I've been thinking it would be cool to make a concrete counter top with the TC Maker logo embedded in red glass, (LED back lighting optional) I have everything to make this happen except:

• Red glass, whole or pre-broken, makes no difference
• a place to put the completed piece, which will determine the size and shape

I know we have extra legs and or frames for desk / counter tops maybe one of those perhaps. In the meantime if you drink from or see any cool red glass bottles, grab them, anyone work in hospitality or recycling?

Let's make a mobile refreshments counter for the Hack Factory! At the Minne-Faire we served refreshments using on of those Ikea tables. Something like this custom counter would've been ideal, with storage below the counter top.

While I do not have any Red Glass, there is a couple of glass shops that sell it, but it may not be what you want.

There is a shop on University near General Nano and Little Dearborn that used to have stained glass classes.

Plus there is the shop at the Studio at Rush Creek in Maple Grove. But these are thin sheets, and depending on what you are doing, etching white glass and staining it Red may be a better option? Just my two cents worth.

And while I am spouting off, a mobile concrete cart may be a bit heavy to move, depending on thickness of the slab, but a Table / stand at the front with a guest book at the HF door may be a good use. Or a refreshment counter works too, just not sure where.

I'm sure we can find something worth consuming in a red glass bottle, no hurry. On weight of the counter etc. It's similar to granite etc, I make them about 3/4" thick so it shouldn't weigh more than 50 or 60 lbs.

Pete

At some point, I was thinking of making a workbench for making green sand molds for metal casting. A nice impermeable surface like concrete would be perfect. I don't know if anyone else is up for this, but what you're describing would be just right.

Some have a cutout to dump sand down into a receptacle beneath, some don't.

I can't wait to see what your concrete will look like, and I'm keeping an eye out for red glass.

That's an interesting thought too. I have a few duds from my early counter attempts. The are about 24" square 3/4" thick and have an attempted bull nose that makes the front about 1 1/2". I'll bring one down. we could put two together and fashion the sand dump / collection in the middle if that makes sense.

On the decorative / beverage cart top. It would be cool to embed stuff in addition to the glass logo. I've seen various fossils and metal done before. I think it would be cool to have maker stuff like, a wrench, clamp, chisel, maybe a CPU chip, (not sure if that would work) or heat sink, gears etc. Basically you glue the bit to the mold, which will be the top when it's flipped. You are sanding the surface with a diamond composite wet sander, so everything gets it surface profile sanded flat and smooth. It would make a hell of a conversation piece.

I saw one with bike parts that was neat and had gears etc in the surface. It's a cool look.

Pete

I'm going to write this on my hand so i talk to you about this today...but i would be very much into helping out with this project! Very much up my alley! I have a few places I can look as well and see what I can come up with. Money is a bit tight since I have other projects in the works but we can work on the financing of it when we talk.

red glass is not common, it requires gold cloride or some such thing to make it and that makes it less common, in stained glass, the tint is a surface treatment I believe, anyway George H. has a friend who does stained glass works here at the hackfactory sometimes, he would be the person to ask about red glass.

Had I only known. I left a significant quantity of red sheet glass (pieces, large) behind in MA. (To be fair, the glass was more "her's" than "ours" anyhow.)

My source was a stained glass artist who was moving to a smaller studio and disposing of 20+ years of accumulated scrap. Perhaps there's a local artist in similar circumstances?

Sorry I can't be of specific help.

Are there alternatives to glass? Sheet plexiglas (cheap at Ax-Man) and anilin (sp) dye? "Frosted" plexiglas and a light application of Krylon?