| Annealer |
Basically a gigantic oven that is computer-controlled to relieve stress during the annealing process. |
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Annealing Process |
A small computer runs a temperature versus time algorithm to reduce the stress present in all glass. Glass Act uses a four-stage process with various soaks to insure the highest quality possible. |
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Assistant |
Generally, poorly paid slave. |
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Burn mark |
Generally, from newspaper - ash stuck to molten hot glass. |
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Cane |
Strings of colored glass ranging from fine filament to inches in diameter. |
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Chill mark |
Any time and instrument is used on hot glass there's a potential for it to leave a cooled surface that refracts light differently, in a general sense all of these marks are called chill marks. |
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Chord |
These are lines of clear glass that have a slightly different expansion coefficient enhance refract light at different rates. |
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Cold work |
Any work, grinding, surfacing, and drilling that is done on glass that has finished the annealing process. See Cold Work and Finishing lamps for a picture. |
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Color |
99% of the color we use comes from Germany, Bulgaria or New Zealand. The transparent colors are nearly all black until blown out. They come from the manufacturer shaped like a huge cigar. The opaque colors are most often the same color you'll end up with. |
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Frit |
Clear or opaque color that is crushed and graded to specific sizes. See Bottom color pattern for a picture. |
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Gaffer |
The senior member of a blowing team in charge of the production. See Ross Neder (a team of one) for a picture. |
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Gathering |
Simply obtaining a layer of clear glass over a subsequent layer. See Gathering for a picture. |
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Glory hole |
Generally a cylinder heated to 2300 degrees used to bring the glass back to a softened state for continued manipulation. See Reheating for a picture. |
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Goober |
Anything the gaffer is unhappy with, although other more colorful names are sometimes applied. |
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Jack |
A tool shaped like huge tweezers used to manipulate hot glass. |
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Marver |
A flat surface made of steel, granite or any other heat absorbing material. Used to shape and manipulate hot glass. See Initial shaping for a picture. |
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Necking |
No, not done in the back of the shop, here it means shaping the glass to a very small diameter in preparation to change ends. |
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Punty |
A device or technique used to change the end of the glass that is being worked on. See Changing ends for a picture. |
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Rag |
Usually four to six full sheets of wet newspaper folded so as to provide a pad to shape hot glass. See Initial shaping for a picture. |
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Stringer |
Like cane but applied from a molten glob of color over the surface of hot glass. See Layering and setting color for a picture. |
