Glass articles - Scottish Glass General |
Edinburgh Crystal referred to this method of glassmaking as 'continental working' as it is more common on the continent, particularly Germany and Czech Republic etc. The glassmaker doesn't sit at a chair, but works standing up, turning the iron on a 'horse', a steel fork with 2 ball bearings to facilitate turning the iron. Useful for large mould blown ware, but I've seen it used for all sorts, even light bulb envelopes. Usually, the article is made by first blowing a ball, or 'post'. This is cut in at the nose of the iron and allowed to cool. The next gather doesn't cover the nose of the iron, but only the ball. The gather is blocked and blown into a mould.
Caithness Glass in Wick worked this way almost exclusively, (see below - Harrowhill c.1990), because the initial glassmakers were brought in from Italy and Austria to train local workers. The method is best suited for volume mould blown work and anything intricate is probably better made on a chair.
1 |
For large ware - 1st time gather |
|
2 |
Marver or Block. Blow up. | |
3 |
Cut in with tools or block. Allow to cool. This is called a ball. (Swedes call it a post) | |
4 |
2nd time gather. Do not cover the 1st time | |
5 |
This is blocked and blown up. (This enlarged ball can be used to gather again and again until enough metal is taken.) | |
6 |
Blow to shape and finish of in mould. |
Examples at Edinburgh Crystal are shown in the photos from Penicuik here
Footnote: The apparatus is called a horse because when you look at it, it has 4 legs, a body, (the water tank) and a head,(the fork)
Text and Images copyright ©2010 Alastair MacIntosh
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