Making glass doesn’t have to be a difficult process. In fact, this article will cover the basics of making glass with nothing more than a charcoal grill, white beach sand or silica, laundry soda, lime or borax, and of course the ideal fuel for this method, which it is coal. It is important to note the difference between charcoal and briquettes. Both fuel sources will work, but charcoal is better because it burns hotter. Obtaining the correct temperature is a very important consideration if the highest quality glass is to be manufactured.
Now that the materials needed to make glass with a common charcoal grill have been established, let’s discuss how to achieve the proper temperature to melt sand and form quality glass. According to the more traditional methods of making glass from pure white beach sand (silica), temperatures of 3500 ° F are needed to melt the silica crystals. Because this temperature cannot be achieved with charcoal, the sand used must be specially formulated by adding washing soda, lime or borax. This formulation will disrupt the quartz crystal structure of the silica and reduce the temperature required to melt the sand.
A charcoal grill alone will not reach the required temperatures of 2000 ° F. To reach such high temperatures, a vacuum cleaner is needed to blow air into the chamber from under the grill. With enough coals and a strong enough draft vacuum, there should be no problem reaching temperatures that will melt the silica in glass. While white beach sand is nice to work with, it might be more practical to start with the glass and then melt it into a shape that can be molded and fabricated. The reason is that 2,000 ° F is not hot enough to completely melt the silica into a nice, smooth, crystalline product. Bubbles in glass tend to form when temperatures are not high enough during the melting phase. A creative look to be sure, but if you’re looking for clear, start with real glass as your raw material.
Safety is a very important consideration regarding this ingenious glass making process on a backyard barbecue grill. Make sure you have the proper flame retardant clothing and gloves before attempting to form your own glass. A well thought out plan of what the finished glass product will look like will reduce the risk of injury and is also an important safety consideration.
In addition to safety concerns, having a solid understanding and vision of what the final glass product will be will go a long way toward understanding what tools will be needed to make the glass. Whatever the plan, don’t expect to create something too over the top. With the simplicity comes the limitation of the amount of fabrication that can occur. A safe approach to follow is to use a cast iron pot to melt the silica and then use graphite molds to shape the melted solution. A great resource for finding creative casting molds is the Internet. Just search until you find the right mold for the project you have in mind.