Recycling Bottles

[BOATBAG]

I’m considering cutting off and using the bottom “cup” portion of a wine bottle and slumping it over a cone floral former? Cone former is 3.5″ tall, since I would be starting with cup shaped glass, I was considering just using the lower 2.5″ of a bottle. I realize it may not “wave” or “scallop” like it does when using a flat sheet and that’s ok, will this work or flop?…any suggestions? 

Thanks!

[rgilbert]

I’m curious– if you want to recycle the bottles, why not cut off the bottom and grind the cut edges? Or fire polish them?

I’ve “recycled” glass in a number of different ways– creating frit and casting the glass, slumping the bottles into “flat” dishes, slumping  bottles into a mold (really kind of interesting bowl), and other experiments that cost little. It doesn’t seem that your floral former idea will be a problem since you aren’t trying to stretch the glass to the point of creating holes or making the glass incredibly thin. Are you trying to widen the glass shape and thin out the glass? You might very well get a wavy edge depending on the thickness of the glass, gravity and the evenness of heat within the kiln.

[BOATBAG]

“I’m curious– if you want to recycle the bottles, why not cut off the bottom and grind the cut edges? Or fire polish them?”….Cutting of the bottom & grinding the edges or polishing them would work, I’m just looking for something a little different.  I’m not trying to stretch or create holes…So many of the bottles have a big nipple/cone in the bottom (almost sombraro shaped in the bottom), my thought was slumping it over a former would eliminate the cone  making it more functional as a candle holder etc…Getting a wavy edge or not isn’t really a concern, I kind of like the concept of each having it’s own style.

[rgilbert]

That cone shape, is called a punt and there’s a company in Colorado that’s recycling glasses like you: http://www.winepunts.com. I mentioned your idea to a friend who said it was a great idea then asked what if you put a bit of fiber paper on the bottom of the glass (top of the floral former) and made an impression of some kind in the glass?

[BOATBAG]

I need to slump one first & see what happens to the punt, I think and impression would be pretty cool.  When I try it I’ll post the outcome.

[Author]

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