Just a quick post tonight. I had fun picking out more clear #96 lead free glass, as well as enough for a Red flute, and samples of other colors. Olympic Color Rods on Nickerson in Seattle has several clear and opaque glass rods, glass blowing tools, etc. I now have enough glass for 3-4 flute bodies.
Its important to bring gloves. There are some sharp edges - and I knew that already having cut myself before. The red glass above is what the clear glass looks like after one bleeds all over it (just kidding!).
The big question which I will answer in September is whether or not these can actually be drilled out by the diamond disintegration drills that are coming from the National Diamond Laboratory in Los Angeles. If so, I trade labor for costs. Casting a flute costs $2400 in molding costs alone and an additional $600 per flute body that still will need significant cold working. Last week when I was thinking I could do this with the “Vac Stack” glass the cost was similar per flute. With these rods, my cost for the raw material will be around $100-150 per flute. Some of the labor can be automated using analog devices that shut the machinery off when ground. Glass is slow. That is okay however! The main point is to be able to work this material using methods similar to those used in optics manufacturing.