Irradiating bottles?

[swizzle]

Since I first learned about the "evils" of irradiating glass I've been on the wagon with most of you about just not doing it and not supporting anyone who does. But....yeah a but...I was thinking about some of my past yard sales. People walk up and see and bottle that I have marked at a moderate and sometimes a low end price but its still to much. They just want something to put in the window. I was considering a what if. What if I bought home all of those plain Jane slicks. The ones I call airplane bottles because of how nice and high the fly overhead. What if I nuked a bunch of those for this target audience. They could be cheap and they would be happy. Now I would never, and I do mean never, nuke even a moderately valuable bottle. This would be done solely on unembossed, otherwise completely worthless bottles. I have no intentions of retiring with this idea. Heck I'd be lucky to make $20 at a yard sale doing this but I figured it be fun to do. I also know someone who likes to use shards for art pieces and I would like to nuke & smash a few pieces for her as well. Ok lets here some thoughts on this one. Swiz

 

[old.s.bottles]

Fine with me...but why don't you just use shards instead of smashing bottles for your friend?

 

[swizzle]

I like breakin' stuff. []

 

[GuntherHess]

I have never had a problem with UV purpling bottles. I think some people do because they consider it different than what the sun does. I dont particularly care for really dark purpling but if you are doing slicks for flea markets thats what people buy.

 

[swizzle]

I don't really care for the dark purple myself. I know to some degree it will happen naturally but the darker it is the more unnatural it looks to me. I think most people who shop for purple glass just assume that purple = old so they don't think they're getting ripped off. I may try nuking various shards as well just to see what happens for my artsy friend. I've been finding some really awesome colors like the last seltzer bottle shards that I found. Unless I find enough pieces to glue it back together. I have a lot of overburden to move to get back down to where I dug those shards. [&o] Swiz

 

[Poison_Us]

I see a lot of nuked glass down at Kellers flea market. I'm not sure if it sells or not cuz I don't go that often. But I do have a question...

What colors of nuke are there? We all konw of the purple... And I have seen discussions of the "amber" cokes that were nuked. Are their other artificial colors from his process?

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Hate it, looks gaudy

 

[CALDIGR2]

I'm with Sick Rick, it's unnatural and unappealing. If you want to color glass do it naturally. You know, good 'ol sunlight.

 

[old.s.bottles]

I just wanta clarify that I don't care for it either, but if it sells bottles that otherwise wouldn't be worth anything, do it.

 

[GuntherHess]

What colors of nuke are there? We all konw of the purple... And I have seen discussions of the "amber" cokes that were nuked. Are their other artificial colors from his process?

clear and aqua will turn purple under UV light (same as the sun)

Things like brown cokes are not done with UV they are done with high energy radiation , probably neutron emissions. That is what I would consider an un-natural color change.