Re: [ATM] Pyrex Quality Suffering

[Woodchuck <djv@bedford.net>]

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 artbianconi@blast.net wrote:

> I went on a 3 day weekend with some bikers last year to Wellsboro,
> PA. (just 20 miles east of Cherry Springs State Park.)
>
> There aren't many jobs to be had out there and the nearest employer
> of an consequence, Corning Glass works (2 hours north), was rumored
> to have laid off 3000 employees.
>
> This year, Steve Swazie again supported the DelMarva groups Mirror
> Making  event in Delaware. I heard him share his opinion that the
> quality of Pyrex has suffered ever since Corning shut down it's New
> York operation and moved it to England.
>
> The name "Pyrex" is a copyrighted trademark for Corning's brand of
> tempered glass. They are far from being the only supplier of such
> glass and I have noticed many call their glass Pyrex, even when there
> is reason to suspect that it may be someone elses glass.
>
> What I know about glass I can put into a shot glass and still have
> room for a gallon of Pepsi. One thing is clear however (sic!), the
> times they are a changin'.
>
> The assumptions we are used to making about the quality and
> predictable behavior of tempered glass, Pyrex especially, may no
> longer be justified. I am not sure if we should be concerned about
> this or not.
>
> Art Bianconi

Ages ago, 1970's, some suppliers took the Corning blanks and re-annealed
them for the telescope trade.  (If my memory serves me).  Perhaps this
will start up again.

Hmmm.  Dunno about a Corning layoff north of Wellsboro, but there
was a big hit in Altoona, (about 2+ hrs south) at a works that made
television picture tubes.  Shut the plant, sold the machinery to
the Chinese.  *poof*

Nit-pick -- Pyrex isn't tempered, it just has a low thermal expansion
coefficient, so it can, in sections somewhat thicker than regular
soda glass, take thermal shock without cracking.  I believe Pyrex
is a "borosilicate" glass.

Dave

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