

If you’re filling a window that’s 4 feet (1.2 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m), convert each side to inches first: 48 inches (120 cm) by 72 inches (180 cm) is 3,456 square inches (22,300 cm 2).Since glass blocks are measured in inches, convert your measurements to inches first.Use a tape measure and take an accurate measurement of the length and height of the work area. The size of your project depends on the installation area. You want a mold that won't burn or melt from the heat of molten glass - graphite works well.Find the area of the designated wall or window in square inches. If you're going to pour it into a mold, prepare your mold beforehand. If you're going to blow your glass, have a long, hollow, metal tube handy.These additives lower the sand's melting temperature. Add a small quantity (about 1/3 to 1/4 of your sand's volume) of laundry soda, lime, and/or borax to your sand before you begin. Even at the extremely hot temperatures reached in this method, it can be difficult to melt silica sand in a grill.Most charcoal grills will have a vent on the bottom - open this vent. Use the thickest, sturdiest grill available. Use a large charcoal barbecue grill - standard-size "dome" models work well. The materials used are relatively cheap and common - theoretically, all you'll need is a short trip to the hardware store to be ready to make your own glass. This method uses the heat generated by a large charcoal fire to melt silica sand into glass. Prepare a makeshift furnace from a charcoal barbecue grill. Annealed glass breaks into shards at 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi), while tempered glass breaks into small pieces at no less than 10,000 psi and usually at around 24,000 psi. A related process is tempering, in which shaped and polished glass is placed in an oven heated to at least 600 degrees Celsius (1,112 degrees Fahrenheit) and then quick-cooled ("quenched") with blasts of air at high pressure.Research proper annealing methods before beginning. The rate at which the glass must cool may also change - generally, larger pieces of glass must cool more slowly than smaller pieces. The precise temperature for annealing can vary based on the precise composition of the glass from as low as 750 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.Once this process is completed, the glass can then be coated, laminated or otherwise treated to improve its strength and durability. Glass that has not been annealed is significantly weaker. This process is called annealing, and it removes any stress points that may have formed in the glass during cooling.
