The following is an article I wrote for the WCBO some time ago. Which is a publication of the Window Cleaning Resource. Chris and Alex Lambrinides have allowed me to write it again here and to make ammendments in light of more recent discoveries and theories. The research of the two Pauls has also very recently been expanded in a very powerful way. Which I will be writing about shortly. But not in this post. Here is the article I originally wrote for the WCBO including an addendum that was never published anywhere.
The Ghost Particle Amended
After discussing with Paul West the results of the tests performed for their presentation at the last IWCA convention entitled “A Search for the Invisible Intruder”, I couldn’t resist giving this article the title “Ghost Particle”. When Paul West and Paul Duffer (henceforth to be referred to as the two Pauls) embarked on this mission of eminence, I don’t think they had any concept of where it was going to take them. Into a bright light that was going to shine on everyone of us bringing the kind of glory that we certainly wouldn’t run from. Or into a dark cavern of inexplicable horrors. I can now see that it was the latter. No one could have been more surprised then the two Pauls.
Since they quite lucidly explained everything at the convention using exceptionally high quality slides for visual impact and education, any reference to their discoveries here will be simple reiteration. Yet for an intended purpose. That being to refresh our memory of what was discovered and discussed, in order to assist in leading us out of the dark cave. To get there however we will have to continue what was started many years ago. As have the two Pauls. That being namely an in depth study of the physical and possibly chemical mechanisms involved in the issue of scratches on architectural flat glass surfaces. This will bring us the glory that none will want to run from.
All scientific studies begin with a question. This was no different. The question was very simply, “Can we absolutely identify the invisible intruder?”. In other words (these being my own), is it indeed possible to prove beyond question that fabrication debris does become fused to a glass surface during the tempering process? Sufficiently so that when broken away or dislodged with a metal scraper and dragged across the glass surface, that Ghost Particle would create a scratch. They were also in high hopes of being able to very specifically characterize scratches caused by such a particle for easy identification in future field cases. Unfortunately their experiments while shedding light on these questions, did not give them the absolutes they were hoping for. Instead their test results raised more questions. Which I believe must be answered before we can progress in our understanding.
While I do not believe in ghosts, I do believe in what I will call here the Ghost Particle. It is in fact invisible. Or is it? The two Pauls did prove that sand particles (which are very abundant in the field) can be harder than glass. These particles can easily cause scratches on glass. Such as when dragged under a squeegee rubber, steel wool, cloth, or even a metal razor. Glass particles/fabrication debris/microfines can also scratch. A metal stylus can scratch. Along with other different particles and objects that are as hard as or harder than glass. The question again was, is it possible to determine exactly what caused the scratch with a microscope? Was it a metal stylus, a particle of sand, or a glass particle/microfine? Paul West told me that it is only possible to determine whether it was a blunt object or a rather sharp one such as a particle of sand or glass. During the IWCA presentation slides of scratches all caused by hard sharp particles were shown. Everyone was asked if they could tell exactly what caused these scratches. No one was able to offer a definitive conclusion. No one knew. Even the point of indentation (where the scratch begins) showed no apparent difference. In fact the total scratch morphology (point of indentation, track, and finish) gave us no clue as to exactly what sharp particle caused the scratch.
Here is another question. We have always believed that microfine particles released by flat glass when it is scoured and broken, are pushed into and fused to the glass surface during the tempering process. Actually bonded to the glass surface. So the two Pauls set up a few different experiments hoping to duplicate this effect. While they did have limited success, the results were much less than favorable in proving our previous beliefs beyond a question or doubt. What they did reveal were some very interesting results. Which in my opinion, will force us to reconsider/rethink and develop more powerful analytical techniques. What we absolutely need is a full color video showing the face of our Ghost Particle wearing a sneer. But with the high tech analytical tools of this century, I don’t see that as being very difficult. Just expensive.
Simply put, when they did their tests they were not able to permanently fuse glass particles to the surface. They used different sized particles of glass and sand. These could be pushed into the glass, but would not bond or fuse once the glass cooled. Every particle was quite easily removed. When glass is heated in the tempering process the surface becomes rather soft. And so as has been stated they were able to impinge glass and sand particles into it. However both the glass and sand particles just ‘popped out’. Most times they just blew away. According to Paul West it was very difficult to get sand or glass particles to stick to glass. Even when the particles were sandwiched between two pieces of glass and put through the tempering oven, as much as 95% of the particles could be easily brushed off.
What is truly fascinating about these results is that they seem to run contrary to my own personal experience. In the last 33 years of cleaning windows I have uncovered many window glass surfaces that seemed to have very small hard particles permanently embedded. When I scraped I could hear that tell tale sound. Then when I soaped, squeegeed, soaped again with clean water, and scraped again;...I could still hear the same sound. The Ghost Particle was seemingly still there. It was also seemingly embedded in the glass surface. Further, I ended up creating scratches when I scraped these windows. At times the scratches could only be seen in the direct sun because they were so small. Even microscopic. But they showed every pass of the razor.
I concluded that I was dealing with embedded particles because of my experience and what we as window cleaners have believed for many years. Which still might be the absolute truth. However it is good to consider something at this juncture. That sound is not necessarily proof of a particle. We might be dealing with a collection of depressions with microscopic chips removed, or indentation fractures, or something else completely unknown. The Ghost Particle might not even be a particle at all. I still do believe nonetheless that it wears a sneer. I also believe that the only real absolute we currently own is the fact that all surfaces are not created equal.
Here is one very interesting experience I would like to relate. I was called out to a new commercial building. There were many very noticeable heavy scratches on the glass. The windows were so bad I figured I couldn’t do any more damage. But I tried. With the permission of the contractor/builder I soaped up the window and tried real hard to create more scratches with ‘my’ razor. I ran it in a different direction than the existing scratches so I could easily tell the difference between my scratches and those already there. Yes I could hear that characteristic sound like scraping sandpaper. The surface was seemingly loaded with very hard embedded particles. But I just could not create scratches. Why? To this day I don’t know. All I can do is guess. One thing is sure however. I definitely saved one poor window cleaner. If that isn’t twisted I don’t know what is!
I am sure we can locate and expose the Ghost Particle. Even if it isn’t a particle at all. We need to first find a window that is easy to scratch with a blade. Or any other tool of choice. Create scratches with a unique pattern. Then put a microscope right on it. We might need to remove the window from the sash and bring it into a lab. But either way, we need to implement much more advanced analytical techniques in order to more accurately identify the true nature of this problem/condition. We need to continue this study which we began many years ago. Lets work along with the two Pauls on this quest of eminence. Out of the cave and into the light.
I have also proven just the opposite of this test. By running the razor in the opposite direction I did indeed create more scratches. So this defective tempered surface did produce scratches with the use of a razor. The apparent FD was very heavy. The resulting scratches were rather deep and very easy to see. I have also produced very light scratches on tempered glass. Further;... I have even produced very fine scratches on annealed glass. This is absolute heresy! Such that could never be forgiven. I am sure the masses will dam me to eternal pits of molten tin for writing this! But I was told by Paul West today that he has actually obtained a sample of just this. I would like you to consider some interesting questions.
First have you ever wondered why FD is evenly spread across the entire window? Shouldn't it be patchy? It is also not just evenly spread but is either very fine, very course, or anything in between. But it is never mixed. As if all the particles were all the same exact size. "Dirt" is made up of many different sized particles. Also. If the same exact process is used for scouring and breaking to size all sheets of glass before tempering, wouldn't these microfines be the same exact size in every situation? This would mean that all of the scratches produced on every window should be the same. But they are not. As I have explained here some are very deep, and others are microscopic resulting in what looks like streaks.
In my last post "Stop Scratching Glass" I used the term Fabrication Debris or FD. We have been taught that this is an unquestionable truth. I used the term for lack of another. In our industry there is no other term. But I believe there should be. Consider that there might be no FD. Consider that our understanding of this entire issue could be completely wrong. Not that glass surfaces are not many times defective. Why;... they are getting worse with every passing day. But exactly what is happening? I really believe that even the glass industry doesn't know the answers. So again I have to say, lets support the two Pauls on this quest of eminence. Out of the cave and into the light.
The next post I write will shed light on this issue/topic, and discuss a research project that will run for the next three months until the end of the summer of 2016. You will not want to miss any of these posts.
Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com
Publishing the Product Development Review
35 dollars per issue per month
To receive these posts directly in your inbox just type your address in the box at the top right, "Follow by Email".
The Ghost Particle Amended
After discussing with Paul West the results of the tests performed for their presentation at the last IWCA convention entitled “A Search for the Invisible Intruder”, I couldn’t resist giving this article the title “Ghost Particle”. When Paul West and Paul Duffer (henceforth to be referred to as the two Pauls) embarked on this mission of eminence, I don’t think they had any concept of where it was going to take them. Into a bright light that was going to shine on everyone of us bringing the kind of glory that we certainly wouldn’t run from. Or into a dark cavern of inexplicable horrors. I can now see that it was the latter. No one could have been more surprised then the two Pauls.
Since they quite lucidly explained everything at the convention using exceptionally high quality slides for visual impact and education, any reference to their discoveries here will be simple reiteration. Yet for an intended purpose. That being to refresh our memory of what was discovered and discussed, in order to assist in leading us out of the dark cave. To get there however we will have to continue what was started many years ago. As have the two Pauls. That being namely an in depth study of the physical and possibly chemical mechanisms involved in the issue of scratches on architectural flat glass surfaces. This will bring us the glory that none will want to run from.
All scientific studies begin with a question. This was no different. The question was very simply, “Can we absolutely identify the invisible intruder?”. In other words (these being my own), is it indeed possible to prove beyond question that fabrication debris does become fused to a glass surface during the tempering process? Sufficiently so that when broken away or dislodged with a metal scraper and dragged across the glass surface, that Ghost Particle would create a scratch. They were also in high hopes of being able to very specifically characterize scratches caused by such a particle for easy identification in future field cases. Unfortunately their experiments while shedding light on these questions, did not give them the absolutes they were hoping for. Instead their test results raised more questions. Which I believe must be answered before we can progress in our understanding.
While I do not believe in ghosts, I do believe in what I will call here the Ghost Particle. It is in fact invisible. Or is it? The two Pauls did prove that sand particles (which are very abundant in the field) can be harder than glass. These particles can easily cause scratches on glass. Such as when dragged under a squeegee rubber, steel wool, cloth, or even a metal razor. Glass particles/fabrication debris/microfines can also scratch. A metal stylus can scratch. Along with other different particles and objects that are as hard as or harder than glass. The question again was, is it possible to determine exactly what caused the scratch with a microscope? Was it a metal stylus, a particle of sand, or a glass particle/microfine? Paul West told me that it is only possible to determine whether it was a blunt object or a rather sharp one such as a particle of sand or glass. During the IWCA presentation slides of scratches all caused by hard sharp particles were shown. Everyone was asked if they could tell exactly what caused these scratches. No one was able to offer a definitive conclusion. No one knew. Even the point of indentation (where the scratch begins) showed no apparent difference. In fact the total scratch morphology (point of indentation, track, and finish) gave us no clue as to exactly what sharp particle caused the scratch.
Here is another question. We have always believed that microfine particles released by flat glass when it is scoured and broken, are pushed into and fused to the glass surface during the tempering process. Actually bonded to the glass surface. So the two Pauls set up a few different experiments hoping to duplicate this effect. While they did have limited success, the results were much less than favorable in proving our previous beliefs beyond a question or doubt. What they did reveal were some very interesting results. Which in my opinion, will force us to reconsider/rethink and develop more powerful analytical techniques. What we absolutely need is a full color video showing the face of our Ghost Particle wearing a sneer. But with the high tech analytical tools of this century, I don’t see that as being very difficult. Just expensive.
Simply put, when they did their tests they were not able to permanently fuse glass particles to the surface. They used different sized particles of glass and sand. These could be pushed into the glass, but would not bond or fuse once the glass cooled. Every particle was quite easily removed. When glass is heated in the tempering process the surface becomes rather soft. And so as has been stated they were able to impinge glass and sand particles into it. However both the glass and sand particles just ‘popped out’. Most times they just blew away. According to Paul West it was very difficult to get sand or glass particles to stick to glass. Even when the particles were sandwiched between two pieces of glass and put through the tempering oven, as much as 95% of the particles could be easily brushed off.
What is truly fascinating about these results is that they seem to run contrary to my own personal experience. In the last 33 years of cleaning windows I have uncovered many window glass surfaces that seemed to have very small hard particles permanently embedded. When I scraped I could hear that tell tale sound. Then when I soaped, squeegeed, soaped again with clean water, and scraped again;...I could still hear the same sound. The Ghost Particle was seemingly still there. It was also seemingly embedded in the glass surface. Further, I ended up creating scratches when I scraped these windows. At times the scratches could only be seen in the direct sun because they were so small. Even microscopic. But they showed every pass of the razor.
I concluded that I was dealing with embedded particles because of my experience and what we as window cleaners have believed for many years. Which still might be the absolute truth. However it is good to consider something at this juncture. That sound is not necessarily proof of a particle. We might be dealing with a collection of depressions with microscopic chips removed, or indentation fractures, or something else completely unknown. The Ghost Particle might not even be a particle at all. I still do believe nonetheless that it wears a sneer. I also believe that the only real absolute we currently own is the fact that all surfaces are not created equal.
Here is one very interesting experience I would like to relate. I was called out to a new commercial building. There were many very noticeable heavy scratches on the glass. The windows were so bad I figured I couldn’t do any more damage. But I tried. With the permission of the contractor/builder I soaped up the window and tried real hard to create more scratches with ‘my’ razor. I ran it in a different direction than the existing scratches so I could easily tell the difference between my scratches and those already there. Yes I could hear that characteristic sound like scraping sandpaper. The surface was seemingly loaded with very hard embedded particles. But I just could not create scratches. Why? To this day I don’t know. All I can do is guess. One thing is sure however. I definitely saved one poor window cleaner. If that isn’t twisted I don’t know what is!
I am sure we can locate and expose the Ghost Particle. Even if it isn’t a particle at all. We need to first find a window that is easy to scratch with a blade. Or any other tool of choice. Create scratches with a unique pattern. Then put a microscope right on it. We might need to remove the window from the sash and bring it into a lab. But either way, we need to implement much more advanced analytical techniques in order to more accurately identify the true nature of this problem/condition. We need to continue this study which we began many years ago. Lets work along with the two Pauls on this quest of eminence. Out of the cave and into the light.
I have also proven just the opposite of this test. By running the razor in the opposite direction I did indeed create more scratches. So this defective tempered surface did produce scratches with the use of a razor. The apparent FD was very heavy. The resulting scratches were rather deep and very easy to see. I have also produced very light scratches on tempered glass. Further;... I have even produced very fine scratches on annealed glass. This is absolute heresy! Such that could never be forgiven. I am sure the masses will dam me to eternal pits of molten tin for writing this! But I was told by Paul West today that he has actually obtained a sample of just this. I would like you to consider some interesting questions.
First have you ever wondered why FD is evenly spread across the entire window? Shouldn't it be patchy? It is also not just evenly spread but is either very fine, very course, or anything in between. But it is never mixed. As if all the particles were all the same exact size. "Dirt" is made up of many different sized particles. Also. If the same exact process is used for scouring and breaking to size all sheets of glass before tempering, wouldn't these microfines be the same exact size in every situation? This would mean that all of the scratches produced on every window should be the same. But they are not. As I have explained here some are very deep, and others are microscopic resulting in what looks like streaks.
In my last post "Stop Scratching Glass" I used the term Fabrication Debris or FD. We have been taught that this is an unquestionable truth. I used the term for lack of another. In our industry there is no other term. But I believe there should be. Consider that there might be no FD. Consider that our understanding of this entire issue could be completely wrong. Not that glass surfaces are not many times defective. Why;... they are getting worse with every passing day. But exactly what is happening? I really believe that even the glass industry doesn't know the answers. So again I have to say, lets support the two Pauls on this quest of eminence. Out of the cave and into the light.
The next post I write will shed light on this issue/topic, and discuss a research project that will run for the next three months until the end of the summer of 2016. You will not want to miss any of these posts.
Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com
Publishing the Product Development Review
35 dollars per issue per month
To receive these posts directly in your inbox just type your address in the box at the top right, "Follow by Email".
2 comments:
Nice i hope you will have many post like this
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