Glass Blowing
Molds -
for pumpkin making
Tools-
manipulate glass
Colored Glass-
gives color to clear glass
Blowpipe-
for blowing glass
The studio
Learning how to blow glass was a unique activity that I am excited to dive deeper into.
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The studio was a very spacious garage, equipped with all the necessary tools for beginners learning how to work with glass.
The Process
The first step in all of the projects I made was gathering glass on the blowpipe. This was done in a furnace full of molten glass.
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The second step was to roll the glass on the smooth metal table until even then dip in the colored glass.
Once the desired colors are added, the piece is turned in another furnace called the "glory hole". This melts the outer layer and makes the glass easy to work with.
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After a short time in the glory hole, the glass is quickly brought to the work bench to be manipulated.
The bench is where most of the blowing occurs.​
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Glass can be put back in the furnace if more manipulation needs to happen then brought back to the bench.
The newly blown glass can also be put into a mold for a more textured look.
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After a desired shape is formed, the piece is quickly moved a table to be broken off of the blowpipe.​
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After it is broken off, the bottom can either be flattened or a stem can be added.
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The added stem has to be made quickly in order for the main piece to keep from breaking due to the drastic temperature change.
Finally, the finished glass product is moved to an annealer where it slowly cools as to not shatter by cooling too quickly.
