Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: Andy on March 05, 2012, 04:35:38 PM
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Just thought i'd share this Warning to the board !!!
Taking a few photos in the sun for ebay, with this faceted Caithness Paperweight, I could smell smoke,
just like a magnifying glass, almost in any position in the sunshine, it was focusing the light to the point of fire !!!
Scared to sell it now, will have to put a Big warning on the listing !!
Something for Glass Collectors, New and Old to be very careful of, although its the first time i've come across such a dangerous piece of glass!
:sun: :sun:
Be Careful out there!!
Andy
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Caithness weights come with a warning label about that these days.
You're not the first though, to have this problem - Allister Malcolm burnt Max's drawers!
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,2845.0.html
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lol! Beat me to it Sue! :clap: :thup: ;D
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Please also see the following link to a recent Paperweights post by Otis and the response by Alan ("tropdevin").
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,45989.msg259845.html#msg259845
Otis provides a link to a newspaper article which is similar to others that have been reported in the past. Alan's comment with respect to shape and the related focal point is very relevant, as is his warning about other effects of the sun on glass paperweights.
But it's not just paperweights that could produce a sharp focus of sunlight. A knopped stem of a drinking glass may be just as good at focussing the sun's rays. And also a clear glass body of an animal figurine might in some cases have the same affect.
The display in sunlight of any clear glass item with an appropriately shaped solid section should be considered carefully.
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Ive always been aware of the risk, this ones just so quick, Winter Sunshine as well !
Might try and get a video later, and pop it on youtube.
Ive mentioned it , in the ebay listing, and I'm hoping a couple of budding Arsonists have a bidding war for it ! >:D >:D :24: :X:
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I did it too!!! :-[
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,42604.msg237035.html#msg237035
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It's the winter sun that is the worst! It reaches places you wouldn't expect.
I have a Baccarat crystal ball (about as good a lens as you could hope to find....) which used to be in a wooden cabinet that I was convinced was out of the reach of the sun. One winter's day I noticed the smoke...
Not only had the crystal ball scorched the cabinet, it had acted as a perfect sun-recorder. There was a trail of scorch marks - including breaks where the sun had gone in. The crystal ball is now tucked well out of the way...
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Wow! that is shocking. "I see the light, I see the burn........ that surely does make my stomach turn". I just can't see how a small unreadable label stuck onto a paperweight or printed on a box is going to prevent tragedy from occurring. I think more should be done. Far more better awareness than what they do for the tobbaco users as more lives could be at potential risk! An advert on the TV would be a good starting point, don't you think?
Glass Paperweights are very attractive by all age groups and can you imagine a person just buying one and taking it home only to remove alllllllllll contents so that it can be nicely displayed in natural light.
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You are right Otis, the label only says 'Do not leave in direct sunlight'. and someone on this board thought it might be because the glass colours would fade, a very plausible thought.
The label doesn't say WHY it should not be left in sunlight, or even that it can be dangerous, and if you see the damage done to our windowsills in the link I gave above, you can see, that had we been out for the day....the house could well have been totally destroyed.
Good advice is never a waste of time, is it?
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I emphatically agree Rosie, more needs to be done. How about this for as a simple but effective kick start on highlighting better awareness..........................................WARNING! "Implimentation prevents intervention from the firestation, 'Ensure your glass paperweight is kept out of direct sunlight........ AT ALL TIMES".' ;D
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I have been aware of this problem for years, a lot of housholds have a paperweight or three displayed on a surface of some sort in their house and are oblivious to the fact that it could start a fire, even the Fire Brigade make no mention of this when giving fire prevention lectures to Communities at public fire safety meetings and when it's mentioned to them they appear a little taken aback themselves, I wonder how many hous fires have been recorded as 'cause unknown'. The majority of weights that are coming from China carry a paper label on the base, as quoted, 'keep out of direct sunlight' of which most people don't know what the significance of the label means, I've asked several selling these weights what they think it means and 9 out of 10 say 'to stop them fading', I tell them, think again, they are shocked when told what it actually means, what these lables SHOULD say is 'fire hazzard, keep away from the sun'.