Scientific Glassblowing Lab

Staff

Tim Henthorne, Senior Glassblower | 0017 EL | 614-292-7288 | thenthor@chemistry.ohio-state.edu


Services Provided

Ohio State's Glassblowing Facility can meet all of your needs for repair, modification and custom design of scientific borosilicate (Pyrex) or quartz glass apparatus. In addition, the shop can reduce your costs by reproducing standard catalog glassware (many designs on file in our shop library). Our glassblower is the third generation in a family of glassblowers and has been recognized by his peers by being awarded The Andrews Glass Award for best technical paper at The American Scientific Glassblowers Symposium, 1999 (see photo of liquid nitrogen cooled carbon monoxide laser). He is readily available for consultation on intricate design work and can perform on-site repair work in your lab as well as all in-shop services.

Hours: 7:30-4:00 PM Monday through Friday

Note: Please, do not hesitate to call or e-mail with questions about your glassware needs. Drawings of your ideas are not necessary. Set up an appointment to explore the possibilites. A complete estimate to be provided upon request.

Other Available Services

  • Cutting to shape and drilling holes in glass/quartz/ceramic plate, rod or tubing
  • Fabrication in quartz glass
  • Encapsulation of specimens under vacuum or backfilled to your specifications with dry gas
  • Coils of glass/quartz tubing or rod
  • Tungsten to glass seals for electrical leads through glass
  • Molding of glass/quartz to your specific shape/design
  • Resizing of glass/quartz tubing
  • Tooling of some specialized joint fittings
  • Resurfacing (grinding) of vacuum bell jars

Materials/Components On-Hand

Listed below is an abreviated list of materials held in stock for use on glass/quartz apparatus fabrication and repair

  • Borosilicate (pyrex) and quartz rod, tubing and plate
  • All sizes of standard taper ground glass joints
  • All sizes of standard spherical ground glass joints
  • Threaded glass components with caps and o-rings
  • O-ring joints and flanges
  • Glass to Kovar metal seals
  • Graded seals, transition between borosilicate and quartz glasses
  • Borosilicate glass stopcocks
    • ground glass stopcocks
    • glass stopcocks using a teflon plug (as used on chromatography columns)
    • hi-vacuum valves by Chemglass and Kontes (as used on vacuum manifolds)
  • Filter discs/cylinders, made of fritted glass or quartz
  • Removable hose connections

Image Galleries

Sample glassblowing image for gallery webpage.  

Main Glassblowing Gallery   

Sample of the Homeland Security Glass Microwave Chamber for the gallery webpage.

Homeland Security Glass Microwave Chamber