Kickstarter campaign for open source glass blowing lathe - video

[Jon]

Kickstarter campaign for open source glass blowing lathe. Successfully funded on Kickstarter with $14,057 of $12,000 goal.

More: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...-blowing-lathe

Previously:

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Precision Stop Kickstarter for auto-positioning tool
Paint can perforator Kickstarter
Self-powered hydraulic floor jack Kickstarter
JM3 oil filter wrench Kickstarter
Archimedes aided digging device failed Kickstarter
Scalpel Jones everyday carry titanium scalpel Kickstarter - video and photo
Knightgrip LED light grip for lineman's pliers on Kickstarter - photo

[Frank S]

neat little glass blowing lathe If I was into glass I would have to have one of these

[Jon]

What is it about a glassblowing lathe that makes it so expensive?

[mklotz]

It's not my area of expertise but I can guess...

The tailstock has to be able to grip the work, not just support it as is done in a metal lathe. This means the tailstock chuck must turn in perfect synchrony with the headstock chuck. Remember, the glass, unlike metal, is going to go rubbery while being formed so the HS chuck can't simply drive a freewheeling TS chuck else the work would be twisted. Thus the TS must be driven just as the HS is driven and the two drives have to be carefully synchronized.

It's not clear to me how that was done in the days before electronics, servos, etc. but even with modern electronics it will require some careful engineering.

The no-tailstock glass lathe we had in college had a fixture for supplying compressed air through a rotating gland into the tubing being worked so the glass could be inflated/blown while it was being formed. This is another complexity that would add to the price.

In addition, you have the demand factor. The market for glass-blowing lathes is probably fairly small so prices will be high.

OTOH, the folks who "don't need no steenkin' lathe" do some truly incredible things with simple hand tools...

[rtp]

Before the new electronics they more then likely were 3 phase powered . 2 3 phase motors on the same line will sync up .