Have a tile :-\ , have ruled out glass - any new suggestions?
I have some huge recycled ceramic tiles to cover the wood and they work well. because of their size I don't have to stick them down!!
Hi I have some large ceramic tiles glued to the table and the metal mount for the hothead touch screw to the table has well.
I've got Wickes' cheapest large white bathroom tiles :)
I've just Mosaiced mine! Not sure how it will look when finished yet, as not grouted, but otherwise looks good :)
I haven't bothered! I got my table from Ikea, cheap as chips, and it has loads of little marks on the top that give it that lived in, well used look!
I have never worried for one minute that it was going to burst into flames when a little hot bit of glass landed on it either.
My torch is mounted onto a very large metal base plate that provides an area for putting hot rods of glass and tools down onto so I'm not totally irresponsible, but I couldn't see the point in protecting a table that wasn't a family heirloom. :D
Hi
B&Q does 600 mm x 600 mm tiles you should only need one or two
I've got a very large metal sheet too......which is easy to sweep clean with a dustpan and brush....if I ever get the urge to tidy up! ;D
I had half a dozen left over kitchen wall tiles, which didn't cover anywhere near enough of the table so there's lots of burn marks. Then I 'found' a large piece of metal in the passageway and acquired that for the table, easier to clean off as there's no gaps as there were between the tiles and covers a much larger area. Not sure where hubby got the metal though.
A big bit of metal sheet from the scrapyard, works a treat ;D
piece of metal sheet from a skip over the bit nearest the torch, and fireblanket over the rest (cheap table from Ikea, but no marks on it yet)
I have a piece op plywood the same size as the table is to cover the whole table and a metal plate underneath the torch.
Wow so may replies :o thanks so much for all of them, mmmmm mosaic that sound like a whole other fun project, would love to see it when its done!- looks like the tiles are the fave though! thanks again and will keep you posted on how its going. Cheers ;D
I got a sheet of metal from ebay - look under car parts!
I have Ikea rubber mats. It's catches light really fast with flying bits of hot glass, you can smell that it's on fire. It adds an extra element of excitement to bead making. Keep the bead hot, put out the fire, bead still hot? Is the fire out. Yes the bead is still ok, I can still smell burning, is that fresh burning? Is the bead still hot? Nope it's all fine. And it is until the next bit of glass goes flying!
(From a health and safety point of view I wouldn't recommend it and I will be getting a more sensible covering when I move house.)
I used to have a granite worktop off cut but DH took that to make a hearth for the wood burner - I now have a stainless steel sheet that should have been the back splash for my cooker - not sure what will be there if he finds a use for that too :) or ever gets round to fixing it to the wall - ::) the joys of being married to a builder.
Shelia
Just wondering if anyone has tried heat proof paint (the stuff you'd use on a BBQ or radiator) for a wooden table? I'm about to have a workbench made for me with a thick ply top, and I don't really fancy resting my arms on tiles or a cold sheet of stainless - the workshop is mighty chilly, even in summer apparently! Do you think it would work? I will put down a metal baking sheet or two for hot rods & tools, and to protect the area just below the flame, but I want to protect the rest of the surface a bit from flying bits of fritty glass!
There is heat proof and heat proof. The sort of heat a radiator paint has to withstand is a long way from a blob of hot glass. You could try covering the table with tiles/steel and then use cork tiles or place mats for the bit where your arms go. Cork will scorch but not burst into flames, try setting fire to a wine cork and see what I mean. I am a big fan of the creation station and they use pads which are like mouse mats, they get a bit singed but have yet to burst into flames. And any way whats life like without a bit of risk.
I rest my elbows on bags of porridge oats or rice and keep repairing holes with duck tape! Does the trick. Now I have a creation station but still fond of the oats!
Quote from: Glyn Burton on February 19, 2013, 07:03:09 PM
There is heat proof and heat proof. The sort of heat a radiator paint has to withstand is a long way from a blob of hot glass...
That's pretty much what my partner said. Apparently it only works up to a couple of hundred degrees, and beyond that it might give off toxic fumes. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Think I will try to find a few very large floor tiles and just plonk them down in the most vulnerable areas - the rest of the wood can take it's chances. It's unlikely to actually burst into flames, and a bit of scarring will just add character!
I use on of those large heatproof glass (boro?) mat things you have in the kitchen to put hot pans and stuff on. Don't know if it's a good idea or not, but it's worked OK so far. It doesn't protect the whole top, but covers the area right in front of and under the torch.
Nick
Stainless steel cooker splashback for me!
cheapest I could find at the time, floor tiles for me :)
I use an old metal tea tray - don't really need a rod rest as they won't roll off and also very useful if you spill your frit as it can easily be poured back into the pot !
I have bean bags for my elbows, they are meant to be the ones that you put in the microwave and heat up. (You can put them in the microwave.. but they don't heat up and even better don't burst into flames)
Years ago we had a house fire and the fire landed on on the cork tiles, burnt cork tiles smell BAD.
I also have a sheet of the rubbery silicon cookery stuff. It will burn/melt if it's really really hot but I've only got one singe mark so it works most of the time.
Shelia
Quote from: Yellow friend on February 20, 2013, 11:30:13 AM
I also have a sheet of the rubbery silicon cookery stuff. It will burn/melt if it's really really hot but I've only got one singe mark so it works most of the time.
Shelia
Ooh, I was just wondering what temperature that stuff can handle - I have a few bits from the pound shop, including one of those sheets which I mostly use for opening tight jars! :D
The FiL loves his BBQ silicone oven gloves though.
Methinks a bit of google research is in order!
Hi
I use these
http://www.suttontools.co.uk/soldering-melting/soldering-boards.html
the 12x300x300 mm ones to protect the back wall of my shed behind the torch and on the bench. Hot glass no problem, short bursts of direct flame again no problem. They are designed to be able to protect surfaces whilst soldering items on them.