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Re: Single electrode

Posted By: SVP Neon Equipment
Date: Sunday, 26 February 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Single electrode (chris.oh)

> You may have some
> difficulty welding thin soft glass to thick
> hard glass.

Yes, he would have tremendous difficulty trying to seal soft glass to hard glass, especially considering that it cannot be done directly. The COE's are completely different.

Beer, liquor, wine bottles, etc., are typically soda glass, which can be directly sealed to lead or lead-free neon electrodes, though it will not be easy and will require at least an exceptional flame annealing technique, but should be oven annealed.

The piece will require oven processing to heat the glass, and induction heating to heat the single electrode. Typical internal bombarding would not be possible with a single electrode, nor would it be very effective even with two electrodes because of the size and mass of the vessel.

You will need a single end power supply (think of how a spark tester works). I do not know much about them as I have never delved into single ended pieces, but I believe Tech 22 has some available.

You will need to have a vacuum line going into the oven to connect the piece to for evacuation and filling. This of course will have to be soft glass so you can make a glass to glass seal to the tubulated electrode. Once the line is outside the oven you can use compression fittings like those on your manifold to make connections to other things such as the vacuum and filling manifold you will need.

The basic situation would be: Once the piece is made, put it in the oven, connect it to the vacuum line. Start pulling a vacuum. Turn the oven on and bring it up to annealing temperature
while continuing to pump. Let soak at temperature for at least 30 minutes. Turn oven off to begin cooling. When the oven cools to ~300C, open oven, reach in with induction heater (you may want to put something over your arm and hand) and heat the electrode. Close oven and continue pumping until oven cools to 50-75C. Open oven, fill unit to desired pressure with desired gas and tip off unit with hand torch. Connect unit to power supply.

Hope I didn't leave anything out, but that will give you a general idea of what's involved.

Mark

SVP Neon Equipment

Messages In This Thread

• Single electrode -- John Dragun -- Saturday, 25 February 2012, at 1:58 a.m.
  • Re: Single electrode -- chris.oh -- Saturday, 25 February 2012, at 11:21 p.m.
    • Re: Single electrode -- John Dragun -- Sunday, 26 February 2012, at 2:38 a.m.
    • Re: Single electrode -- SVP Neon Equipment -- Sunday, 26 February 2012, at 2:30 p.m.
      • Re: Single electrode -- John Dragun -- Sunday, 26 February 2012, at 3:34 p.m.
        • Re: Single electrode -- Tom U. -- Sunday, 18 March 2012, at 3:14 a.m.

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