Topic: curious condition of U. toilet water bottle.

[Paul S.]

Would appear to be a 'dead ringer' for photo 394 (p. No. 195) in Barrie Skelcher's "Big Book of Vaseline Glass" - and like the example shown, mine has been through the wars as well - but I guess a few knocks are to be expected if it's about 160 years old.   What I'm looking for, however, is peoples' opinions on why the surface is so 'crazed' and 'etched looking'.     Under a lens the surface appears covered in the most minute irregular 'tessera', and seems not to be as smooth as you would be expect.     Might this effect have been caused by the contents at some time, or is it more likely that the bottle has been stored near to some acid like substance?    Interestingly, that part of the stopper which sits within the neck of the bottle seems smooth and unaffected.     I would be very interested in anyone's thoughts, and thanks for looking.

[Lustrousstone]

Could it be crizzling?

[chopin-liszt]

Looks more as if it's been left out in a sandstorm, or got itself into a washing machine....... or down the U-bend?

[Max]

I fink you might find this interesting.  

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,3221.msg24914.html#msg24914

(and remember I've just scrubbed and painted the garage doors again, so that's why I have revolting fingernails!)  

[Lustrousstone]

For the scientifically minded, this article explains crizzling http://www.vam.ac.uk/res_cons/conservation/journal/consjournal29/crizzling29/index.html

It doesn't mention lead glass, but the chemistry must be similar

[Paul S.]

sincere thanks to all of you  -  as I'm presently at work, and in theory at least being paid for doing work completely unrelated to glass ,  so I'm unable to digest what, especially Max and Christine, have kindly contributed.     I will look later, but can say it is fascinating to see another piece with the same defects.   Perhaps it was a 'rogue' batch at the B. & S. factory at one particular time.       However, don't think that we Brits. should call it 'Vaseline'  -  should we?    
"scrubbed and painted the garage doors again" -  sounds like this a regular feature of your life Max

[vidrioguapo]

(and remember I've just scrubbed and painted the garage doors again, so that's why I have revolting fingernails!)   Embarrassed

Must be catching, I've just done mine too

And painted the front of the house................ :thup:

[johnphilip]

Hi Emmi is hubby scared of ladders?  

[vidrioguapo]

LOL!  No, but I like painting!!! We are the ultimate odd couple, he cooks, I paint walls :24:

[Paul S.]

It would be tedious to comment further on the wise words that have gone before  -  sufficient to say thanks again to Max for posting the links to her similar bottle, and to Christine for posting the results of our income tax investments with the V. & A.     I have also been 'dump digging' (that's not dump in our sense) and would agree with Frank - I don't recall bottles coming out looking like this.  Max doesn't comment about her toilet water bottle 'weeping/bleeding', and mine certainly doesn't (seems as dry as a bone), and I'm not remotely qualified to comment re the sweating or tasting of vinegar issues.  So, having read most of the thread and links, I'm going with the idea of 'crizzling' as suggested by Christine, and give just a couple of extracts from the V. & A. techie article to support my amateur opinion;
"these 'high alkali, low lime' glasses also suffer from poor chemical durability.
"This poor durability manifests itself in a number of ways, but one of the most distressing is crizzling. A crizzled surface will become covered with minute surface cracks, which over time will grow and penetrate the whole body of the glass and lead to its physical collapse...
"and it is this cycle of hydration and dehydration that occurs during environmental fluctuations which leads to the formation of surface cracks. The surface swells as it absorbs moisture, and shrinks as it loses moisture"
I'm more than convinced my piece has never been in the ground  -  so maybe it was just a poor batch mix on rare occasions, and the unaffected stopper base remains o.k. because trapped in the neck of the bottle it was not exposed to oxygen which, combined with a 'high alkali' metal destroys the integrity of the glass.   In fact the crizzling has penetrated the full thickness of the bottle (I didn't think it had at first).   Anyone want a used 'crizzled' U. toilet water bottle
Streuth, wish I'd never bought the thing - think I will bury it in the ground.
P.S.  In fact Max I would never have thought of commenting on your nails,......sniff -  sniff  -  sniff ....hang on - is that peacock I can smell