Glass Technique
Glass Blowing
Glass blowing is the typical forming process that most people are familiar with, taking a gather of glass from a furnace crucible and blowing a bubble with a punty (blow pipe). A variety of techniques are used during the hand forming.
Lost Wax Casting
A model of the object to be produced is developed in wax, then covered in plaster to produce a mold. The wax is melted out and then the cavity filled with molten glass in a kiln.
Kiln-formed
There are various techniques for shaping glass sheets in a kiln, including fusing glass pieces together, and slumping or forming shapes over a mold. The processes involved in heating and cooling the glass and dealing with different glass compatibility and behaviour are highly technical.
Flameworked
Also known as lampworking, a blow torch is used to melt and work the glass, often from glass rods or tubes. Glass beads are hand made with this technique.
Neon
Forming of glass tubes into shapes. Air is vacuum pumped out of the tubes and replaced with neon gas, which is excited to glow with electricity.
Pate de Verre
A variation of kiln-forming where a glass paste is used
Leadlight
Patterns of glass pieces are assembled and held together with lead strips that are soldered together
Mosaic
The assemblage of pieces of glass to produce the larger image
Engraved
The surface of the glass is engraved with a design, usually using a rotating wheel, either handheld or fixed