Lead glass vs. Lead-free? Neon tubing comparison

a comparison between two types of neon tubing: vintage lead glass and newer lead-free glass.
4k60 HDR
diamond file: www.mcmaster.c...

[@thewatchworks1372]

I can’t believe how undiscovered your channel is, fantastic content! I found your channel I think almost a year back when you did that neon clock, and I had subscribed instantly, keep up the great content!

[@NeonPreservation]

thank you, i appreciate that... glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@timbrown1098]

Just discovered your channel, I worked at Fallon Neon from 1988 to 2006. Made a lot of open signs and beer signs for the the brewerys back then. Brings back a lot of memories.

[@NeonPreservation]

oh wow, very cool! im merely a novice, but there isn't much neon content out there, so i figured i share what i was learning along the way... maybe someone will find it helpful. cheers!

[@bryanr4338]

It was a game changer when they took the lead out. That's another reason alot of benders quit because it was so different bending lead free. I like to think that only the strong survived. The diamond file is very useful with lead free. Scorching the leaded is easy with really blue flame, if you do get scorching reduce the gas or spread your heads more.

[@MaksimXXL]

I use a tungsten carbide blade (90% tungsten carbide + 10% Wolfram) to cut any glass. Sharpened 45⁰ on both edges. the sharpening needs to be pretty rough for it to work like a file, but it's much sharper and do better. In US you have it in local markets, it called "speedy sharp scoring knife"))

[@NeonPreservation]

nice! ive seen several different tools used to cut tubing... and i do have a Kitco electric glass cutter, but with tubing this small its faster just to make a small score

[@veandreas]

Do you know of any European alternatives? I'm struggling at the moment finding the right tool, tried a key file set and diamond files but they're not so good.

[@MaksimXXL]

@@veandreas you can take any tungsten carbide plate. sold on sites like ebay. And shrarp it

[@NeonPreservation]

yeah, i too tried calling Monarch on the phone a few times a while back but i never got through either. there are some benders who have made their own nichrome wire glass cutter, so it is definitely possible. i will add your request to my list of video ideas! thanks! 👍

[@black94ta]

Glad to see a new video, I always Enjoy your content!

[@Bagooda]

Learned a lot, great video. Awesome jewelry sign too!

[@NeonPreservation]

glad you liked it! and yes, seeing that jewelry sign lit during the day was a surprise, had to get a video... and that "skeleton" diamond in the middle is killer!

[@lukepurser1]

Great content as usual! Keep it up.

[@NeonPreservation]

thank you! :)

[@veandreas]

Very useful, thank you!

[@benperkins5902]

Do you ever need to sharpen the diamond file? If so, how do you do it?

[@NeonPreservation]

when the diamond file gets dull it is due to the loss of the diamond fragments on the cutting surface. i do not know of any DIY way to re-adhere diamonds to the surface.

[@RoastBeefQueefSniffer]

Do you fix signs? I cannot find anyone to fix a sign I have, the tubing broke. Every person I email just doesn't respond. It's just a Guinness beer sign. I'm not even looking for it to be perfect. It was just an important gift to me.

[@NeonPreservation]

sorry, im just an amateur, not skilled enough for that kind of work just yet. shipping neon signs is always a gamble, so it would be best to find someone local to you. that way you could drop off & pickup the sign in person. also, just an FYI, i've heard that beer sign repairs aren't super lucrative so they usually take a back burner to larger/contract projects. you'll just have find a bender nearby and inquire about a quote and their current backlog.

[@SpeedyCorky]

do you know anyone who is selling used neon equipment? I am trying to build a shop in my garage

[@NeonPreservation]

sources of used neon equipment can be scarce, however, the equipment comes up for sale occasionally on craigslist and/or ebay. watch the listings and keep reading books/information, so you can have knowledge of what you're buying when you do find some!

[@PetesShredder]

In the UK, europe and other places (japan I think) we use single big burners instead of the large cross fire for most of our bending. I have heard all sorts of reasons why, but one of the big ones I hear is that a cross fire like you americans use does not get hot enough for our lead free soda glass (which I think we have been using a lot longer than you guys in the states). thats clearly not 100 percent true, as you are heating it up fine with your cross fire in this video. I have also heard that neon benders in the UK came from the scientific glassware manufacturing trade, whereas in the states, the early neon benders came from electronic valve manufacturing, which used glass lathes and cross fires. Do you have any wisdom to add to this? A lot of the videos of neon bending I see are using cross fires, and over here, the big burners we use seem to result in a lot more movement being necessary to evenly heat the glass. I dont think any neon benders in the UK use big cross fires as their main bending torch. Would also be fun to see you attempt to bend using a big single flame like we do here, as im sure its very different.

[@NeonPreservation]

that is a good question! i do not know why there is a difference in torch style preference between the US & Europe. one person who may know is Robert Haus; he is a neon historian and has collected many artifacts & documents from both the US and abroad from the inception of neon to the present day. you can read his bio and find his contact information on his website, Neon Archaeology: neonarchaeology.com/about/

[@llneonwilson]

Scan u get me a job. No more neon now I sold everything why ru telling Who. bS