Quirky diy project

[tabbypurr]

The basic idea is to stick bits of broken glass together with cement to make a cheaper window than sheet glass. If effective it might be usable in the 3rd world. Since ultimate strength will probably be a fair bit lower, they would be kept very small.

Now... its straightforward to mix glass cullet, sand & cement & pour it into a mould. What I've not worked out is how to stop the cement obscuring the top & bottom sides of the glass. A few thoughts so far:

Mechanical post-cleaning looks unworkable. It can't be done until the cement has enough strength to hold the whole thing together, by which time the outer coating is tough to remove.

Chemical post-cleaning is unworkable on grounds of cost. This needs to be extreme-cheap.

One half-idea I had was some sort of additive that gave the cement mix a glass-repellant or self-attractant nature, so it shrinks away from sitting on the top of the glass. Is there anything that could do that, and do so cheaply?

NT

[Theo Markettos]

How about using clear resin as the glue - more transparent?

Another idea would be to make blocks of this rather than sheets, then saw them up.

They probably aren't cheap enough though.

Instead of glass, maybe you could do something with plastic bottles? They might melt down into something approximately transparent, with much less energy than glass.

You might find something glass-phobic, though glass isn't a particularly easy substance to do this (especially not clean glass). Though I'd guess that would also stick less well too.

Theo

[Martin Brown]

There is already a working variant of this called a bottle wall which makes a close packed array of clear or coloured bottles held together by cement. Variants using beer cans are also known.

No chance of doing it with broken glass though.

[spuorgelgoog]

They would be better sticking bits of broken glass together to make Tiffneee Stylee lampshades and flogging them on shopping channels.

Owain

[JimK]

/They would be better sticking bits of broken glass together to make Tiffneee Stylee lampshades and flogging them on shopping channels.

Owain /q

:-)

Jim K

[tabbypurr]

I had thought of that :) Have seen it done once too. Either folk cut the glass, which takes time & costs a glass cutter, or its far too crude to call Tiffany.

NT

[Weatherlawyer]

Glass is one of the cheapest things to make. Assuming you have inexhausitble supplies of glass why not just melt it?

A waste oil burner made with an oil pump spray-gun should easily reach the required temperature. Either pour it out onto iron pans or trays holding molten tin.

If you would rather have thickness than sophisticated looks, just pour it onto glass dust/fine(ish) cullet.

[Brian Gaff]

Good grief, I'm fairly confident this is a non starter for oh so many reasons. What is the end result going to be like? Only really as good as a frosted window. Unless you are putting together as a huge jigsaw it will be rubbish.

I'd have thought glass was pretty cheapeven in the third world, and if not some other substitute could be made loocally out of recycled plastic. Brian

[stuart noble]

Interesting article. I'm surprised there isn't some form of interlocking glass bottle still in production

[The Natural Philosopher]

The bottle house in Rhyolite

Of cvourse structural glass blocks exist as well.

[David]

What is the benefit of the end product (which will not by any means be clear) over polythene sheeting?

[JimK]

/What is the benefit of the end product (which will not by any means be clear) over polythene sheeting? /q

Indeed.

I don't believe a lack of window glass is a key characteristic of '3rd world' countries....

Jim K

[David]

Ummm....if the cement mix is glass repellent then how is it going to stick to the glass to hold it together?

[The Other Mike]

Quite, and they nearly always seem to be green

[The Other Mike]

The energy used to produce the cement could alternatively be used to melt the broken glass and make a window without any cement. iirc historical methods of window production has been featured on one of the BBC History/Documentary programmes in recent years.

But most importantly why should 3rd world countries have to bodge it? We had proper, relatively easy to see through windows in the UK a few centuries ago.

[tabbypurr]

Cost, space & bulk of equipment are a problem. I'd still be very interested to hear from anyone that's actually done that, as no doubt some can do it.

I presume hot glass onto cold glass would produce thermal cracking.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Polythene offers no durability or security, hence no-one builds that into houses or shacks.

NT

[tabbypurr]

If it can be done cheaper, some will. If people can make money producing windowlet building blocks, some will, and will thereby survive. Both gain.

NT

[Richard]

Counselling...

[John Rumm]

I have seen walls built with glass bottles used as bricks - it lets light through, and is also reasonably decent insulation due to the trapped air. The mortar just fills the gaps between the bottles.