SIMAX

For a few years now, Stained Glass Express has been offering 33 coe glass. We are still learning and still adding product. One of the growing stock is our 33 coe tubes and rods. We stock Simax tubes and rods made by Schott. This is a high- quality borosilicate glass. The main ingredients are silica and boron. Boro has a high heat resistance and a low thermal expansion. (thus the low coe number). Simax works best in high heat and is commonly used in lab equipment, industrial equipment and cookware. However, in our art world it is a favorite because it creates smoot, transparent and strong beautiful pieces. For Simax to work at it’s full potential it must be annealed properly. Annealing is the process of eliminating internal thermal stress. This stress comes from one area of the glass getting hotter than a neighboring area and will later develop cracks. Usually it is annealed at 1050 F for about one hour and then cooled slowly. If you cool too quickly it will crack. Of course, this can vary depending on the thickness of the glass and other variables. You can use Simax glass with other 33 coe glass like Glass Alchemy, Golden Gate, imported, Momkas, Northstar, Tautman and others. We have not put simax on our website but if you talk to us and allow us to cut it to fit a box (or are willing to pay for oversized we will ship it. Our colored rods are on the site. https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/flameworking_glassblowing/33-coe/