Making a helix from glass tubing?

[THX-1138]

(Reposted from Amateur Science > Equipment)

 

Perhaps not the right forum, but..

 

I want to make a glass-tubing helix, which will fit inside another glass cylinder. The intent is to use it for cooling some exhaust fumes and gas, but also to learn how to do it.

 

The only idea I have in my head so far is to put a wooden dowel of the correct inside diameter in my lathe, and spin it very slowly as I heat the tubing to malleability and wind it onto the rotating dowel. I'm thinking wood because I've seen it used by glassblowers, and I don't want to use something like steel that's so heat-conductive that the glass will cool too quickly before it's finished being bent.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[Dak]

(Reposted from Amateur Science > Equipment)

 

Don't do that please: just one thread.

 

I'm locking this one