I was trying to finish cutting the tops off my small horde of glass bottles and jars today, and the going started getting tough. This was the third or forth big session of bottle cutting i had done in the last month, and it had been more than a year since i had done any bottle cutting before then, and at this point i started getting tired and sloppy, and was breaking more than a few bottles, and i was beginning to think that i had already gotten the low hanging fruit, and that the remainder might be best placed in barrel and saved towards some sort of glass melting experiment using a wood fired kiln i have been researching and was going to build using some salvaged bricks and red clay we have around here. I realized as i was working that i didn't really know the market value of what i was trying to create. It has been awhile since i have gone shopping for glassware, but my intuition told me it's not too outrageously expensive, but on the other end i felt like maybe i was making decent progress, and so i decided to do a little googling. What i found was that, at the rate i was going, i was not making very much money for the time i was spending, especially considering that i still hadn't ground down and smoothed the sharp edges on any of the cuttings that i had done, and so at the moment of writing this nothing is sellable yet, or in other words none of it is in a state of any real value yet. Not that the type of items i was attempting to make are really all that special, and my basic goal was to make simple drink-ware type stuff from simply cutting old bottles and jars, and to save the leftovers for a future planned project either involving tumble polishing or melting and molding it into some yet to be discovered useful shape. I actually already have my rock tumbler built and ready for testing, though as I have progressed with cutting down my bottle collection i have come to the conclusions that the leftovers shards are too small to produce any interesting results from tumbling, and that if i intend to tumble glass I first need to melt it down into blocks so that the resulting tumbled pieces will be of an attractive size. I am getting closer to building a wood-fired kiln. I think i plan to copy this simple clay and brick design(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t692w4byVrw), or something similar but probably more basic looking for starters. I'm still trying to figure out a few details, though at this point i think i'll probably build it to fit around a BBQ grating i already have, and incorporating a concrete platform for it to sit up on. Below, included in the links from today, i found someone using terra-cotta garden pots as crucibles/molds. The site is sort of off grid, and there are many trees here so for now I think i will use wood as fuel. At this point, I think the project is still pretty small scale, and my entire collection of glass consists of a few half full 20 gallon trash barrels for the various colors of glass, and a few more 5 gal buckets with some other colors. For this amount of glass, i can't imagine needing to burn down too many trees, though perhaps if i'm able to get a good result i could scale up with either electric or another fuel source, or maybe just a larger wood fired kiln - wood is renewable. ;) My goal here isn't to become some great glass artisan, but rather to see if i can produce something with market value in a cost effective way, and hopefully i learn something in the process. Well that is it i think. The evening sun is shining on my ancient macbook and making it so i can't see the screen. Don't even try moving to another room. the power cable is so brittle at this point and will snap if i touch it. I need to get moved on to a new computer. I need to do a lot of things. So I'm going to leave it here. See my notes below. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/anchor-hocking-842f-8-glass-luncheon-plate-case/550842F.html Anchor Hocking 842F 8" Glass Luncheon Plate - 12/Case $30.49/Case $2.54/Each free shipping with "plus account" https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/c/dinnerware/plates?t=24810&featuredproduct=38401613&featuredoption=77093628&ci_sku=42128133-000-001&cnc=US&cid=323909&type=pla ELEMENT 10.5" Glass Dinner Plates Set Sale $56.52 / 8 plates ~$7 each https://www.amazon.com/HillSpring-Sauces-Desserts-Pudding-Charcuterie/dp/B0CM5QP928/ref=asc_df_B0CM5QP928 Glass Small Bowls, 7.5oz, Set of 6, Clear Mini Bowls for Dips, Sauces, Desserts, Side Dishes, Pudding, Fruit and Charcuterie Boards, Pinch Bowls for Meal Prep $13.99 $2.33 per Count https://www.crateandbarrel.com/moderno-glass-bowls-set-of-8/s453798?a=1552 Moderno Glass Bowls, Set of 8 $18.95 ~$2.3 each https://www.wayfair.com/Wayfair-Basics%C2%AE--Wayfair-Basics-24-oz.-Glass-Bowls-XGCT2866-L6422-K~WFBS1755.html Wayfair Basics 24 oz. Glass Bowls (Set of 6) $26.99 $4.50 per item https://www.culitrade.com/anchor-hocking-3143u-36-case-concord-double-old-fashioned-12-1-2-oz/ Anchor Hocking 3143U, 36/Case, Concord , Double Old Fashioned 12 1/2 oz. $79.30 ~$2.22 per cup https://www.webstaurantstore.com/acopa-12-5-oz-spanish-style-double-rocks-glass-tumbler-case/5535912S.html Acopa 12.5 oz. Spanish Style Double Rocks Glass / Tumbler - 12/Case $24.49/Case $2.04/Each https://www.acitydiscount.com/Anchor-Hocking-Mercado-Coastal-Blue-12-oz-Rocks-Glass-1-Dozen-15049L24.0.248535.1.1.htm Anchor Hocking 15049L24 Mercado Coastal Blue 12 oz. Rocks Glass - 1 Dozen $41.26 ~$3.5 each getting a little fancier https://www.potterybarn.com/products/duralex-picardie-colored-drinking-glasses-mp/ Duralex Picardie Colored Drinking Glasses Size: 8 3/8 oz. Quantity: Set of 6 $32 ~$5.33 each even more fancy https://beatrizball.com/products/glass-fern-double-old-fashioned-set-of-4-dark-green GLASS Fern Double Old Fashioned Set of 4 (Dark Green) $77.0 ~$19 each closer to what i am actually making https://www.katom.com/450-FK258.html Arcoroc FK258 12 oz Wine Bottom Tumbler Glass, Green $60.56 /1 Dozen $5 each https://www.etsy.com/listing/723326205/6-hand-blown-low-ball-tumbler-glasses 6 Hand Blown Low Ball Tumbler Glasses - Solid Red $56.70 $9 each https://www.belk.com/p/godinger-dublin-red-double-old-fashion-glass-set-of-4/0438590810219.html Dublin Red Double Old Fashion Glass, Set of 4 $24.00 $6 each https://www.potterybarn.com/products/antique-glass-double-old-fashioned/ Antique Cut Double Old Fashioned Glasses Clearance $11.99($18) for comparison here are some larger pieces on the cheap end https://glassvasesdepot.com/10-inches-diameter-large-glass-cylinder-vase Glass Cylinder Vases D-10" with Multiple Heights-4 in-Pack of 8 $140.72 $17 each https://vasemarket.com/wide-opening-large-square-vase-wholesale 4 pcs Glass Wide Opening Square Vase Open 10", 12" and 14" 3"x10"x10" $76.00 $19 each I found how to improve my process. this is how to professionally cut and grind bottles into drinkware: Cut and Grind Bottles into Drinking Glasses [fastest way] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYp-ryvkkc wet tile saw and potters wheel with concave and convex grinding attachments make the job much quicker. it seems like he could improve efficiency of removing labels if he tried simply rough polishing the bottle exteriors, though this would result in a frosted look alternatively melted/blown glass: How to make CRAZY sheet glass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtZ_ampa6QY "the gap in the market is people producing stock sheet for people to buy...shortage on color profiles available on market" this process involves inflating a roll of mixed color molten glass into a cylinder which is then cut down the lenght and flattened. there is some question about glass sticking to the kiln/annealing-chamber. a quick price check on stained glass sheets: https://www.amazon.com/LITMIND-Sheets-Transparent-Stained-Variety/dp/B0CR89CJNQ/ref=asc_df_B0CR89CJNQ LITMIND 24 Sheets Transparent Stained Glass Variety Pack - 4 x 6 Inch Cathedral Art Glass for Mosaic Crafts & Supplies, Assorted Colors Glass Sheets for Stunning Stained Glass Projects $39.99 $1.66 each(4"x6"x1/8") Glass Fusing for Beginners 5 things to Know with Lisa Vogt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjdAphvu480 "important point when glass fusing is to never mixmatch different coefficient of expansion glass: coe 96 vs coe 90" she uses commercial kiln and store bought glass sheet. no explanation of the acutal operation of the kiln How to make a Microwave Kiln - Easy and Cheap DIY Glass Fusing & Melting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPp50cwXKY neat little mini kiln for inside the microwave. silicon carbid chunks act as heating element inside hollowed refractory birck "...kiln-paper..." kiln paper! perhaps i'm getting somewhere! https://www.amazon.com/Bullseye-Thinfire-Kiln-Shelf-Paper/dp/B0DJ7R3HRY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa Bullseye Thinfire Kiln Shelf Paper - 30 Sheets Small Kiln Paper for Ultra Smooth Surface - Glass Fusing supplies - 5'' x 5'' kiln paper for glass fusing $27.9 $0.9/sheet About this item Bullseye Glass ThinFire: kiln paper for glass fusing is a ceramic-impregnated glass paper that provides excellent separation between glass and kiln shelf. Lightweight and Low Odor: Compared to other ceramic fiber materials, Thin Fire paper is lightweight and creates less binder burnout odor. Glossy Finish: When used in your pottery Microwave kiln for glass fusing ThinFire produces a glossier finish on the shelves side of your project. Time-Saving: As an alternative to Shelf Primer and Kiln Wash, ThinFire reduces shelf preparation time and improves surface release. No Shrinkage: Popular Bullseye ThinFire glass Paper doesn't shrink in the Fuseworks Craft Kiln and features excellent release properties. Glass Casting: Loading the Kiln Properly & MORE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePMHB8pxwUI https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/innovation/materials-science/glass/how-glass-made.html#:~:text=At%20a%20high%20level%2C%20glass,remaining%20in%20its%20solid%20form. "...The sand commonly used to make glass is comprised of small grains of quartz crystals, made up of molecules of silicon dioxide, which is also known as silica..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz https://www.tiktok.com/@lambertweston/video/7287338950950145310 making glass round billets in terracotta pots "...go to lowes and buy some terracotta pots... ...paint inside of pot with kiln wash... ...plug hole in bottom of pot with snippet from refractory blanket material... ...dry pots at 500F before filling and firing... ...remember to use enough kiln wash so that the glass slides easily out of the moulds" https://seattlepotterysupply.com/pages/what-is-kiln-wash-everything-you-need-to-know-how-to-apply-it "Pottery Kiln shelves are made of a hard material that is similar to fired clay. If you don’t use a kiln wash, any glaze that comes into contact with your kiln shelf gets absorbed and becomes permanently fused to it" from the comments for How to make CRAZY sheet glass: "...For your glass release, have you looked at Thinfire paper, Fibre sheet or Zyp (boron nitrate) - available mainly in spray but one place in the UK sells a brush on version. Or even kiln wash … we have a different formula for glass as opposed to ceramic kiln wash. Good luck!" https://www.amazon.com/Boron-Nitride-Spray-Ceramic-Release/dp/B079Z94CP9 glass casting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFd_cYmMlxc "New Mexico Clay's tutorial on glass casting in a clay mold. Fire the clay mold 100 degrees hotter than you plan to use it. I fired the bottle glass to 1600 degrees @ 500 degrees/hour. So it took roughly 3 hours to reach that temperature. Then I held it at that temperature for 30 minutes. Next, I fired down as quickly as possible to 960 degrees, and annealed for 3 hours. The reason you anneal is because the glass is not uniform yet. Some areas may be hot, some may be cool. Annealing time will depend on the thickness of the glass." Hot Glass Casting & Sand Casting Glass Tutorials https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nCvPCBhW-k neat. well i guess that is it. actually not quite How to Make Microwave Kilns (For glass fusing and Mold Burnout) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCI_FPDQA-U i like this guy's videos, and he does use his mini microwave kiln for glass done