Hi Jinx

Virtually 0% shrink polyester high volume casting resins are available at
only a slight premium - but don't know about clarity.  I bought some stuff
recently to cast a large flat reference surface - perfect for my purpose
but not exactly water clear.  Would suspect that stuff suitable for your
purpose exists though.  Or the old method used for those encapsulated
spiders, etc. could be used - pour into mould in small enough amounts so
that shrinkage and heating are minimal and build up in layers.  End result
is very good, and cheap.

Also epoxies are generally very low shrinkage.  Formulations are used to
repair windshields, etc, so suspect that optical properties are also
good.  The killer here is cost though.  The windshield repair stuff  is
*very* expensive IIRC.

Pete S.

At 10:40 AM 3/12/01 +1100, you wrote:
>Call in to your local university Chemistry / Physics departments and ask
>them who does their glass blowing / glassware repairs.
>
>On a double ended component they normally make the two parts separately and
>then join them at a point where the slight unevenness of the seam is out of
>sight.
>
>Bye.
>
>         -----Original Message-----
>         From:   John Ferrell [SMTP:johnferrell@SPRINTMAIL.COM]
>         Sent:   Monday, 3 December 2001 1:17
>         To:     PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>         Subject:        Re: [OT]:Glass moulding
>
>         Perhaps a lens maker would be a better service proverb?
>
>         John Ferrell
>         6241 Phillippi Rd
>         Julian NC 27283
>         Phone: (336)685-9606
>         Dixie Competition Products
>         NSRCA 479 AMA 4190  W8CCW
>         "My Competition is Not My Enemy"
>
>
>
>         ----- Original Message -----
>         From: "Jinx" <joecolquitt@CLEAR.NET.NZ>
>         To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>         Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 5:21 AM
>         Subject: [OT]:Glass moulding
>
>
>         > As part of a PIC project (honestly !!) I need to have some
>         > components made of glass. I've contacted a company who
>         > could cut glass with high pressure water/garnet but they
>         > can't guarantee the work or a low spoilage figure. They
>         > suggested polycarbonate, and I suggested right back at 'em
>         > that maybe they could cut a mould out of steel plate and I
>         > fill it with molten glass. If that fails they will have the
>cutting
>         > file for the metal and I'd get them to do it in polycarbonate.
>         >
>         > Has anyone in this collective brain of ours any experience,
>         > suggestions, tips etc for moulding glass ? Getting a smooth
>         > surface on the top (it's a thin disk) could be tricky. I guess
>I'll
>         > have to slide some sort of metal plate on the liquid surface
>         >
>         > TIA
>         >
>         > --
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>         >
>         >
>
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