Sealing glass fibre wicks.

I just bought a length of glass fibre rope used to seal the doors of domestic wood burning stoves and am curious as to how to seal the ends of for use as preheating whicks.

I have access to acetylene/oxygen at work but I have an alcohol torch in need of service around here somwhere but it is of very small stature.

Will it suffice to melt the glass, and do I thus have a reason to attempt to dig it out from somwhere in storage for fettle and use, or should I just bring it to the big guns at work?
It would be great if the tiny alcohol torch would do the job but I have no idea as to what temperature is needed to melt glass fibre or what output the torch has.
While it is very tiny btw it is still uses a pump, so its not as anemic as one of those that use felt and an air tube

 

Hi Eamonn, I have never heard of anyone successfully sealing the ends of cut glass fiber rope using melting.
Most stovies use a few turns of copper or stainless steel wire to bind the ends, or join the two ends together to form a neat circle in order to fit the pre-heater cup.
Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Hi Eamonn. As Kerophile has said, most people bind the ends with wire - Link .

Terry

 

So what you are saying I have to use the welding torch

Thank for the replies and I have read the tutorials but If I have the ability to do so I just feel more comfortable with fusing the ends together as I know how uncomfortable glass fibre can be to handle.

Besides, it might be classified as an experiment

 

JB-Weld (NOT JB Kwik) did the job for me. Apply on ends and hold with masking tape (if joining ends) during cure. Just follow directions and let cure 16 - 18 hrs before using.
I do not know if 'JB' is available in Sweden, but
surely there are similar products.
Gideon

 

If I had access to a welding torch I would try it!

Men vänta det finns en i verkstan på jobbet
Let's see if the door is unlocked......
Nope.

Please report your results back!

/Lars

 

I wonder if one of the high temperature silicon sealants would work .
kerry

 

JB-weld seems like a good way to go.
Even if melting the ends with high heat was an option, wouldn't that leave you with a small glass fibre doughnut shape, where 1/4 of it is a stiff lump of glass, liable to chip and scratch your tank?

 

Seems like a twist of wire is the easiest and simple way.
Why the focus on sealing the ends? To what purpose?
Sealing the ends would eliminate the wicking of the ends.

Ken in NC

 

I vote you do the experiment. What is the worse that can happen? (aside from some sort of injury and significant property damage, of course)