Tungsten pick

[Antiny Genet]

I dont owne one and i have never used one but i am about to embark on a body of work that needs a number of holes in it if a Tungsten pick could do it hot that would be sweet.
If and could tell me were to get one and how to use it i would be grateful.
Cheers Antiny

[Ben Rosenfield]

A couple sources:

http://www.waleapparatus.com/search.asp?catid=19836&fileID=17306

http://www.dichroicimagery.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=tungsten

[Brody Shaw]

http://www.hotglasscolor.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=942

heres a place that has'em I'm not sure if it's what ya want...
they also sell replacement picks

[Eben Horton]

most welding shops sell tungsten picks. Tig welders use them for the electrodes on thier tig guns..

[Ben Rosenfield]

You can also have fun by chemically sharpening the point on a tungsten pick.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-10832267511754_1986_22286536

[Dan Ellis]

There's different kinds of tungsten electrodes, I forget the number but the ones I've used that don't stick have green color code on the ends not the red ones, the red will stick to the glass. I just grind the point on a bench grinder.

Glue it into a wood file handle or pin vise and you're good.

[Larry Cazes]

ARTCO has ready made ones as well.

http://www.artcoinc.com/

[Antiny Genet]

Thanks for the tips on supply.
How do you drive the puppies?
Maby the psycho stab technique, I doubt if that would work.
I have Tweezers so i pick open a hole with the two opposing forces of the tips .
But just one reaming around ? there has to be a trick to using a Tungsten pick properly.

[Ben Rosenfield]

Get the glass very hot and push the tool through. Using a twisting motion on the tool -- like using a screwdriver -- can be a big help. To rake, get the glass very hot, insert the pick, and drag it.

[Joey Reich]

you want the glass relitively cold so that it doesnt move and distort or stick to the tungsten rod. heat the tungsten with a map gas torch (or oxy propane torch if available. it will glow red and then start to yellow. when it does push through the glass, keeping the torch on the tungsten right above the surface of the glass but not directed at the glass itself. this will keep the tungsten hot. you can "ream" or twist the tungsten. Like anything else, it is a matter of practice.
it is important that you keep the tungsten clean or else you will get carbon crunchies in and around the hole. make sure that glass that sticks to the tungsten is off before you start using it next. you can clean it will denatured alcohol and steel wool.

[Ben Rosenfield]

Well, I guess that's one of the differences between boro and soft glasses.

[Ed Slawson]

As has been mentioned, they are readily available at any welding supply shop, from 1/16th. in diameter up to 1/8" and larger. You want the pure tungsten ones, they have a green dot on the non-working end. The red ones have thorium mixed w/the tungsten and are very toxic to breath fumes from. Tungsten is also dangerous to breath... do not ever get it in the white heat range, it will be fuming the glass and your lungs!

-Ed-

[Jordan Kube]

You can do what Joey suggests but chuck it up into a cordless drill. Gets through pretty quick. Like he says, don't heat the glass just the tungsten.

[Antiny Genet]

Thanks for the tips tricks and green dot advise and i hope that it leads to many red dots at sale time.
Cheers Antiny

[Jon Myers]

I've noticed that if you heat the pick just behind the point it goes in smooth.

[Pringle Teetor]

nice new pic Ben......

[Eben Horton]

Originally posted by Ben Rosenfield
Get the glass very hot and push the tool through. Using a twisting motion on the tool -- like using a screwdriver -- can be a big help. To rake, get the glass very hot, insert the pick, and drag it.

I totally disagree about the hole poking part... raking that way is fine though.

By doing that your going to collapse your bubble and force everything off center.

use an oxy propane torch and let your bubble set up so its barely moving and roast the tip of the pick until its almost white hot and push it into the glass.. while you push it into the glass, take the torch and apply the flame on the pick with the flame going across the surface of the glass, not pointing into the glass and it will slide through like butter.

[Rick Sherbert]

Tungsten pick in action (wait for it...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eWc7ONKt6A