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The Inventor's Corner
I started building this web site back in the 1990s and over the years a lot of information was posted and subsequently purged, but some of it could be really useful to give others some wacky ideas to improve their studios or to just share a smile. So with this in mind I am linking to this page stuff that I think might be thought provoking to others who like to make and do unusual things in their studios.
ANCIENT LAPIDARY TECHNOLOGY CR_BEAD space

Carolyn Rordam using the ancient "pole lathe" to engrave a pattern on a glass bead using a copper wheel and emery.

This lathe is sometimes referred to as a "wax lathe" because the cutting wheels are set into the drive mandrel using hot wax which, when cool, holds very well, like a lathe chuck without the cost.

Miniature Elements
for heating small spaces
Making small elements for small equipment provided a strong challenge. I used 22 gauge wire and attached this to the ceiling using 5mm fused silica rods and homemade donuts. The space was 4 inches x 5 inches x 6 inches wide (120 cubic inches). I wanted the interior to get to 1200 deg. F with the door partially open. The solution was an E120-6-223 which put out 720 Watts at 120 VAC.

small_elements
Image Fig. 22-9 from A Glassblower's Companion, page 110
Using the New Mini-Square Giberson Burners
to Build Awesome Equipment
Using The Two Inch Mini-Square Burner Kits
mini_kit
Using a Fraxing Needle
To Install Donuts and
other ceramic objects
through Frax Walls.
needle_work A Sequence Showing Seven Steps For This Installation Technique
Magic of Sheet Rock Screws and Soft Brick
This is one of those wacky ideas that really works. I was firing my burnout kiln not too long ago when a part from the damper box fell off and made the damper cease working. Instead of shutting off I used this idea to fabricate a new edge to the arraingement and it has worked great for several firings since. Here to the right is an image of a connection board attached to some soft brick using this same attachment idea:
marinite affixed
valid