What can i do with old glass electric insulators?

Old glass insulators are a popular item for numerous craft projects, upcycling projects, decoration projects and the fact that they are very cheap and relatively easy to find makes them a great material for DIY projects – lamps, succulent planters, garden lamps, table decorations, etc.

How much are old glass electric insulators worth?

On average, these glass insulators tend to sell for around $20, though there are special instances where insulators can sell for significantly more than that. Generally, the insulators that sell for more are rare, either because of their manufacturer or their color.

Which glass insulators are worth the most?

Most Widely Popular Glass Insulators – Based primarily on overall collector perception, at any collecting level, of the most widely popular insulators in the hobby, common to rare.

Most Desirable CD Styles.

Rank CD Votes
1 CD 257 (Mickey Mouse) 25
2 CD 145 (Beehive) 25
3 CD 162 (Signal) 22
4 CD 102 (Pony) 18

How do you date glass insulators?

All dots around the year code should be counted (a colon counts as two dots), and added to the date of mold manufacture. This gives the actual date the insulator was produced. Style 3 is the most common.

How do you turn a glass insulator into a light?

Sean Rubino – YouTube

Are glass insulators still used?

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s many of these lines were dismantled as technology advanced. Today, a few lines using glass insulators are still in service, but are only a tiny percentage compared to the heyday of open wire communication.


What is a vintage glass insulator?

Vintage Glass insulators were first produced in the 1850s for telegraph lines, then for telephone and power transmission lines. They insulated and protected the wooden poles from the electricity coursing through the wires. They are made from glass, porcelain, or composite polymer materials (non-conductive materials).

Are electric insulators worth anything?

Color – The color of the insulator typically makes the most difference in value. For example, an aqua colored insulator might be worth $5, but a cobalt blue insulator might be worth $300!

How much is a Hemingray glass insulator worth?

What Are Hemingray Insulators Worth? Because the Hemingray-42 insulator is one of the most common, they tend to be an affordable collectible. Most sell for under $10.

Are Purple insulators rare?

Collectors rate them according to age and rarity of color. Clear, aqua and green glass are the most common. “The rarest are glass insulators in purple, light green, deep amber and those that are threadless,” says Judy Tackett of Attic Delights in Orange, who collects insulators.

How do you drill a hole in old glass insulators?

Drilling A Glass Insulator – YouTube

Where are glass insulators used?

Glass insulators are perfect for upcycling projects, and with their industrial style, they are an excellent material for lights, candle holders, or other decorations.

How do you cut a hole in a glass insulator?

Use diamond bits to drill your glass, not carbide bits. Use diamond hole saws to drill holes 1/4″ and larger or to drill holes in thick glass like glass block or wine bottles. Use plenty of lubrication/coolant to keep your drill tip cool and the hole clean. Use less pressure!

How do you make a thermal insulator?

Place smaller plastic cup inside the larger plastic cup and fill the gap between the two cups with desired insulation material (paper, cotton, foil, rice, beans, etc.) 2. Fill the smaller cup with hot or cold liquid and wrap the entire thing in aluminum foil 3. Use tape to seal the thermos if necessary 4.

What is an insulator light?

Glass insulators are no longer manufactured. Insulatorlights are made from reclaimed glass insulators. … Insulators have been cleaned, polished, drilled, lamped, and are ready to hang.

What color is the best insulator?

Properly working insulation should be a yellow, white, green or pink color depending on the manufacturer. Move the insulation on the basement ceiling around a little bit (just use a wooden spoon or other object to push it back and forth) to see if it has darkened.

What are old glass insulators made of?

Commonly made from glass or porcelain in a dazzling array of shapes and colors, including amber, cobalt blue, olive green (one shade is known among insulator collectors as “Seven-Up”), and royal purple, antique insulators are prized for their rarity and physical beauty.

What can you do with insulators?

Delicate Projects That Repurpose Old Glass Insulators

  1. glass insulator candle-holder.
  2. the perfect lantern for hanging outdoors.
  3. a special candle ornament designed for your dinning room table.
  4. wood and glass merged into a vintage retro appealing candle.
  5. driftwood has been used for these special twin candles.

How old are ceramic insulators?

Porcelain insulators had their start when local potteries began making telegraph insulators in the 1850’s and 1860’s. These crude early pieces were usually threadless and were produced in much lower quantities than their glass counterparts, and few have survived the years.

What is a Hemingway glass insulator?

Hemingray Glass Company. The Hemingray 42, a telegraph pin insulator produced by the Hemingray Glass Company, is widely found in North America. Formerly. Gray &amp, Hemingray. Gray, Hemingray &amp, Bros.

How old are Hemingray insulators?

The earliest Hemingray insulators are likely lightning rod insulators from the late 1850’s. The last Hemingray insulator was made in 1967. Over the 100+ years of production, they made billions of insulators, in-fact in 1937 they had made there billionth Hemingray insulator!

What is a Hemingray insulator used for?

A. Hemingray insulators were used for a variety of purposes, but the primary goal was always the same: to insulate an object from another object, whether that was a telephone pole, telegraph pole, power line, lightning rod, or battery platform.

Can you drill a hole in a glass insulator?

Glass insulators are among the sturdy objects that you can find to drill in. … To drill glass insulators, make putty out of flour, then circle the putty around the glass insulator’s edge, pour water or an easily available coolant inside the putty, and select an appropriate sized diamond or carbide drill bit.

How do you make a hole in a glass light bulb?

The fastest way into a conventional, glass light bulb is with the corner edge of an ordinary, metal, nail file. Even the teeth on a portion of a fine-toothed hacksaw blade held almost flat against the glass will get through pretty quickly, if a file is not available.

How do you drill a hole in a glass vase?

Drill Holes in Glass Easily Wine Bottles, Mason Jars ( in under a …

Should we use glass to insulate electrical wires?

The property that distinguishes an insulator is its resistivity, insulators have higher resistivity than semiconductors or conductors. … This is known as the breakdown voltage of an insulator. Some materials such as glass, paper and PTFE, which have high resistivity, are very good electrical insulators.

Is bubble wrap a good insulator?

Insulate Windows

Those tiny bubbles of air in bubble wrap have insulating properties. Put this ability to good use by lining drafty windows with bubble wrap in the winter to keep the room warmer.

Is tin foil a good insulator?

Aluminum foil can be an effective insulating material because it doesn’t radiate heat out into the environment. That’s what makes it effective directly under a roof: although it will warm up through conduction from the shingles, it won’t radiate that heat out into the attic space. … And that’s how foil insulates.

What is the best homemade insulator?

The Best Insulators to Keep Water Hot

  • Fiberglass. Fiberglass consists of strands of glass woven together to make a kind of fabric. …
  • Foam Insulation. Foam insulation is made from polymer plastic derived from crude oil. …
  • Thermal Flask. …
  • Styrofoam. …
  • Other Materials.

Do dark colored houses get hotter?

The color of your home is directly related to the amount of heat absorption. According to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Cooling Your Home Naturally report, dark, dull colors can absorb 70 to 90 percent of the sun’s radiant energy, which can then be transferred into the home.

What is green insulation?

Technically speaking, home insulation is green by its very nature because it saves energy. Then why is “green” insulation greener? For some people, it’s green when it contains a high percentage of recycled materials, for others, it’s when it doesn’t contain harmful substances that can cause health problems.

Which color absorbs heat the most?

If you consider it a color, black absorbs the most heat. A black object absorbs all wavelengths of light and reflects none. Objects that are white, on the other hand, reflect all wavelengths of light and therefore absorb the least heat. Now, what about a color like yellow?