The secondary glass colors are melted in smaller furnaces located on a platform near the forehearth channel. As the base glass flows down the forehearth, one or more secondary glasses are ladled by hand into the stream. Then, at the stirring bay, the different glasses are carefully stirred together by a skilled operator using a hand-held rod. Of course, both the timing of the ladling and the stirring technique are critical to the end result, and vary for different products. The ladlers pour at carefully timed intervals, watching clocks equipped with timing lights to cue their movements.
Stirring technique is very important.
Inadequate stirring results in uneven distribution of color across the sheet. Over-stirring causes a muddy appearance and destroys definition between the colors. If the glasses are stirred too little, they tend to repel each other, creating splotchy areas and wide gaps in the mix. To complicate matters, many products, like Baroque, OpalArt and other specialties, require very different stirring techniques to create and sustain their unique characteristics. It's no wonder that the skills take years to master.