Glossary
       
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 
   

Annealer
Works made from hot glass need to cool slowly to room temperature, otherwise stresses will develop and they will crack. An annealer (or lehr) is a large oven used to slowly cool the glass from around 900F to room temperature. Typically a 24 hour program is used; if thicker work is made, then a longer program is required.
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Bench
A glass worker's bench is most commonly a steel framed long armed chair with a wooden seat that extends beyond the arms on both sides. Below the arms are metal shields to protect the legs of the worker from the heat of the glass. The pipe or punty is placed on the arms and rolled out and back to keep the glass in a smooth round shape while working it. On the extended seat [or on a small table the same height] are placed metal tools, which may also hang on nails driven in the edge, and behind the seat are often buckets of water holding blocks and wooden tools.  Since sliding tools must be waxed (jacks) and gripping tools must not (tweezers, shears), the waxed tools are placed tips to one edge, the unwaxed to the other.
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Bench  

Block
Blocks are typically made of cherrywood and are used to shape, cool and center the glass. They are used early in the process of making a piece, usually soon after the gather is made. There are special shaped blocks for making specific shaped work; round blocks are used to make round paperweights and large marbles.
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Block  
 

Diamond Shears
Diamond shears are typically made with two blade surfaces, the outermost is rounded and used to hold a pipe. The inner surface is sharp and designed to cut the glass to a point. Diamond shears are used when dropping a solid foot onto a vessel, pulling the end of a bubble to stretch it out or any time that cutting the glass to a point is preferable to cutting it to a seam. Different size and configurations of diamond shears are available for different size and types of work. Venetian-style work requires small, thin diamond shears that are very sharp and wick less of the heat from the piece.
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Furnace
Place for melting glass, built of several kinds of high temperature (refractory) materials to hold the glass and hold in the heat without breaking down during the several months that furnaces usually run.
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Gloryhole
A gloryhole is a gas-fired furnace used to reheat work in progress; glass can only be manipulated when it is hot enough to be pliable. The doors on the gloryhole are opened to accomodate larger work.
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Glory Hole  
 

Grinder
Cold working equipment for shaping glass roughly before polisher is used. A grinder may be a flat disk, a vertical wheel or a belt. The first is used with either grit applied with a water supply or a diamond disk or pad, while wheels and belts have attached grits. Glass must always be worked wet, otherwise heat builds up rapidly and damages the tools and causes cracking in the glass.
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Jacks
Jacks, Italian term: pucella, are the most versatile tool in glassblowing. They are used for shaping the glass, selectively cooling the glass and putting creases (jack-lines or neck-lines) in the neck of vessels where they are to break for the transfer. Jacks are made in a variety of sizes and with different blade profiles for different types of work. Round jacks are used specifically for shaping avolios and other operations where a rounded contour is desirable.
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Marver
The marver is a metal table used to shape, chill and center the piece. Marvering at different angles is a tricky but necessary skill for glassblowers to master.
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Newspaper
Used for shaping glass when formed, wetted and held in the hand, to replace a mold or block. Most often made from 4-5 sheets of full-page newspaper, folded first in thirds, then the long ends are tucked into each other and the corners cut for flexibility and drainage. The result is flattened and water soaked then drained just before use. The water keeps the paper from burning and the shape is controlled by the shape of the hand. People who like wood blocks often hate newspaper while those who use newspaper think wood is inflexible and expensive.
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Optic Mold
Optic molds are used to add ribs or indentations to a bubble or solid mass. Optic molds are made from either brass or aluminum and are available in many different configurations. Open-bottom, ribbed molds are typically used for doing cane pickups, close-bottom ribbed molds are used to add either a straight optic pattern or an "optic twist". Pineapple molds create a unique diamond effect on the bubble, similar to the texture on a pineapple.
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Paddle
Paddles are used to flatten the bottom of vessels. A metal paddle (or tagliol) is indispensible for sculpting solid glass into figures. Wooden paddles are also used as heatshields to protect the arms of the gaffer.
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Pipe, blowpipe
Used for blowing glass, tube with mouth piece on one end, used for picking up glass on other end, usually today made of low conductive stainless steel although in 2003 there is a revival of carbon steel tubes claiming more stiffness and better grip, also cheaper, still with stainless heads. Can be as simple as 1/4" IPS pipe, but usually is a thin wall 5/8"-3/4" tube with a tapered metal or plastic mouthpiece and a nearly solid flared pickup end for better glass support.
While most of the pipe is thin wall tube, the end that takes the glass is usually turned from heavy rod or thick wall tube to a flared shape with a small hole (thus being very thick walled at the end) to provide support for pieces and to make it easier to form the initial bubble. The other end is usually a tapered metal or plastic mouthpiece with moderately thick walls and a small hole.

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Pipe  

Punty
Most often a solid tipped rod, with hollow or solid shaft, to take glass piece from the pipe so the lip can be worked but also used directly for paperweights and sculpture. Also used for gathering glass for hot bits of various shapes.
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Definitions from http://www.eastfallsglass.com/glossary.php and http://www.cowtown.net/mikefirth/glostool.htm#STA



 
Punty  
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