Year: 1876

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FURNITURE Gazette.l


The art of engraving and cutting glass
is supposed to date from about 1909, at
which time Caspar Lehman, then in
the employ of the Emperor Rodolphus
III as cutter of iron and steel, obtained
from the Emperor the exclusive right to
cut glass, and he also received the ap-
pointment of glass-cutter and lapidary
to the count. Prior to that date engrav-
ing on glass consisted of few scratches
made with diamond; and for works OF
of this description the Venetians of the
sixteenth century enjoyed a high repu-
tation throughout Europe. 1t was long
after the period above named that the
art assumed the important position it
has since obtained. Nuremberg, the
city of the arts, excelled in glass-cutting
during the middle ages, and great taste
and ingenuity are often displayed by the
artists of the present day in the form and
establishment of the various articles of
this description that come from their
hands.


The implements employed by the glass
cutter, although, owing to the great
variety of the work he hasyet to execute,
they are of necessity numerous, yet par
take of the simplicity observable
throughout the various processes of the
manufacture. In every establishment a
shaft causes the revolution of numerous
large wheels or drums fixed thereto, and
each of these, connected by band with
occasions the latter to revolve with great
ceIerity. These small wheels are the
cutting instruments. They are all so
arranged that any one can be unfixed
and another substituted in its place with
out difficulty. As regards their form
they are either narrow or broad, fiat
edged, miter-edged-that is with two
faces, forming sharp angle at the points
| of meeting-convex, or concave; and of
those different wheels great number
are always to be found in the workshop
of the glass-cutter.


The materials employed in the forma-
tion of these cutting implements are
iron, both cast and wrought, stone, and
willow wood. Wrought iron is only used
for cutters of the narrowest dimensions,
which it would not be possible to make
sufficiently tough of cast metal. Iron
wheels are only used for the first or
roughest part of the operation, and their
employment is dispensed with altogether
where it is intended that the pattern
shall be at all minute, as the metal and
the sand, which must be used in connec-
tion with it, would act too roughly, and
frequently portions of the glass would
be Clipped away. For such minute
work fine-grained stone, moistened with
water, must be used. The further
smoothing and subsequent polishing of
the cut surface are effected with wooden
wheels; for the first of these objects the
edge is dressed with either pumice stone
or rotten stone, and for impartipg the
highest degree of polish that is required
for properly finishing the process putty
powder is employed. Beneath each one
of the cutting wheels small cistern is
fixed to receive the sand, water, or
powder. which has been used; and over
the wheel small keg or conical vessel is
placed, the cock or opening at the bot
tom of which is so situated and regu-
lated that the requisite quantity of mois
ture will be impaired from it to the
wheel. The vessel which is placed over
the iron wheel is furnished with fine
sand, and into this water is admitted in
such quantities as will insure the con-
slant delivery of the moistened sand
upon the face of the wheel, in such pro-
portions as the workman finds most de-
sirable. The emery powder, rotten-stone,
or putty powder, are applied from time
to time, as required by the workman, on
the edge of the smoothing or polishing
wheel.


The grinder seats himself on a stool in
front of his wheel, and taking in his hand
the glass to be ornamented, applies this
to the face of the cutter, calling into
requisition the steadiness of his hand and
the correctness of his eye in the success
sive applications to the wheel of those
parts, which are to be cut. Placed at
his right hand, each workman has
small tub containg water, which he uses
from time to time TO wash away the par
ticles of sand or powder which many adj
here to the glass, that he may the better
Judge as to the process of his work.


The grinding of glass or frosting IL is
usually applied to the inner suface of
globes and shades of lamps, and to ef-
feet this the article is fixed in lathe and
the workman, holding in his hand piece
of wood which is covered with wet sand,
causes this to rub with the necessary de-
gree of force against the inner surface
during the rapid revolution of the glass.


Ornamental figures placed on articles
of glassware are produced by compress.
ing portion of glass in a mold, and
then they are attached to the article.
These designs are usually raised, and
they have the advantage over engraving
by retaining a polish, but the edges are
not so clear and sharp as when cut by
the wheel; and there is another objec-
tion-fgures on glass ought to be treated
inintaglio and net in relief.


Another method of engraving is to
employ fuoric acid to bite away por-
ton of the surface ofthe glass, leaving the
figure in intaglio. For this purpose the
whole surface, with the exception of that
taken up by the design, is covered with
varnish, either solution of isinglass
or turpentine varnish mixed with small
proportion of white lead, and the acid is
then applied to the exposed parts, which
it gradually eats away till the required
depth is obtained. If the figure is to be
left in relief, then the design is traced
with the varnish, and the rest of the
vessels surface is subjected to the action
of the acid. BY this means the figures
are left in relief with their original
polish.


In the six hundred and twenty fifth part
of an inch the following words have been
engraved upon glass, Lowell & Senter,
watchmakers, 60 Exchange street, Port
land. Written by Fremont, at Paris,
1882" This is equal to 46, ,S75 letters in
the circle of an inch in diameter. The
most powerful magnifying glass reveals