Oiler from lamp Bulb

The picture shows a cylinder oiler for the Ford Quadricycle. It is an almost exact copy of the ones used by Henry Ford and is made from a 6 volt light bulb. This is the only one out of nine that didn't break and even this has a crack in it.

So, an appeal to bikers; are bulbs for motorcycles stronger than ordinary ones? This one is just under 1/2" in diameter and has the part where the filament wires come out removed and also a hole ground in the top so that it can be filled with oil.

I've already made brass ones but it would be nice if they were more authentic.

Brian

Would a glass winemakers fermentation lock offer any possibilities, albeit more expensive ones?

.

Sorry, I can’t advise on the relative strength of various bulbs ...

but I must say what a lovely detail that is.

MichaelG.

An interesting project and a pretty little oiler. How did you cut the glass? Does the crack start at the top or the bottom? What do you think caused the cracks? Is the failure rate the only problem, or do you want thicker glass for aesthetic or authenticity reasons?

I'm not a motorcyclist, but I don't imagine their bulbs are any more robust as in general it's the hot filament that fails under shock, not the glass envelope. My experience from elderly cars is that 6 volt and 12 volt bulbs are of the same construction, so used 12 volt car bulbs would seem to offer a ready source of glass, though you would have to wipe the accumulated darkons out before adding oil. ( https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=171224&p=1 ) I'm sure the forum members could help out with a supply of burned out bulbs!

An expensive alternative would be to find a scientific glassblower.

George B.

Been riding bikes since classics were available new on the showroom floor and never come across any special motorcycle-specific high-strength bulbs. As far as I know they are the same bulbs used in cars. The one exception might be Philips Motobulb halogen headlight bulbs but they are made a more visible colour, not stronger glass, and totally wrong shape for you anyway.

It might be possible that old Lucas and similar bulbs from the days of yore were made of thicker or stronger glass than today's more cost-saving conscious models. And there might be a difference between brands of modern bulbs between the higher and lower ends of the market, or there might not!

I wonder if small 240 volt bulbs from older industrial control panels and the like might be thicker and stronger glass than 12 volt automotive stuff?

Edited By Hopper on 21/02/2021 11:54:25

Great idea! I don't know about lightbulbs but you can get small glass balls used in jewellery making that are available in 12mm from ebay. £2.75 for 10.

Link

I just looked at that link and spotted what might be a good shape on another advert.

Have a look at :

DIY Globe Glass Bottle Pendant 25mm 30mm with Bronze Base Memory Locket Wide Mouth

Item: 142763588344

Colin

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I searched for fermentation locks but all the ones I've seen are cylindrical.

The jewellery ones look to be ideal so shall order some.

The cracks in the lamp bulbs appeared some time after grinding off the bases with the filament wires and I wondered if they were due to internal stresses being released as the cracks always started from the base.. Perhaps a stress relief is possible?

Anyway, very grateful for the comments and suggestions.

Brian

I think that glassblowers 'flame' the cut ends to stop cracks. If/when you find out how to do it et us know, it would be good for boiler gauge glasses

Reading this it may be too much heat / uneven heat caused by the grinding, did you trickle water over the cut whilst grinding?

You can break soda glass test tubes by heating a C shape wire till red then touch the glass, you get a radial crack form underneath the wire. I never had one break after doing that

Saving glass isn't the goal. In filament bulbs the glass envelope is made as thin as it can be to let light and heat out. A cheap bulb might be thicker, but I've never noticed a difference. Not looked for it though!

Although a light bulb might be the right size and shape to make an oiler, I think the glass will be difficult to work - the bulbs are thin, fragile and heat resistant.

The original oiler will have been made with cheap soda glass which has a low melting point. Easily blown thick skinned into a mould in a glass works and then hot shaped on a mandrel and trimmed with shears. Can also be cut cold with a diamond or ground. Dirt cheap - if you own a glassworks and want a few hundred!

I'd be tempted to try some basic laboratory glass blowing using Soda Glass Tube and a blowlamp. Made a somewhat undersized and lopsided thistle funnel with a bunsen burner and round-nosed pliers at school. The pliers were used mainly to shape the top, not for cutting - almost any similar tool would do as a mandrel. Wasn't difficult to blow 15mm diameter bubbles in soda glass tubing by mouth, though I had more puff aged 14! I think I could have done better with practice.

Be a little careful buying the glass - I see most modern lab glass is Borosilicate, i.e. Pyrex. Not tried it, but It's tougher and needs a lot more heat than Soda Glass. Good stuff no doubt but I suspect it's much harder to work with.

Dave

Again, many thanks for your comments.

Duncan, I always flame the ends of gauge glasses, the small sizes used for 3 inch traction engines or 5 inch locomotives and never had a breakage in service.

Dave H, I held the bulbs in my fingers to do the grinding so never allowed them to get hot but the ground surface certainly became hot. Perhaps a water cooled grinding wheel would be the answer. (more expense!!) I'll have a play with the glass globes from China when they arrive, They are already open at one end and so just need the hole putting in the other end.

SoD, thanks for that suggestion. If the Chinese globes don't work then I'll try that.

Brian

All university chemistry departments used to have a glass blower, and many may still have one. They are real artists and can work glass tube into wonderful things, sometimes to meet someone's need and sometimes just for fun. If you can find one they would make you a suitable bulb for interest or beer money.

Rod

So apart from waving it in a flame how do you do it? How do you know when it's hot enough?

Hello Duncan, waving it in front of a flame is about right. The rough glass end turns to a liquid so the heating must be done slowly and carefully so as not to overdo it. You don't want a bent or collapsed gauge glass!

As soon as you can see that the pipe end is smooth and shiny it is time to stop and allow the glass to cool down.

Brian

Brian answered whilst I was looking for this: **LINK**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AkCHj7SHs4

Basic skills

MichaelG.

If it's any help, these people sell glass tubing etc.

Tuffnel Glass

Just found them on Youtube too.

Video

They used to be a in an industrial unit near me, making gifts, teaching classes and making fancy laboratory glass specials, nice people.

excellent video, thanks Michael. I've had a go on 2 bits of tube, some is easier than others, but both seemed to work

A video on blowing a glass bubble here.

Rob

when aged 17 i was an apprentice Electrician & work was quiet, i used to make empty lamps from 200w industrial bulbs that were blown. I used an old electric fire element unwound. I would wrap it around the base of the lamp where i wanted to break it.

I would connect it across a old car battery , it would get red hot & break the glass were the filament was in contact with the the glass. I tried the red hot poker in oil method but got mixed results.

I made some nice light fittings with this method using pigmy lamps hung inside them. At that time i also used to make bulls eye glass windows for Georgian windows & sliced timber coffee tables. I also made some outside light fittings using mild steel & soldering them together to make Georgian lanterns. I sold over 50 of these .

Steve/, I had forgotten most of this.