A handbook of laboratory glass-blowing

"A Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing" by Bernard D. Bolas is a practical guide to glass-blowing techniques relevant for laboratory settings, written in the early 20th century. This comprehensive manual focuses on the methods and principles necessary for creating and manipulating laboratory glassware. Intended for students and practitioners in chemical or physical laboratories, it covers various skills from basic tube sealing to advanced internal seals and apparatus construction. The opening of the handbook outlines the purpose and structure of the text, emphasizing the balance between the simplicity of some glass-blowing tasks and the complexity of others. It addresses common failures experienced by scientific workers, not due to lack of ability, but from misunderstanding techniques. The author introduces key principles, tools, and apparatus, detailing the methods for effective glass manipulation with a particular focus on the importance of understanding the reasoning behind each procedure, allowing readers to adapt techniques to fit their specific requirements. Furthermore, the text hints at the diverse applications of glass-blowing in scientific experiments, setting a foundation for the detailed instructions that follow in the subsequent chapters.