What can I do with old glass electric insulators

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

How much are glass 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.

What is the most valuable glass insulator?

RankCDVotes1CD 257 (Mickey Mouse)252CD 145 (Beehive)253CD 162 (Signal)224CD 102 (Pony)18

Are 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!

What are antique glass insulators used for?

A: Insulators are those glass or porcelain things you see on the tops and crossarms of telephone poles. Their purpose is to insulate the electrical wires they carry, so that electricity (or telephone calls) don’t all leak into the pole and into the earth.

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.

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.

Where are glass insulators in the wild?

The insulators are from power line distribution and the poles lines used along railroads. Very few will be from open wire telephone distribution since these were taken down many decades ago and converted to cables and put underground. Glass insulators are fast disappearing from the American scenery.

What is a vintage 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).

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.

Article first time published on

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.

What is a pony insulator?

“Pony” insulators, often no more than 3 1/2 inches in height, were used for lower voltage lines, while “Power” insulators for high-voltage purposes were much larger, sometimes weighing more than 30 pounds. The most common style is the “Signal” variety, used for communication and secondary power lines.

How do you clean vintage glass insulators?

Use white vinegar to remove water residue and accumulation from years of the insulator weathering on the pole or lying in a field. Pour white vinegar in a deep bowl, and let the insulator soak overnight. Brush its teeth and threads the next morning. Rinse with clear water to remove the vinegar.

Is glass an insulator of electricity?

Some materials such as glass, paper and PTFE, which have high resistivity, are very good electrical insulators.

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 is insulator glass?

Insulating glass refers to glass that is made to prevent significant heat transfer into or out of a home or building. It consists of multiple pieces of glass separated by spacers made of either metal, such as aluminum, or structural foam.

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!

Is glass a conductor or insulator?

Glass, for instance, is a very good insulator at room temperature, but becomes a conductor when heated to a very high temperature. Gases such as air, normally insulating materials, also become conductive if heated to very high temperatures.

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.

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 can I do with old porcelain insulators?

Scrap porcelain insulators can be ground up for use in road aggregate, ice melt and outdoor tiling. Sometimes, used porcelain insulators can be re-utilized by the manufacturer as raw material for manufacturing new insulators.

When did they stop using porcelain insulators?

They were introduced in the 1840s when the first telegraph lines went up, and they continued in use until the late 1960s, when electric companies started using porcelain insulators and telephone companies switched to plastic insulators.

Are ceramic or glass insulators older?

The earliest insulators were mostly made of glass, because it was cheaper than those made from clay (porcelain or ceramic). … The different colors, shapes and sizes of pin-type insulators gave rise to an amazing diversity of them — collectors have identified more than 9,000 variations.

What does CD mean for glass insulators?

CD stands for Consolidated Design. The CD numbering system was developed by N.R. Woodward.

What is CD in insulator?

Consolidated Design (CD) numbers are assigned to specific shapes of pintype glass insulators, regardless of the manufacturer, embossing or style number. … The CD numbering system is designed to provide a concise way for collectors to refer to these shapes.

What is a Hemingray 42?

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

How do I clean old glass?

1. Add about a tablespoon of vinegar to the glass bottle.
2. Add a teaspoon of uncooked rice.
3. Add a half-teaspoon of liquid dish soap.
4. Fill the bottle halfway with warm water.
5. Shake the bottle well then let sit for 15 minutes. Repeat.
6. For stubborn stains or residue, let the mixture sit overnight.
7. Rinse.

How do you clean carnival glass insulators?

Gently Wash the Carnival Glass Gently place one piece of carnival glass in the soapy water. Use a soft dish cloth to wipe all the surfaces.