Sugar glass

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Effect glass called different materials for effect props at theaters and in film and television productions, which are used to represent splintering glass. Until the 1980s it used to so-called sugar glass, a large area crystalline sugar mass, the real glass is very similar. In the meantime, has instead been able to establish a plastic glass under different names ( glass film, theater glass, broken glass effect, crash glass ) shall be purchased in stores.

Use

Effect glass is on stage and in film and television productions used as a glass substitute to minimize the risk of injury. Firstly, the resulting in breaking splitter no sharp edges, the other effect glass has a much lower fracture toughness than real glass. In his best-known form of glass effect is probably to be regarded as a bottle. When a bottle is smashed on a head in the theater or film, this is getting out effect glass.

Sugar glass

Sugar glass objects can be manufactured as a flat disc, but also in any other form of typical objects such as bottles, glasses or dishes.

• A sugar glass is relatively easy to produce. As a basis for sugar glass is, for example, half a kilogram of sugar which is dissolved in 100 ml of boiling water. As a thin layer in a rectangular basin cast, whose floor is covered with non-stick paper, which upon cooling, a glass pane.

• For the preparation of sugar glass hollow bodies ( bottles, vases ) a two-part casting mold is required in which the starting material is hot filled and must be swung up to the cooling and solidification. Individual pieces can also be made "by hand" by the raw material is processed similarly to the glass blowing.

The color can be influenced by the addition of various materials, provided these do not affect the crystallization of the sugar (and even do not form crystal clots ). For the clearest possible sugar glass distilled water is used, hard tap water gives a Milchglaston.

Plastic glass effect

While there is a large catalog of standard forms, shapes can also be realized by the customer. In contrast to the sugar glass, it is also possible to produce more complex shapes and larger areas. The coloration are barely limits, from a complete dye penetration of the product, eg in white as the ceramic replacement, to individual gradients in the clear "glass" anything is possible.

The components of the plastic used are " over-cured ", the result is an extremely brittle and fragile product. For the production of glass effect on plastic base, there are two common methods that are fundamentally different.

Cold Manufacturing process: The basic mass is mixed from a multi-component plastic, evacuated of air and poured into the appropriate mold. After curing, the usually takes only a few minutes, the product can be removed and another cast can be done.

Hot Manufacturing process: The plastic base material is heated up to a certain point and poured into a preheated mold. After cooling of plastic and the mold can be removed from the mold the product and prepare another cast. Compared to the cold producing this type of production takes longer and is more difficult to handle due to the exact Einhaltens the casting temperature.