Laboratory Glass-Working for Scientists - Sciencemadness Dot Org

GLASS-WORKING TOOLS
long set in a wooden handle (FIGURE 4). This spike can be used for
manipulating the hot glass into the required place and in many
instances can also be used in the same operations as the more
specialized tools described below, although it may not be so convenient.
Throughout the book this tool will be referred to as a spike.
Tools designed for various operations are marketed by a number of
companies dealing in laboratory supplies. FIGURE 4 shows a selection
of such tools. Triangular flaring tools are intended for flaring out the
FIGURE 4. Some tools used in the working of glass
ends of tubes. They are usually made of brass sheet or of thin carbon
plates, as are the other tools for shaping glass by means of pressure
of the flat surface of the tool applied to the glass as it is rotated. The
metal tools should be lubricated to prevent the glass sticking to the
tool. Carbon tools require no such lubrication but achieve the same
effect by wearing away in use. Hexagonal tapered reamers are used
for working tubes to standard tapers for the purpose of making
stopcocks or ground joints. These reamers may either be made of
carbon or of metal—usually aluminium alloy. Similar tools with a
much sharper taper and mounted on a handle may be found more
convenient than the normal flaring tool for opening out the ends of
tubes. We have found that the mounted needles from a set of dissecting
instruments are useful in some cases with capillary tubing
since they are fine enough to be inserted into the bore of the tube.
31
• ^ < Wvi