Okay to start off I am going to say I rarely break glass. In fact this is the first one I have broken. It is repairable as I suspected and was told by my LHS (Hideaway Minneapolis). I brought it in there 99% spotless, however they are about 20-30 small black specks stuck to the glass. They told me to clean it and bring it back (I had soaked it in 91% iso for a whole 24 hours and should vigorously throughout it.). I told them I had already cleaned it, they asked if it was grunge off I said no so they sold me on a piece because they won't fix glass that is not spotless. They told me the kiln could cause the piece to blow up. Should small flecks of resin/marijuana cause it to blow in the kiln? Or would they just burn away somewhat? Any help I can get is greatly appreciated! Also here is a pic:
Re-kilning a peice can cause the welds to break. It has nothing to do with weed. They wont work on dirty peices because they are illegal if weed residue is on it. Try soaking it in simple green over night
I mean I get that however I don't understand if they post the sign "For Tobacco Use Only" on their product shelves, that they would automatically assume it is weed residue. Yes I and everyone else who has ever been in a head shop knows what they really are for however they sell them as tobacco so I could technically say it was just tobacco residue. I know I am putting up a bit of a fight but it's because I am scared no one will fix it if I cannot remove those black specks. When I brought it in there was no smell of weed on it at all. He even sniffed it to check. Yes the welds and re-welds where they have to reattach it get weaker with each kiln session, they just blamed it on the residue and that it would be the cause of the explosion. Kind of disappointed they just couldn't give me a legit answer. I am currently using Grunge Off, if that fails simple green with be my next choice!
You could technically say it's tobacco residue, and the police will say "I and everyone else who has ever been in a head shop knows what they really are for". Being a head shop owner is shaky ground. They could lose their entire business for something like this, so of course they aren't going to risk it. You should be thankful they even let you bring in the piece to take a look at it. There are a few head shops around here that would ban you for life if you so much as walked in the door with a used piece in your hands. There are a number things you can try. Did you try the grunge off yet? When you did the iso shake, did you use salt? And I mean, lots of salt? You could try salt with a coarser grain to it, and I'd make sure to pour enough in that it makes your iso/salt mixture reasonably thick. Almost like a syrup consistency. The salt acts as an abrasive and that's exactly what you need to get those spots out. Of course soaking them for an extended time will help to loosen them up first. And just because you couldn't get them all out the first time, doesn't mean they won't come out on the second or third or fourth try!
The kiln is nothing to fear, they just don't want to touch dirty glass. However, introducing dirty glass into the flame is not a good thing, at that point it could explode. If it was on the outside it could be burned off rather easily, but since it's on the inside of the tube I would also not dare introduce it into the flame without it being completely clean either. But at the same time the part they would be working on is obviously clean or could easily be cleaned. They just don't want to take it with resin in it. And shops know that people most likely are going home and using their products for weed and not 'tobacco use only', but it is how the law must be followed. They sell it to you for tobacco, and you as the customer on your part cannot show intent that you are using it for illegal use, otherwise the sale becomes illegal and every piece of the glass in the store would be considered illegal even if it's clean. It's all about how you show intent, so shops take that seriously.
Yes I definitely used plenty of salt. I will also introduce salt to my Grunge off if the Grunge off itself has not removed it by tomorrow. And good retort, I understand why they do not like dirty glass. Just wish my tobacco claim could be used since they use it haha. Fucking double standards. Yeah I understand the no resin in the shop thing. Oh well I guess I will not give up because I need this piece fixed haha.
Get a 5 gallon bucket an buy a few gallons of Simple Green and reuse the fuck out that shit lol But ya. Your piece WILL be clean if you soak it overnight in simple green lol
Ya you'll probably get it cheaper at Walmart or some super store like that but I'm sure you could buy it in bulk at Home Depot to
Home Depot will definitely have it. Some grocery stores have it too, but they might only have the small bottles. Around here, I can get a big jug of it for about $10. It's awesome stuff. Not just for cleaning pieces either, it's my favorite all-around cleaner. I pour some in a spray bottle and dilute it with water for kitchen/bathroom cleaning, carpet cleaning, you can even use it as laundry detergent.
Damn these testimonials are making me wish I would have gotten Simple Green in the first place... Live and learn I guess.
I still primarily use isopropyl + salt for my pieces. I don't think I've ever actually used Simple Green to clean a piece, so I have no idea if it's more effective or how much you have to use and which one is more cost-efficient. But it's definitely worth a try. And hell, you can keep the leftovers for cleaning any other goddamn thing you would ever need to clean! Side story: I was trying to clean the metal on the faucet and knob in my shower. They were looking all grungy and shit. I had like 3 different bathroom cleaners on hand, tried all of them, tried bleach, nothing was getting the grunginess off. Simple Green got it off fucking immediately. I swear by that shit as a household cleaner.
I've found the folks at Hideaway a little off-putting at some times when I've been in there. (Did you know you can't take pictures of any of the glass in there? I got snapped at for that...) I can ask the folks up here in Duluth at Legacy about your piece for you if you want. I'm pretty good friends with the owner, and his cousin does all the glasswork for them. He might help out, or at least have some ideas. Of course the drive would be bad, but if you're ever up here, it might be a possibility.
You would be a freaking savior of all saviors in my world! I have a buddy in Duluth who I will be visiting late december early january because he will have to work over his holiday break. He goes to UMD. I could definitely run it up there then. And trust me I know how you feel. I have been yelled at for that too, but sometimes sneak em in anyways. And the owner will only higher girls for retail, and one man to watch teh door. He wants hot chicks to sell the product, not the product to sell itself. Odd.