Fenton closed for month of February

[Tom Fuhrman]

just had someone send me an e-mail mentioning that Fenton has shut down until Feb 28th. effects about 250 people. They mentioned that inventories were adequate and they were waiting for orders on new line to come in. I guess we all suffer these ups and downs in the glass business. Some of us just not as high or as low as others.

[Dave Bross]

I certainly hope the orders do finally arrive. It would be sad to see them go.

[F Thumb]

Oh. Shit.

Anyone remember seeing a good thread around here on FHC alternatives for old-fashioned electric melters?

:thumb:

[Dave Bross]

Thumb,

I know you need a very clear glass, and cullet, so probably it's Spectrum nuggets.

They aren't as nice melting or working as FHC (actually radically different in set time and other working characteristics) but at least they're consistent from the manufacturing standpoint and it is a very clear glass.

There's a few threads here on all the pros and cons.

[Franklin Sankar]

Does this mean that FHC cullet will be scarce?


Franklin

[F Thumb]

Originally posted by Franklin Sankar
Does this mean that FHC cullet will be scarce?


Franklin

No. But it did make it expensive.

:thumb:

[Dave Bross]

Another thought.....

What about Spruce Pine batch? It's almost as bullletproof as cullet to melt, it's close to you, you can get it in handy dandy beer bags, the price is right, etc.etc. Maybe the only downside to what you're doing is that the fumes will shorten the furnace life a bit. I suspect it might not be much more damaging than cullet because Spruce Pine uses lots of Lithium to get to 96 expansion and Lithium supposedly tends to stay with the melt instead of vaporizing like soda.
One of the things about the Spectrum nuggets is that they take an equivalent time to raw batch to get to a fined out glass. The nuggets have to sit around and fine for a while, just like batch.

The only reason I don't use SP is that it doesn't lampwork well. Same reason but working out as a downside for me. Lots of Lithium.

[Dave Bross]

And yet another thought....

When we all went to see T.C. on Whidbey he showed us two spectrum clear cullets he had been using. One was the plain old 96 stained glass, and quite green. The other was the System 96 clear and it showed very little green. He was buying it direct from Spectrum by the super sack for something like 50 cents a pound for the Sys. 96 (I don't remember exactly, maybe T.C. will spot this and chime in with the exact $$$). The advantage to you on that stuff, assuming it's clear enough, is a much shorter working time than the nuggets and it comes fully fined out so no sitting around for an extra day waiting for the glass to fine. You may be able to engineer a deal on truck freight using the DOT classification number for scrap glass.

[Pete VanderLaan]

I think Spectrum only sells direct to instate glassworkers. Otherwise I believe that it goes thru C&R LOO.

[Scott Novota]

So did the guys over in China making the CBG just give someone the finger and drive off with the formula book?

I wonder what the magic price would be for Cullet if you could find a cheap fuel source and could produce a stable product.

Maybe Hugo Chavez could get into the cullet business.



Scott.
.

[Franklin Sankar]

Maybe Hugo Chavez could get into the cullet business

That is my neighbour and he is trying to hint that my oil is comming from his ocean. When the war starts lhe better look out. We have loud calypsoes for him.
Or, I can also ask my friendly Big Brother to beat him up for me.

Franklin

[Dave Bross]

One work around I know of for getting Spectrum outside WA is to get one of their major distributors to ship it in for you.

Art Glass House here in FL has done that but it takes planning because they ship via container so it has to wait until enough orders show to fill the container, then it's a leisurely trip through the Panama canal and around to us in FL.

Last time about 3 months.
They didn't mark it up much for doing the shipping though, which was very nice on their part.

I'm sure we could also build a conspiracy of sorts involving "inside" WA resident glassworkers bootlegging large and mysterious bags of cullet out of state.

[Steve Stadelman]

Originally posted by Pete VanderLaan
I think Spectrum only sells direct to instate glassworkers. Otherwise I believe that it goes thru C&R LOO.

I know several people here in Ore who buy direct from Spectrum.

They are always interested in large purchases. Go Figure.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally posted by Steve Stadelman

They are always interested in large purchases. Go Figure.
*********************
What! Greed? I'm shocked...

[Douglas Terry]

They sell 2000 lb. minimum. FOB. or you can get it threw Olympic. Doug Terry