DIY Network

Custom Neon Design and Bending Glass A student creates a neon sign. From "Trade School" episode DTRS-303

Student Caren Whittler designs and begins creating a custom neon display sign along side her teacher, Doug Azar.

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Materials:

safety glasses
bulk neon tubing and electrodes
screen mesh
ribbon burner
blow hose and mouthpiece
file
bombarder unit
hand torch
black out paint
acrylic sheeting
strip heater
power drill
transformer
electrical wire

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

Safety Note: Always wear safety glasses when working with glass or near an open flame.

1. With a chopper as the centerpiece of her design, Caren begins by creating a computer representation using special software (figure A). With the click of a button she prints out an inverted, CAD-generated image of the design. Although working from a mirror image seems confusing, it actually enables her to keep the front face of the design flat while keeping the unappealing bends, twists and crossovers on the backside. Teacher Doug Azar marks the image helping her map out the proper sequence of steps.

2. Caren prepares to heat and bend several segments of glass tubing. Before bending each segment, she uses a pencil to mark the area. She seals one end of the tube using a blow hose (figure B) connected to a mouthpiece and the other end with a cork. She also places a sheet of protective screen mesh over her reference drawing to prevent from burning it with the hot glass.

3. Caren utilizes a ribbon burner which features an adjustable-width flame to heat each glass tube (figure C). As she places a tube in the fire, she quickly rotates it back and forth to ensure the entire circumference gets hot. Once the glass becomes malleable, she pulls the ends together to bend it, and then blows through the hose to force air into the tube. This keeps the atmospheric pressures from shattering from the weakened glass.

4. Working quickly before the glass hardens, she places the bent tube on the screen mesh, and then adjusts it into the shape indicated on the design (figure D). She continues the same bending process on several tubes until all the components of the chopper design are complete.

5. With all the pieces formed, Caren trims the excess glass from each piece by scoring it with a steel file (figure E). Once scored, she simply taps the glass to break it apart.

In the next segment, Caren fills the tubes with gas, and then assembles her display.