Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-10-05
POKER AND GLASS.
No Reference to the Game of Pairs, but
to Form of Art.

No Reference to the Game of Pairs, but
to IA Form of Art.
For long time poker work, or
typography, has been u fashionable
art, but until recently it has been
generally applied to wood only,
Now, however, glass typography is
being taken up, and thus quito u
new field is being opened in this fas.
cinating branch of decorative work.
In the mower form of typography the
burning process is exactly the same
as in the old poker work on wood,
which is now 50 well known, only
the platinum point is made many
degrees hotter for tho glass--indeod
it can scarcely be too hot to accom-
plish the desired result, and there
fore it needs to be of special hard
ness This being the case, art deal
ers now sell points mado on purpose
for glass typography.
Tho glass used is the ordinary
plate, and through it tho design can
readily DO traced with tho hot point
by those who have not the skill to
draw oifhand, which saves all trou-
bio of transferring tho pattern. An
other advantage which glass has
over wood is that it has no grain,
and therefore the lines of the novice
are not marked by that unevenness
which characterizes the work of
tyro in the art of wood burning
Glass typography may be adapted
to the decoration of mirrors, screens,
panels, etc, and if carefully done
will be found an excellent imitation
of engraved work of the finest kind,
and the effect, if a good design be
chosen, will be most delicate and
beautiful. just white frosted de-
sign on the clear glass looks very
we'll, but the worker will soon be
ambitious of better things,
A pretty piece of the work shows
loose bunch Of oxeye daisies and
field grasses burned into ordinary
clear plate glass. The design when
first executed had frosted appear
ance, but this was removed by care
fully scraping off all roughness with
a sharp knife, thus leaving the
daisies and grasses in clear outline.
Tho work in that state was beauti-
full, but it was made moro so in the
following manner: A layer of gold
paint was carried entirely over part
of the design, all the etched lines
being filled with it.
To effect this pad of soft cloth
was used dampcd with turpentine
to remove all the gold ON the flat
surface between the lines. An ordi-
nary paper stump with rag over it
was used to clean off the rest. This
left merelya fine gold tracery on the
glass, and on turning the plato it
Sctllltu w SlulNt III lNilNl oll us SUI
face, though it actually only showed
through from the other side. a
thick coat of ivorT enamel was thon
laid ON, great care being taken not
to drag up the gold from the lines,
This gave the effect of ivory and
gold from the other side and rem
dered tho glass opaque
Any other lustra or metallic paint
may bouSod instead of gold, and the
color of the enamel may be chosen
to suit the fancy. In working in re-
member that the point must be kept
at almost white heat, that it must
be perfectly clean, and that it must
not be used for wood scorching.
Should the point be insuf1iciently
heated no amount of force will affect
tho glass, but it will injuro the point
itself. The pressure on the point
must be firm and steady, but not
hard. 1t is not well to work too long
upon enc spot, for the heat should
be distributed as much as possible.
Tho special point for glass pyrog-
raphy is furnished with an inner
mechanism for generating heat, and,
though tho work may be done with
an ordinary point heated to almost
white heat, still the process is tedi-
Gus and the tool will soon be too
much damaged for further USE
Buffalo Express.