not taken it all private . Momma always told me " If you can't say nothing nice don't say nothing " True... A few might not get that B3 and B3 might not get them or what they are trying to say . Ya know the whole agree to dis agree with out all the public bashing. And again I will say I ain't the brightest one ! I hope patience will be shown with me & all new or not new . Cause I really do like to have fun & party & show love .And I don't like playing around someone's poopoo :( if ya get me there . But hey, I got a DP for all & a pound of M&M's for a afternoon treat . M & M s are a HappY place for me also he he

[lil'roller]

MTN- Burn , UN COOL . Here I am trying to bring this to a place of peace & SHAZAMMM. There you go being hateful & callin' names ! What's a girl to do , (hand being thrown in the air ) It's going to take more M&Ms I can tell HA HA .

[J Howard]

sweetheart, i'll never rip you a new one. first off you're a lady and by nature are a bit more respectful. secondly, like kage says, this didn't happen at random, its an on going thing with byron, sorry this is where it happened (but it was part of the same topic else where), please don't be shy

newbies are certainly allowed to say the dumbest sh*t... you just do it with humility that's all! , but be prepared to take a lil' correcting and don't take it personally when it happens (that's how we learn). newbies get the smack down when they're disrespectful, condescending, or constantly talk out their asses = especially when the misinformation is str8 up dangerous. i have never dissed anyone's work (except for byron's) in the 9yrs i've been on this board. while it's not a nice thing to do, i did it to prove a point this time: that you can't infract someone for proving you wrong (infractions lead to lack of access), and you can't just pretend you know answers to things you just have no idea what you're talking about because there's alot of beginners here that read this place like it's their education, and sometimes unlearning something wrong is difficult and expensive to do. there's a difference between having a discussion back and forth about the best way to do something, and constantly making stuff up. I am sorry for "going there" and using his work as a measurement of qualification, it's really an asshole thing to do.

i hope i've conveyed that respect goes both ways here ( i DO value the creativity that a certain lack of experience gives you- you're more apt to think of new ways of doing things). i certainly don't want to scare off anyone who's serious about learning, or stop anyone from sharing ideas, or even challenging what is actually the best way to do something. no one's going to trash you right off the bat.... it builds up. sometimes that's just hard to see if it's coming from some thread you've never read (which is why i try and post links)


oh, and by the way, by contract we're not allowed to eat brown M&M's ;)

[hashmasta-kut]

i dont have any shears at all yet, but what i been doing lately with sections of color tubing i want to get a perfect end on, i just heat the spot well where i want it seperated , then constrict it on my marver in a 45 degree corner so it constricts it down and makes a cold circular dent, then i keep rotating and keep bending it as it cools, then just snap it off, presto, super clean breaks just like diamond shears, but without a tool... is that kosher or what?

[berning]

^^^i do the same with my v-necker. haven't figured out the shears yet

[CripSkillz]

it is kosher.. I have found the v necker to be my friend.. I have only used my diaamonds a few times,, havnt made it that far yet..

[J Howard]

on larger points (32mm and up) i set the jackline with a graphite v neck, but finish it with the diamond shears

what ever gets you the clean break, no chips, is kosher

[hashmasta-kut]

i was thinking that, big stuff needs the tool.

[gn0me]

It can sometimes be easier to use a v-necker tool when doing breaks like this since you can hold on and spin with both hands while melting and move straight to the V to constrict. When you're using diamond shears, one of the techniques to try is to support the tube you're separating with the shears instead of your hands and just alternate what direction you spin it while melting the constriction to cut, then when it's melted enough just open the shears some, slide them to the constriction, and start nibbling at it, spinning between crimps, lightly at first and then harder. Once it's cool enough to stay straight, just take the shears off and smack the tube you're removing with the back of the shear head, or if you're trying to use both pieces, just keep nibbling and it will eventually pop off. Make sure to hold the unsupported piece over some fiber blanket or something even just while necking, as all the stress induced can cause premature... er... breakage!:bouncy:

[Greymatter Glass]

mmmm pie.

[Izzy Spun]

a la mode, even....

[Bunyip]

Nooberry Pah?

(Thanks for the info - lots for me to digest!)

[jane clifton]

here's some I made, for what its worth......

[Greymatter Glass]

Dude, you're so teh gay. I bet your momma dressed you like a girl when you were little... and still does.

[jane clifton]

??????

[berning]

^^^ i was wondering the same thing..........thought maybe i missed somethin

[Icarus]

God, does anyone seem to smell a large amount of vinegar and water about a page back? Or is that just me?

Jane, those straws look real nice, by the way. Good work.

[lil'roller]

Jane C., Nice pic glad to see what the outcome was . Happy all went well Rock On !!

[lil'roller]

Cravyn M. Thanks for the kind words toward me( & other new ) 1. I am woman but not a lady always . he he . Have ya seen the new M&M commercial( M&M & pretzel ) take the green lady M&M with a flower headband & painted toes & put a hard pretzel with a cowboy hat & gun in the mix and TA DA Cartoon of Me. ha ha .
2. I get the history thing and to that I will say it is the history that ties together the bond of friendship to which can last a lifetime . Good times & bad can't have one with out the other . The guy had been here for a good while & has rep point to give or not .Wise or not . No judgin here .Not everyone thinks so bad of him or he would not be there . Some agree with his post . And like Kage & Misha & some others have a very welcoming way . so was his , Though a bit flirty.. all fun! So I hope that the history can be put where it belongs in the PAST & he will continue to post . Much as I do with Mr. Wonka , who resonantly sign out of the other page . So that we all can grow together .
like the guy at the market this weekend telling me that the guy teaching him to blow glass said the best way to do a carb hole was to get a straight pin & just pop a whole in it .He was so sure that was the best .When he said wasn't it ? This whole thing came to mind . So "Sure if it works for you , I have seen it done in the flame , they call it a blow hole . Now I don't & have never tried a pipe , but that's how I was shown .. He left feeling good and proud & I was with a feeling of I was nice & he could get more information . if he wanted it . .

3. To ALL : If I do post pics. just don't say it looks like a sexual object unless I say that is what it is . I consider selling that stuff at one time . But a lady asked me once" Do you sell ___ & and when you pull it out it goes _-_-_ " sound effects she made . Blew me away . I quickly decided I was too old & too bashful to sell that stuff . HA HA HA
So Loves all. & Happy Day !

[Greymatter Glass]

sorry, Puffdanny and I were having a side conversation and I said that a little louder than I needed to...

For the record, PuffDanny wears womens underwear.

[naughty pirate wench]

For the record, PuffDanny wears womens underwear.

you mean like this?

26703

[CripSkillz]

no no no like this.. Puffy' plus size lovin..

http://www.funpicsfree.com/photogallery/funny-pics-0929/funny-pic-fat-gross-chick.jpg

[ornametalsmith]

OMG.........rotflmao.......:dieslaugh :dieslaugh

[lil'roller]

Talk about cracking up laughing . Oh MY

[J Howard]

holy crap, where'd you............ never mind

[naughty pirate wench]

yep, it's best not to ask...

[J Howard]

boy this thread is like the old board fartglasspipemakers

random question ---> major disagreements ---> some random feud---> more disagreements -----> totally random tangent ----> posting of porn

[jane clifton]

just leave it to Dougee.....lol

[dewalt]

Great info on how to use diamond shears guys.

Lovely straws Jane.