Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: Breakable Bottles for stage fight

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Breakable Bottles for stage fight

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2833
Printed Date: 1/22/25 at 2:07am
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Topic: Breakable Bottles for stage fight

Posted By: Darlin Barry
Subject: Breakable Bottles for stage fight
Date Posted: 11/21/07 at 2:00pm

Help! Buying breakable bottles from a professional prop website is too expensive, I found a site that offered them at $34.50 each, which is out of my reach. So, am looking for a do-it-yourself 'sugar' bottle recipe, as well as how to makes the molds. Can anyone guide me in the right direction? Thanks. ok to contact me: mailto:darlinbarry@aol.com - darlinbarry@aol.com

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theatre counts.

Replies:

Posted By: neilfortin
Date Posted: 11/22/07 at 11:55am

http://www.theatrefx.com/store/commerce.cgi?product=breakaway_glass - http://www.theatrefx.com/store/commerce.cgi?product=breakaway_glass

We have used Theaterfx.com before for breakaway bottles for a Speakeasy scene...they are about 100 dollars for 6, which is the cheapest site that I have found for breakaway glass!

To make your own there is a pretty good recipe in The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook.

We have used this book on a variety of occasions, and the glass works pretty well for a window or something flat, but im sure you could find a way to mould it into a bottle shape.

Just did a quick internet search and came up with the following for moulding the bottle...

Instructions

Materials :

Old saucepan
Oven
Baking thermometer
2 measures of water
1 measure of golden syrup
3 1/2 measures of sugar
A mould for your glass (depending on the shape requirements)

Steps :

Mix the water, golden syrup and sugar together in the saucepan and bring it to a boil on the oven.
Leave it boiling until the mixture is thick, with almost all the water boiled off.
Pour it into whatever mould you're using and let it cool.

Notes :

Keep it out of moist areas and direct sun.
Sugar glass doesn't last long (warps or goes sticky) so make it close to the time when you plan to use it.
Though only sugar, the glass can have sharp edges/points when broken, so be careful when handling.
Do not let the sugar caramelise otherwise it turns into a horrible brown
To achieve the see through glass affect use liquid glucose instead of golden syrup. It still has the same properties just that it is clear.

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Community Theater makes us smile

Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 11/24/07 at 10:21am

I CAUTION YOU however that if you TRY to make your own they have to be made in SILICONE or ALUMINUM MOLDS....the standard. FURTHER you HAVE THE BE VERY VERY CAREFUL as these "cooked" formulations are EXTREMELY HOT - I'm talking LAVA HOT HERE and can cause severe, severe burns if you spill or splash it on your skin. There is a product called PICCO RESIN that's made for this purpose, doesn't need to be heated I don't think but requires silicone or aluminum molds as well. THAT is the only way to remove these things from a mold. Can't be a porous plaster mold or anything like that. The price they charge for these things is totally outrageous if you ask me. ALSO the SUGAR recipes are a mess, MUST be cleaned up as quickly as possible otherwise you draw ants, bugs of any kind bent on a good sweet meal.

BE VARY CAREFUL. NOT an EASY PROCESS TO DO. There is a WATER CLEAR silicone that will hold shape that's breakaway as well though you don't get the SOUND although the resultant shards are safe enough to roll around in naked without fear of being cut. Even sugar glass DOES create shards that can be sharp, pointed and dangerous if it hits the eyes or whatever. JUST PLAY SAFE and SMART.

TonyDi

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"Almost famous"

Posted By: Darlin Barry
Date Posted: 11/25/07 at 11:02am

Thanks Tony and Mike for the info. Good to know the pitfalls of making the sugar bottles. I figured it wouldn't be easy, but your info really gives me the picture of how difficult it is. Do you know where I can buy the "Water Clear" silicone? Is there a brand name I should be looking for? Thanks!

darlin

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theatre counts.

Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 11/25/07 at 12:04pm

Yes I think Smooth-ON sells a water clear silicone specifically designed for making GLASS. I think also Polytek also has some resin formulations that could be like Picco Resin as well. The clear silicone is a very cool product, looks like glass and breaks ok - just that it's a rubber product and therefore you have to handle it gingerly to a degree but it's some cool stuff. Here's POLYTEK's link http://www.polytek.com/ - http://www.polytek.com/ Just to look at and see what they might offer. I don't think they have a clear silicone however - I've looked. I thought they did but I don't find it listed there anymore.

And here is Smooth-ON's http://www.smoothon.com/ - http://www.smoothon.com/ Their product is called RUBBER GLASS and you CAN make bottles with it though it's MOSTLY used for broken glass or fake diamonds. But if you make a core you can cast 1/8" thick bottle with it and even tint it if you need colored bottles.

That should at least get you a start on the product and what it CAN be used for. Also look for that PICCO RESIN. I'm not sure if that needs to be heated or not but you CAN make silicone molds to pour it in and then make lots of bottles with it. NOT too cheap but effective so I've heard. And that's likely what those pre-made things are anyway. Where to buy PICCO resin - I've looked and can't find the source I USED to have. I think it's a theatrical supply place in CA someplace or MOVIE supply industry. AS I recall, they advocate aluminum molds for those things but I STILL think you can use a superb silicone that will hold up. Just not sure which one would be best - GI-1000 perhaps from Silicones, Inc.??!! But again the silicone products are pricey. Polytek also would have a line of high temp silicones as well as Smooth-ON, that could be used I suppose. Check their product line - MANY silicones to choose from.

TonyDi

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"Almost famous"