Process of Quality Glass Pipes – Glow in the Dark

In January of this year, I began having issues with Élan/Origin Glow Rod. Some would glow properly, some would not.

After beating my head against the wall known as ABR Imagery in Indianapolis for 5 months, being told it was my problem and no one else was having the issue, I finally received a call from Élan through Claudia Hernandez. She admitted that the glow formulation had been updated and that I should expect no trace of glow whatsoever once the temperature of the glow went above 2000º F.

To the layman, that sounds very hot, and it is, as long as you are not talking borosilicate which only begins to soften (still unworkable) at 1500º F. Working temperature is much higher depending on your torch. A simple beginning torch like a National only begins to operate at a snail pace at 1750º F, which is completely impractical for coil potting or inside out that requires a full melt.

So, what Élan/Origin is doing is selling a product that ‘sounds like’ it can be used with COE 33 glass, and technically it can, as long as you don’t fully melt the glass, which means that it is going to be weak. Weak, that is exactly the word I would use to describe the Glow Rod product offering from Élan/Origin and the service available from their distributor ABR.