Bending float glass DIY

Bending float glass at a 90 degree angle, how to.

Don't do as I do, cleanup your mess first, wear safety goggles, leather gloves and a non flammable outfit. Heating up flat glass is dangerous as the glass can explode when heated unevenly.

That being said, let's have some fun.

Take a propane torch and a strip of float glass, in my case 2mm thick. Think you can do this with 3 mm as well.
Now Evenly heat the glass along the axis you want to bend.
Notice how I move the glass up and down fast at first. You do not want to put too much heat in the glass in a single spot or bang it goes. Hot pieces of glass flying around your ears.
When the flame turns red/orange on the glass it means you are at or nearing the melting point. Heat the glass a bit more and set your bend.

Yes I know glass does not have a melting point, rather a melting curve. You can even feel the curve, as the glass slowly gets softer.

This technique reminds me a lot of bending acrylic. Although now I use glass in stead of plastic and the temperature is a bit higher. There is also that extra zing of thrill, a good chance of flaming hot shards of glass flying through my workshop.

Hmm for my next birthday I think I should request a fire extinguisher