Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-01-31
Glass;.

ultM,
The manufacture of glass is naturally Of
great interest to the inquring reader, not
only the beauty Of the material produced,
but also for the variety of notifications
which the ingredients nre subjected to. and
for the nIanual tlcxterity shown IN the pro-
cesses. "Who," says DIR. Johnson, "when
he first saw the sand or Oshes by casual
intenseness of heat melted into metaline
form, rugged with excrescences and cIouded
with impurities, would have imagined that
10 this shupeless lump lay concealed so ma
ny conveniencies of life as would, in time,
constitute great part of the happiness of the
world? Yet by some such fortuiious lique-
faction was mankind tnugbt TO procure n
body Mt once in high degree solid and
Transparent; which might ndmit the light of
the sun, aud exclude the violence OF the
wind; which might extend the sight Of the
philosopher to new rnnges of existence, aud
charm him at one time with the unbouudrd
extent Of material crention, aud at another
with the endless subordinuion OF animal
life; aud what is Of yet more importance,
might supply the decays of nature, and sue
cour old nge with subsidiary sight. Thus was
the first artilicer in glass employed, though
without his knowledge or expectation. lle
was facilitating aud prolonging the enjoyment
of light, enlargeiug the avenues of science,
aud comforting the highest aud most lasting
pleasures; he was enabling the student TO
contemplate nature, aud the beauty to behold
herself"
FLINT GLASS ware, such rs drinkiug-glns
cs, decuniers, lustrcs, lnmp.shades. aud phi
ais nre made by blowing and manual work
Ing and, ia n minor degree, by casting in n
mould. AS nn instance of tho modus oper-
andl of glass making, let us take the dccan.
ter A rnun takes hollow iron tube about
five feet long aud half an inch In diameter,
aud dipping one end into the pot, collects
small quantity of the metal on lis end. The
natal appears like lump ofred-hOt iron, and,
from It's consistcnce, is just able to be retain
ed on the tube. Tho workman whirls il
twice or thrice round his hend to lengthen
the mass, then rolls it or fiat iron surface TO
give II regular shape, afterwards blowing
through the tube to make the glass hollow
After repeating these processes twice or
thrice, another workman receives the metal,
g. sits down in chair having two flat parallel
nrms sloping downwartls. Then, resting the
tube oil these arms, he rolls It backwards aud
forwards TO keep the glass lrom bending
aud a hoy, STOPPING down ut the other end
blows through the tube, which keeps the glass
hollow.
BY the aid Of an elastic instrument, shaped
like sngar-Iongs, the workman brings the
mnss into lorru, rolling the tube continually,
aud heating the glass frequently, so as TO pre-
serve the proper consistence. The "looter"
then brings little melted glass on the end of
his rod, and applies it to the blown mass, TO
which il instantly ndhercs. This is shaped
into foot and the whole is transferred from
the tube TO rOl called the "punty," the
latter adhering to the foot of the decanter
by a touch with piece of cold iron ut its
junction with the glass. Then commences
Ihe upper part OF the decanter. The work
man cuts off piece of glowing glass with
n pair of scissors, so us to allow Of depres
sion for the hp. ant, the edge is bent and curv-
ed for that purpose almost ins;untaneously.- "
The internal cavity and external surface of
the dccanter nre gradually formed by the
workman inserting the tongs into lis mouth,
and twisting il about rs he plenses. The
handle is formed by an attendant bringing n
small mass of melted glass upon the end OF
his rod, which soon adheres 10 the vessel and
by little deXterity Of hand is fashioned to
its proper form.
These processes are performed with great
rapidily, MS the gluss, being neither solid nor
liquid, would drop from the tube if not kept
rotating; ON the other hand, it is capable, in
this condition, of being pulled, twisted,
Stretched cut, aud pressed in almost every
variety of form. The whole is effected 10y
the manual dexteriiy and accurate eye of the
workman, aided by few Of the most sim
pie tools. Now follow the decantor to the
"annealing" the object being TO render the
glass less brittle, aud less liable to fracture
from sudden alterations OF temperature. lf
glass were allowed to cool at once in the open
air, the external surlnce would contract more
rapidly tlun the interior, whereby the glass
would be in IN uncqunble state of elasticity,
and therefore liable to fracture. The slow
cooling takes place in an annenling.oven,
called "lccr," which has long fiat arch
sixty feet long, five feet wide, and from one to
two feet in height. Close To the door of the
oven, on each side, is n furnace which keeps
up high temperature; but as there is no
other heating power, the oven becomes Icsa
ard less hot ns the distance from the mouth
increases, until AT the extremity, ii is scarcely
warmer than the surrounding atmosphere.
Along the floor of the oven are tramlines,
npon which the iron trays, called leer-pnus,
travel with the glass to be nnneaed. The
lime for annoaling depends upon the thick
ness OF the vessels, varying from twelve TO