I'm looking for one of those glass crushing machines, it was something like a garbage disposal (I think). Does anyone out there know who might carry/sell them, or even if their still making them - OR- even just a better way than a hammer on the cemment floor. Have lots to crush for a couple of projects.
hi marge, there are several good threads about do it yourself in the archives old and new. some with photos. i can not remember their titles though. rosanna ps also look up quenched frit while you search
Buying whould be the easiest, but not the answer, as the I'm trying to salvage about 15 finished pieces that were destroyed when a car crashed into the studio. I did check out the archives and learned a lot. But, like any good lazy person, I'm looking for the fastest way since I have so much to do.
This is not a pressing project so I think I'll just think on it for a while and try a little of all.
These work pretty good. You'll need some different mesh screens to sift out the different sizes of frits you'll get. It works like a butter churn and the pipes can be purchased at any Lowes or Home Depot.
Marge B wrote: Buying whould be the easiest, but not the answer, as the I'm trying to salvage about 15 finished pieces that were destroyed when a car crashed into the studio. I did check out the archives and learned a lot. But, like any good lazy person, I'm looking for the fastest way since I have so much to do.
This is not a pressing project so I think I'll just think on it for a while and try a little of all.
Thanks for the help. Marge B.
Put some glass in a stainless steel bowl and heat it to 1200 or so and remove the bowl and dump the glass in a plastic bucket of water. You will need kevlar gloves and shoes with toes covered. Don't wear polyester.
The result is actually tempered glass that will continue to break down in square pieces. You can run your bare hands through a bucket of this without getting bloody. It may need further crushing, but you will be much of the way there. A little creativity will help to continue the crush. My method of choice is to throw a steel weight in to the bucket of damp glass. Eventually it breaks down and will pass through a loam sieve.
There was a company by the name of Bluebird in Livermore Co. 80536 that made a hammer mill that worked well for crushing glass, then you had to sift it through specific screen sizes. Not sure if they are still in business, but a friend of mine still has one of their machines and uses it often for making frit. Tenn. Tom
Go visit ekmillerco.com they are selling a proffesional frit crusher with a motor. It is expensive but top of the line. Plus they make great fusing kilns
we purchased a professional grade glass crusher a few years ago and it works fabulously. If you generate lots of scrap this is a piece of equipment that will pay for itself almost immediately.
ask around and keep asking, we purchased a crusher from someone who was going to upgrade 'cause this one was slow. We can live with slow. We paid $400 and it is fabulous. there are always deals out there. It sat unused in our glass storage shed for 3 plus years, we decided to sell it and my husband got it out to tune it up and we haven't quit using it since
we have a small building where we house our air compressor and it lives there now too, when it's being fed it is noisy.
Regardless we still purchase frit and powders, yet this is a great fill in. Twust me, if you've lots of scrap this will pay for it's self immediately. (and yes we do donate scrap also)
Tony, I don't know the mfgr. so much of our equipment is old, and/or lapidary that has been made by old timers (ha! like us). I could take a pic if you want.
I'm looking for one of those glass crushing machines, it was something like a garbage disposal (I think). Does anyone out there know who might carry/sell them, or even if their still making them - OR- even just a better way than a hammer on the cemment floor. Have lots to crush for a couple of projects. 
Buying whould be the easiest, but not the answer, as the I'm trying to salvage about 15 finished pieces that were destroyed when a car crashed into the studio. I did check out the archives and learned a lot. But, like any good lazy person, I'm looking for the fastest way since I have so much to do. 