FAQ :  HOURGLASSES AND SAND TIMERS

MATERIALS USED ...

What kind of material do you use for making hourglass stands?

The stands are made from solid brass.

What surface finishing do you use?

Hourglasses can have three types of surface finishes: hard lacquered polished brass, antique brass or nickel plating.

Do you also make hourglasses with wooden stands?

No, we do not.

Is the glass part of the hourglass made from some special glass?

Yes, we use top quality borosilicate glass for this purpose. This glass has high optical purity, is very resistant to abrasion, chemicals and heat, and does not break very easily.

What kind of sand do you use?

We produce only hourglasses with white sand (more precisely, ballotini, which is an artificial sand consisting of glass crystal micro balls).

I intend to order your hourglasses, but can you fill them with certain special sand supplied by me?

We regret we cannot accept such orders. Only some kinds of sand are good for making hourglasses, and even the suitable kind of sand requires extensive testing, which is very time consuming and expensive.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes, if you consider the quantity in the order of hundreds or more. Please inquire. Sand, whether natural or artificial, must be very hard, finely and evenly granulated, and heat resistant. In colored sands, the colorant must be resistant to heat, sunlight and abrasion.

RUNNING TIME ACCURACY ...

What is the accuracy of your hourglasses?

We guarantee that the running time of all our hourglasses does not differ from the nominal accuracy by more than plus or minus 10%. Of course, the vast majority of our hourglasses are much more accurate.

Can an hourglass become less accurate after some period of standing idle?

Yes, but this problem has an easy solution. Simply let the hourglass run a few times before you use it for measuring time.

Does frequent use of an hourglass change its accuracy due to abrasion?

No, at least in our hourglasses. The whole glass part is made from a very hard kind of glass, whereas the "sand" (ballotini) is crystal glass, which is much softer.

MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS ...

Does the hourglass require any special way of maintenance?

Our hourglasses require nothing more than removing dust occasionally. They can also be washed in tepid water containing a few drops of detergent, then wiped dry and polished by some soft tissue.

Can organic solvents be used to remove dirt?

Never clean the metal stand with any organic solvents, because you would damage the surface lacquer layer. On the other hand, the glass part is absolutely resistant to organic solvents and to most other chemicals, but you must be very careful to avoid spoiling the stand. The best way is to take the hourglass apart and apply the chemical to the glass part separately.

Do you repair hourglasses?

No, except for hourglasses made by us. However, please take into consideration that the total costs may approach or even exceed the price of a new piece of the same kind.