WFair
Member
I have been researching breakaway glass options for a large window. Clearly alfonso's sells the best "real deal" but it is much too expensive (several thousand dollars) for the high school production I am working on. I am trying to make a large window that an actor can dive through. I could do it out of balsa and saran wrap, but I really want something that is more realistic as this is in an intimate space (small blackbox theatre).
One (very expensive) option is to use a urethane liquid (like "SMASH! Plastic" from smooth-on) except this is a large window and multiple performances...simply too expensive at about $215 per gallon.
The next option is to make more traditional "sugar glass"...which has plenty of videos on YouTube and instructions elsewhere. Sugar is very cheap. The issue there is that it typically is cloudy (if you can't vacuum pump out the air bubbles) and it tends to caramelize and turn yellow...almost impossible to keep it clear.
I found a sugar alternative called Isomalt which presumably would have similar breaking properties as other sugar glass. I have NO IDEA if this is true, but it seems likely based on what I have read. It is less prone to caramelizing (yellowing) and because it can sit at high temperature in an oven for a few hours, I can let the air bubbles come out of it before pouring. I think this would be my best option, as it will give me the clarity I need and costs only moderately more than sugar. A known issue is that if it absorbs the humidity it becomes sticky, and then recrystallizes to a cloudy surface. My concern is that I live in a place with very high humidity and thus I am worried about it becoming sticky and subsequently cloudy.
So I have two questions:
1. Has anyone tried making breakaway glass using Isomalt (specifically chemically pure Isomaltitol that has not been blended with other sugar substitutes)? How were the results?
2. Has anyone ever tried applying (spraying or brushing) a thin clear high gloss polyurethane coating over an isomalt "glass" object? I wonder if there would be any reaction (melting, yellowing, etc) or if it would just form a thin protective moisture barrier? Any other ideas for keeping it from reacting with the air?
One (very expensive) option is to use a urethane liquid (like "SMASH! Plastic" from smooth-on) except this is a large window and multiple performances...simply too expensive at about $215 per gallon.
The next option is to make more traditional "sugar glass"...which has plenty of videos on YouTube and instructions elsewhere. Sugar is very cheap. The issue there is that it typically is cloudy (if you can't vacuum pump out the air bubbles) and it tends to caramelize and turn yellow...almost impossible to keep it clear.
I found a sugar alternative called Isomalt which presumably would have similar breaking properties as other sugar glass. I have NO IDEA if this is true, but it seems likely based on what I have read. It is less prone to caramelizing (yellowing) and because it can sit at high temperature in an oven for a few hours, I can let the air bubbles come out of it before pouring. I think this would be my best option, as it will give me the clarity I need and costs only moderately more than sugar. A known issue is that if it absorbs the humidity it becomes sticky, and then recrystallizes to a cloudy surface. My concern is that I live in a place with very high humidity and thus I am worried about it becoming sticky and subsequently cloudy.
So I have two questions:
1. Has anyone tried making breakaway glass using Isomalt (specifically chemically pure Isomaltitol that has not been blended with other sugar substitutes)? How were the results?
2. Has anyone ever tried applying (spraying or brushing) a thin clear high gloss polyurethane coating over an isomalt "glass" object? I wonder if there would be any reaction (melting, yellowing, etc) or if it would just form a thin protective moisture barrier? Any other ideas for keeping it from reacting with the air?