Glass-blowing III: forming the drink opening

About the sound

Since 1979 the LWL- Industrial Museum Glashütte Gernheim has provided insight into traditional glass-manufacturing through presentations. The recording one can hear two glass-blowers at work in the production of simple drinking glasses.
After the glass-blower (gaffer) has formed the body of the glass, the glass receives its drink opening. The drink opening is however to be attached on the side where the blowpipe is still connected to the glass. That is why the glass-blower „hands“ the glass to a second glass-blower at the gaffer's bench by connecting a second blowpipe (turning a blazing glob of glass) on to the bottom of the glass and by use of pliers. At this point two blowpipes are stuck to the glass: On the bottom and where the opening of the glass is going to be made. As soon as the glob of glass of the second blowpipe has cooled off and is fixed to the glass, with a yank, the glass-blowers seperate the glass from the first blowpipe at the predetermined breaking point which has been prepared earlier. The predetermined breaking point was prepared right where the opening is going to be placed. After that only the blowpipe on the glass-bottom remains fixed to the glass. Then the second glass-blower heats the glas in the furnace so that the drink opening can be formed. The glass-blower at the gaffer's bench then forms the drink opening using pliers and by turning the blowpipe. After that he creates a predetermined breaking point at the ending of the pipe, where the pipe is connected to the glass, so that the cooled glass can seperate from the punty iron. The glass-blower knocks off the glass and deposits it in the annealing lehr, where it is heated to the softening point and then is cooled off again. The duration of the cooling process can vary depending on the size and type of the glass. It can take between one and a half and four hours.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski / Jonathan Nicolai
Video recordist: Konrad Gutkowski
Photo: Konrad Gutkowski