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Converting netted glass float balls into hanging lamps |
tigertail777
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 25, 2004
Posts: 505
From: Oregon
|  Posted: 2011-07-28 1:27 pm Permalink
Beautiful work! I love the fact you are using actual glass instead of plastic as some do, plastic just don't look the same at all. My dad has a old floater ball from when he was in the Navy and stationed at Diego Garcia. He found it on the beach there and the sucker is pretty damn heavy, plus it has several smaller bubbles in the glass at the base. I would love to make it a lamp but am terrified of even the remotest chance of it breaking. I wonder if it would look good lit from underneath somehow on a base or something? What do you think?
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2011-07-31 3:51 pm Permalink
Tigertail it can be done.The older floats are much thicker glass and less prone to breaking .Pm me if you want me to do it for you .
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2011-08-15 3:43 pm Permalink
Had four glass balls break today while cutting them , needless to say I am f**kn pissed to say the least !
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2011-08-17 08:07 am Permalink
With the good .....also comes the bad ! Here is one of four that broke in the last several
days while my glass man was cutting .He stated he could hear the air or gas escape when they
imploded !
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tikiskip
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Nov 26, 2005
Posts: 2092 | Posted: 2011-08-17 10:50 am Permalink
Blown glass breaks very easy.
I think it's because of the small
bubbles in the glass.
They heat up when cutting and expand
and then the glass cracks.
So sure you can put a hole in a real float at a rate
of 4 out of ten good cuts.
Put an old blown glass bowl in the microwave and see what you get.
A pissed off wife that's what you get, cuz you just broke her bowl.
Plus a lot of the "glass floats" you see these days are thin Mexican
blown glass.
Not that thick Coke bottle type of the past.
The old Coke bottle type are even harder to cut cuz they are three times as thick.
It's very rare to see a real glass float light in the bars of old.
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2011-08-17 12:54 pm Permalink
You are 100% correct on all accounts Tikiship.If there was a way to have these made with thicker glass I would be a happy
camper .It's very discouraging when these break , not to mention the money I lose every time one breaks.What would be nice
is to have these made with 2 1/4 " holes already in them.Thanks to some info from Polynesiac , I am expermenting with
new product to frost the inside of the glass for a floats that will be used outdoors .The downside is... it's toxic and
I have to wear gloves and a mask and be very careful !
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2011-08-17 6:34 pm Permalink
Ahhh ....pure bliss ! Six came out with no fatalities today !
Cobalt blue-sky light blue -turquoise aqua -and yellow
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Q-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 22, 2011
Posts: 158
From: East TN
| Posted: 2011-11-09 08:45 am Permalink
Great thread '61Surf! I just found the "real deal" at an antique shop near murrells Inlet, SC. I couldn't pass it up!
It's very heavy and does have several bubbles in the glass (plain green). I'm still debating whether I'll attempt to drill it or not...
Thanks for all the tips and pics!!
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1895
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2012-05-30 5:45 pm Permalink
Have not posted on this tread in awhile.I am working on a different glass float lamp
that is going to absolutely knock your socks off ...so stay tuned for update and some
new pics !
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sneakyjack
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 988
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2012-05-30 6:07 pm Permalink
bill im interested to see "the new"
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hang10tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2010
Posts: 1980
From: Las Vegas
| Posted: 2012-05-30 6:23 pm Permalink
Sweet
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Luckydesigns
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 15, 2002
Posts: 1893
From: Costa Mesa
| Posted: 2012-07-30 12:53 pm Permalink
Looking forward to what you have going on, Bill!! Now that we have a space to hang this stuff, I'm all about it!
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=43239&forum=20&78
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Luckydesigns
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 15, 2002
Posts: 1893
From: Costa Mesa
| Posted: 2012-07-30 12:54 pm Permalink
Looking forward to what you have going on, Bill!! Now that we have a space to hang this stuff, I'm all about it!
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=43239&forum=20&78
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www.facebook.com/thehulagirls
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jimsflies
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 02, 2010
Posts: 61
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2012-09-10 7:23 pm Permalink
I'm looking for some broken glass (especially red) for a project...if you happen to come into some let me know.
[ This Message was edited by: jimsflies 2012-09-10 19:23 ]
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5089
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2012-09-10 8:58 pm Permalink
I've got my aqua lamp up, will try to get a picture during the crawl. It is hanging a little lower that what I want, so will adjust later...plus still needs to be hooked up.
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[ This Message was edited by: VampiressRN 2012-09-10 20:59 ]
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