How to Bend Glass Tubing

Glass tubes are found in everything from neon signs to laboratories, and they come in varying sizes. Sometimes you need the tubing to have a special bend for your application. With smaller diameter tubes, you can do the bending yourself by heating up the glass tubing at the bending point. This does involve a bit of technique to do correctly and you may kink some of the metal tubes in the process, but with some practice you'll be able to bend glass tubes in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Laboratory burner with fishtail attachment
• Gloves

Instructions

1. Turn on the laboratory burner and set it at a medium heat. Put on the gloves.

2. Hold the glass tubing between your hands. Hold the tubing over the burner, placing the center of the heat in the middle of the area where you need the bend. Twist the tubing back and forth in your hands to apply the heat evenly to all sides of the tubing. Work the glass over the heat until the glass gets soft.

3. Take the glass tubing off the flame and hold it in place for a few seconds to allow the heat to move through the entire tube.

4. Quickly lift the sides of the tubing to form a bend in the middle. Hold the glass tubing in your hands and allow the heat to dissipate.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need to form a more complex bend, one option is to have a steel cylinder nearby, such as a piece of tubing. Pull the glass against the tubing while it is hot to let the tubing conform to the arc on the cylinder.

References

• Chest of Books: How to Bend Glass Tubing