Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1893-11-30
MAKING CUT GLASS,
The VARIOUS PROCESSES THROUGH
WHICH FINE WARE PAssE-

" " aiCn Ilull
Sand and Lead Are Changed TO sp,r.
king Crystals-Tke Part That uent
Plays in the Manufacture of Glass.
Ane SiasSmaker's trade, practical eve,
proS'uc and stOlidly scientific A. il i in
Ie'i'ly' seems, however, to the AVERAGE oh
server TO be an exquisite art assisted Inv
something very like sorcery. Take for in.
Stance the very first step in the process of
making glass and we have sornethin, s,,,.
seS'lVe' even to the unimaginative. of ne,.
| rohahcy OF alchemy something akin to
the tabled evolution of the phiIoSonher,s
stone In what is known rs the ..mivin,
/ ROOM we have a huge pile Of Slul nm.
o'ner OF oxide Of lead and Il third of n,arl
Sn-a!I uull, Sodden, course materials con.
canning hG the slightest promise of the
Sleaniihg, gllttering, crystal pure glass
which Will presently flash in show win.
uowS' III Sumptuous boudoirs and parlors
and on banquet boards.
Inc amount of glass manufactured yn.
rles at different times, but the proportion
OF the ingredients is never changed. A
trusted and careful workman weighs out
for example, COO pounds Of Berkshire SIND
and thoroughly mixes with it 400 pounds
OF oxide OF lead and half as much peorl
ASH 10 TINS compound he adds very small
proportions of saltpeter, arsenic and man.
sanese' and the whole well stirred to-
Sether goes into one Of the great crucibles
or pots, as they are technically called,
wnlch hold from 1900 to 5000 pounds
In the furnace which contains eight of
these pots the mass is subjected to the
terrific heat of 3 roaring fire for forty
hours, and then the metal" as it iscallri
is ready for the deft manipulations of the
skilled glasSblowerS, who hover about the
furnace and at intervals remove small
portions Of the white hot semiliuuid sub
stance upon the ends of their long tubes or
blowers pipes" manipulating it in "A way
familiar to every Pittsburger. The grace
tul sweeps and agile twirlings of the rod
are not made for the sake of appearance,
hut for practical effect in giving the glow.
ing bit of molten glass the peculiar shane
which may be desired, dependent upon
whether it is to be bottle. n pitcher, a
punch bowl, II wineglass. or any Que of a
hundred other things.
BLOWING INTO SHAPE.
He swings the tube with VARYING force.
blows through it carefully. expanding the
red hot bubble at its tip to the proper size,
rolls 1t upon IA polished iron plate, rcvoves
the roi while he holds II tool against the
plant mass to give it form. heats it again
and repeats the process, or delicately and
rapidly touches it with two or three ot her
tools, perhaps being assisted by "hrlprr"
in some of these maneuvcrs, aud TO- the
shapeless mass has become wine dpcan.
ter or salad dish or something else of
most graceful form, and is almost ready
for the cutting room, whence it will emerge
with hundreds of companion pieces of
flashing, chased and beautiful ware.
But first 1t must pass through the an
healing furnace, where. with the other ar
ticles of the days output. it is very yr3ulu.
ally cooled by being slowly drawn away
from the fire through brick arched tun
mel about sixty feet long.
However picturesque and fascinating the
scene around the furnace, with its strong
lights ami heavy shadows. the circles of
light carved in the darkness by the sweep
of the cleaning, ruddy tipped wanls may
lDe TO the onlooker, it is stern. stiff labor
for the operatives Their tools are fewer
and more primitive than those of amy other
class of skilled artisans. They Use few
rude iron implements, IL stick, much like Il
narrow roofing Shingle. Il heavy. uncouth
pair of iron shears and the all important
blowpipe. and with these they perform
wonders. The work must he done while
the glass is hot, and so there is intense
activity, only relieved by the occasional
waiting for the reheating of II partly formed
object.
HOW THE GLASS is CIT.
The final step in the process is the grind
ing and polishing. The various objects
formed by the gaSsbowers, ils decanters
bottles, vases, bowls, wineglaSSes, gOblrts
and scores Of other articles of ornamental
or table ware-after undergoing the grad
ual cooling process in the glass house-are
taken to the cutting department. They
have form, but not the finish, grace Of
shape nor brilliancy, and are technically
known as BLANKS"
A hundred workmen are ready ut their
wheels to put them through the process
which will develop luster and make them
flash and CLEAN with prismatic light like
titanic diamonds A hundred wheels
ranged in two rows down long room
each belted toa great central shaft. are
swiftly whirled by IA great engine in the
basement below. In this department, rs
in the one already described, the tools are
Of the simplest order, and indeed there up.
pears to he no line Of manufacture involv.
ing so much skill and productive Of 80 rich
and artistic effects which employs such
primitive implements ~ does this. The
skillfulness Of the workman Is almost
everything.
CARVING THE HARD GLASS.
/ ha IL, . It,.iu;
and the various articles pass through three
distinct grades Of treatment. First comes
the "roughing," that is the deep cutting
or grinding Of the pattern, Of which the
principal points and lines nave been first
marked upon the glass with red paint. For
this work thin iron wheel * employed.
upon which. ~ il revolves with the rapid
| ity Of buzz saw, the operator from time
/ to time places II little slnl from the tan K
! In front Of him, while water drips con
stantly from an overhangin2 reservoir
! And now the ware is passed from the
"smoothers' TO the 'polishers." The men
in this division accomplish their work by
gentler means, and their touch IS soft ant
almost careSsing compared with the previ
Gus manipulations which the object hH'
undergone. The polishers uSp whee
brushes and wOoden wheels Of varying cdg,
formation TO tit the different depressiOns
and these nre kept constantly smcared witt
what looks like common yellow mud. but
in in reality compound Of finely groun,
oxide Of zinc and lead. called in the tr.i'l,
putty" These wheels. with their thir
coating Of peculiar polishing material
after innumerable lightninglike revo
utions, have the deep geomrtric lines AN,
the corresponding facets Of the glass a.
smooth ~ diamonds and almost equalinI
them In brillancy Of glitter and purity o
light.-Alfred Mathews ia Pittsburg Dis
patch.
Cnin,. frnn. CoaI