subject: The Importance Of Optical Glass And How To Polish Optical Filter Glass [print this page] The importance of optical glass or optical filter glass cannot be overstated. Magnifying glasses, telescopes, eye pieces and microscopes all use this glass to enable us to see clearly. This is especially important while performing experiments and undertaking detailed work. Centuries have passes since the first optical glass was invented and its importance hasnt diminished even today. Optical glass suppliers provide us with the tools needed to undertake precise work where the naked eye isnt enough. As such, the glass is expensive as the procedure followed to create them is time consuming and very precise.
Optical glass isnt the only type of glass available, however; ordinary glass is used in decorative purposes and functional ones as well, for example, in making wine glasses and glassware. One particular type thats much sought-after to create mosaics and tiles is sea glass. Colorful and pretty, optical filter glass is used to make stunning items of art and functional pieces. If you have a collection of sea glass that you dont know what to do with, why not try polishing them so that they can be used to build a mosaic?
To begin, youll need a rock polisher/tumbler, water, sand and glass pieces. Select the pieces you want to use, combining different colors and shapes. Place them in a colander or basin and rinse them of sand. Next, fill the polisher/tumbler with water half or three-fourths full, enough to cover almost all the glass pieces. Dont fill it to the brim, however, and leave a bit of space so that a few pieces are left uncovered. Add about three tablespoons of sand to the water.
To make sure that all the rough edges are smoothened out, youll need to run the tumbler for several days. You can keep checking to see the results and when youre satisfied, hose the sand off the glass pieces.
Polishing glass can be a noisy affair. To make sure you dont irk your neighbors and your family, use it in a garage or a shed. Always remember to use gloves when handling glass. Lastly, never rinse off the sand down a drain as it can clog up pipes. Hose it off in your backyard where it wont cause any damage.
