ugh, the green-ness of the green bottlebroke lamps seems emphasised by white (warm) light! am glad, because the white lights, though a higher initial investment, seem to save a good bit of electricity. this is the same lamp i'd used on the bottlebroke tree- we had to abandon the wooden parts when moving to auckland. sigh.
bottlebroke has just gone international! (well, they always say that like it's a good thing). entered 'the bottlebroke tree' at this years trees at the meteor event. also saw some of the trees being prepared, and they are *brilliant! hope to see them when they are all ready.
some of you have asked how i do the bottlebroke lamps. well, here you are. i have heard of other ways to do this, and am beginning to try process variations to see what happens. if you're interested, let me know-i'll publish the results of me experiments. remember bottlebroke is copy left-you can use these ideas to make piles of money, as LONG as you let other people use your ideas too.
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the philosophy:
reduce, reuse, recycle. a streak of '80s punk rock DIY, *with the sharp edges. a love of re-creation.
the principle:
glass is highly cooled liquid, and can be cut (theoretically) in any way you like. in my experience, i have only been able to encourage a break, not insist on it. the break lines are not always what i wanted-each bottle reacts differently. the cutter makes a cut, which is then treated to sudden temperature differences, forcing the glass to separate.
the stuff you need:
1. a bottle you want t break [indian wine and beer bottles tend to shatter, i prefer bubblies or liquor]
2. a candle
3. a glass cutter [i use the ones with a diamond(?) tip, not the oil filled ones. i get them for rs.140-160 from hardware stores]
4. sandpaper/emery paper [something mid range-not too many grains nor too little]
5. a tub of water
6. a clean piece of cloth
7. a comfortable, well lit place to work
the process:
1. score the bottle with the glass cutter. this can be done either by fixing the cutter to a board and pushing the bottle against it to get a (more or less) good circle. i prefer to freehand now, though. fixing it to a board also makes it hard to work with any bottle that is not round. make sure the score mark is connected all around. i prefer to do it twice to make a deepish cut.
2. heat the score mark over a candle flame, constantly turning the bottle. you may not want one part to become much hotter than another, as it may break even less evenly than you wanted. then again, your vision. comfortable seating is *critical for this part. i tend to spend about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of bottle) on each. don't worry about the black carbon deposits. they can be cleaned off. do NOT over do this-the bottom may suddenly fall off and shatter.
4. after the bottom has come off, rub the edges with sandpaper. this will make sure it doesn't cut, while retaining its twisted edgy look. same treatment on the broken off bottom.
5. check very carefully for cracks that run through the bottle. if there are any, you do NOT want to put a light bulb in them, as heat could break the glass when you least expect. i prefer to use "pygmy" bulbs, also known as "fridge" bulbs. typically about 15W, they provide just about enough light to read. i've given away most of the bottoms as ash trays and stuff.
i would LOVE to see examples of bottles that you have broken, and put up pictures of them here. fool around with various ways of decorating/using the broken bottles. cheers!
it's just a bottle,
broken by time
(encouraged by
a wandering brick)
streaked with scratches
(like your newly
purpled hair)
and tossed out
on the garbage heap
for rag pickers
to make a rupee off.
it's just a bottle,
dammit.
but once upon a time
it held good wine.
and it now holds
green light
and magic
and the sweet sour smell
of memory.
and while i cannot grudge
a rupee earned
i'd rather keep the bottle,
broken.
