Suggestive subject - strange but true - does anyone know where I can get some glass balls from (really). I want them for a shop display idea. They will be filled with liquid (much like those chemists displays) so must be reasonable strong. Size wise about 4" to 6" diam would be ideal, and plain glass or plastic. Preferrably as near spherical as possible (that's why I don't want to use goldfish bowls). Thanks
How about one of those 'New Age' shops that sell joss sticks, crystals etc?
Dave
Dave
Not sure what you are trying to do with these but:
If you are looking to fill each ball with different liquid, then we have a similar display at work. Can you get away with not seeing the bottom of the balls ie conceal them in the display?
I work for an engineering company making process plant for the edible oil industry. To show off the large range of raw materials covered by our processes, we have a display which appears to be loads of glass balls containing cooking oils, seeds, nuts etc. These are actually inverted "specimen??" bottles, with the narrow neck and bung hung downwards within the support.
May be possible to achieve your result with this method
Phil
Ah interesting idea Phil. Do the specimen bottles have flat bases then? I guess a hospital supplies place might sell them. I did think of buying some lab glassware just to play with the ideas I have - but can't find anywhere I can just buy a few. I've found several "kits" but they are expensive, have many different shapes (which I don't need), and are made of high quaility glass A Plasma lamp globe was another idea, but again too expensive for experimenting with - and too big anyway. I may try Dave Lang's suggestion as those shops sell mighty weird stuff :-)
Have a look for round-bottom flasks from laboratory glassware suppliers.
often get 1l round bottom flasks on ebay usually pretty cheaply
Nik
Quickfit have ground-glass stoppers and these seal well. fisher.co.uk Do not forget to put an anti-microbial in the liquid, there is a fair risk that they will go mouldy and ruin your display otherwise.
John Schmitt
Dave said
No these have round bottoms - must be flasks as mentioned by other posters.
Phil
What about clear light bulbs? If you want something a little bigger, 200W, 300W and 500W ones used to be available, but at increasing prices. I got several dead ones from a squash court many years ago, but they would be unlikely to use suitable lamps nowadays.
60w & 100w globe bulbs are about 4", and look like theyre coated inside with something white rather than frosted - either way you may be able to work with them.
If you need to mount them too wood, one could cut the bulb bases off, fill with chosen gloop, then glue the baseboard on top, and invert all once dry. Perhaps.... I'd expect failures.
NT
Volumetric flasks, or try Harrison Smith French Flint, they have a wide range of differnet glass containers. OTOH since HSFF are located at the Elephant and Castle not far from Stockwell/Oval you may not want to go there to pick up stuff on account of the danger of getting deaded.
I used to do this by filing a ring around the base of the glass with the edge of a small triangular file, and then applying the tip of a soldering iron with a blob of solder on it to the ring. If you're lucky, a crack runs round the ring and the base and innards are easily withdrawn. May need to apply the hot solder on a few points round the ring to make the crack go all the way around. Sometimes the crack would run off in some other direction and you end up with a pile of broken glass -- this is more likely to happen if the ring you filed in the glass is not continuous.
In message , dave writes
Florists wholesale supplies, "globe vase". I bought a dozen last week at 12 quid each from 'Country Baskets' in Glasgow, for wedding reception table decorations. Very similar to a goldfish bowl, but without a 'foot'. There's a choice of sizes, from 6" to 10".
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