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Capillary Glass Tubes Drawn Out from Tube
A capillary is glass tube drawn out thin in the flame: heat a band while turning it, take it out and pull, and the tube stretches into a fine tube with a hair-thin bore. Chemists drew tubes out over a lamp this way, as Fownes's manual (1856) shows. Faster and longer pulls give finer bores.
The picture: glass capillary tubes on a cutting mat.
Intermediate
An hour
Instructions
1
1
Heat a band
Heat a band
Hold a length of glass tube in both hands and turn it steadily in the torch flame, heating a band about 2 cm wide until it sags soft.
Materials for this step:
Glass Tubing Kit1 pieceTools needed:
Bench Glassblowing Torch
Safety Glasses
Heat-Resistant Gloves2
2
Out of the flame, pull
Out of the flame, pull
Take it out of the flame and pull your hands apart in one smooth movement, keeping it straight. A gentle pull gives a thicker capillary, a fast long one a finer bore.
Tools needed:
Safety GlassesHeat-Resistant Gloves3
3
Cut to length
Cut to length
When cold, score the capillary with a file and snap it into lengths. For melting-point tubes, seal one end by touching it to the edge of the flame.
Tools needed:
Files (Hand File)
RulerBench Glassblowing TorchSafety Glasses4
4
Check and store
Check and store
Measure the outside with the caliper, sort by size and keep them in a closed jar so no dust gets in the bores.
Tools needed:
Digital Caliper 6-Inch
Glass Jar5
5
How far to pull
How far to pull
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Materials
1- 1 piecePlaceholder
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