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Everything that comes out of the studio is made by either Paul or Barbara. Their glass is all blown from molten glass using five foot long hollow stainless steel tubes called "pipes". Each piece is started with a gather of the base color. The glass is gathered by twirling the pipe with its end submerged in the molten glass. Layers are then added that either contain designs, or clear glass, or colored glass. The largest "tank" in the studio contains crystal, or clear glass. They also have a smaller furnace which melts three smaller crucibles, or pots, full of varying colors. These run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If they are emptied and cooled for a vacation or repairs, it takes several days for the glass to become ready to use again.
When the piece is finished except for the lip, or top rim, it is removed from the pipe by attaching a solid rod, or "punty" to its bottom and then being broken loose from the pipe. The top lip is finished, and it is placed into a special kiln, called an annealer to hold it at 910 degrees for several hours and then slowly allowed to cool. |
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