Glassblowing

Glass is a fascinating material. The process of making Tiffany lamps from straight sheets of glass is nothing short of mesmerizing. But glass blowing using the blowpipe is also craftsmanship. Glass artists deserve respect, not only for artistry, but also for mastering the technique. It takes about 8 years for a glassblower to be allowed to call himself a master glassblower, until then he gains experience as an assistant. Watching a master glassblower at work is an impressive sight.

The process of glassblowing among themselves:

Glassblowing requires three furnaces

The process begins in the melting furnace (1). In this furnace, the molten glass is heated day and night at 1120 °. The second furnace is the warming furnace (2). This is used to reheat the glass during the production process. Finally, the blown objects are slowly cooled for several hours or days in the cooling furnace (3). The duration of cooling depends on the size and thickness of the objects. If the pieces do not cool/"relax" in a controlled manner, they will crack.

Supplies

The main tools of a glassblower are: Blowpipes, punties, jacks, tweezers, marver, wooden forming blocks and boards, and various scissors. Blowpipe: A long hollow metal tube. Glass is picked at the end and air is blown into the glass through the other end. Punty: A closed metal rod. It is used for transferring objects, applying glass and making paperweights or sculptures. Jacks: Tweezer-shaped instrument with long blades used to constrict and shape glass. Glassblowing bench: This is the workbench on which the glassblower forms the object. On two parallel rails, the blowpipe or punty is rolled back and forth.

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