Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Mystery

We store our good cut glass rim- down; perhaps we shouldn't. Libby lifted this one up and it separated from its rim, perfectly, as though it had been cut. There was NO pattern where it separated. Anyone with a physics, engineering, glassmaking background have any ideas?

I have an idea a similar phenomenon was noted in the question and answer page in the back of New Scientist magazine a few years ago but I am not sure if that would be on line, or how to find it.

For what it's worth it was antique, quite old (not one of yours, Johnny UK!)

5 comments:

Neutrino Cannon said...

Maybe this is a start:


http://www.expertexpert.com/tough.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_glass_breakage

-R. A. Wilderson

Anonymous said...

Steve - I had the same thing happen to a new red wine goblet just a couple of months ago before we moved. It was sitting rim side down on a dish towel on the kitchen counter and when I picked it up the top 1/2 inch wa still sitting on the counter - perfectly clean break.
Connie

Steve Bodio said...

Connie: Exactly.

Arthur--why would the break(s) be so even?

Neutrino Cannon said...

Arthur--why would the break(s) be so even?

That's a quite simple question to answer; I have no idea.

From the New Scientist article you earlier alluded to:

http://www.newscientist.com/backpage.ns?id=mg19125712.100

it sounds like the manufacturing process somehow predisposes the glasses to have a fault there, and one that can propogate extremely quickly and cleanly.

Anonymous said...

Steve
Sad to see the glass that I remember , full and empty , so often part of your "conversational gesturing " - almost a part of your hand , Steve!
One good thing is that it looks like you may be able to salvage what remains as a smaller glass ( no good for you or me, of course!)- maybe by having the rim "ground " to make a new edge?

I always put my fine gasses, "base down ", but that way you get more chips( which then need to be ground !). The answer , like all fine things, is to use them , and enjoy them, don't cossett them too much and when they wear up, get another!!- Better used, enjoyed and broken , than in a cupbord as an heirloom ( same for shotguns , as well, of course) - all these artefacts were designed for use, not value appreciation , or hoarding !

JohnnyUK