Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1963)
v im.Df UWUM.iMi. iniauniM mutuBU, PMEOOH WEDNESDAY. JULY 84. 1M3 g J Hand-Produced Product Still Reigns Supreme in Glass Industry Tli fl&V DITTY W J i - 1 3mm - lAMan anil i kn..4 11CA oAiitiof-uIji IflAA i e J taat ,!. unflli rifnr. t- -?;.3-.- 2 . . i - J i . ,i . ' .' " ' ' " ' By GAY PAULEY United Press International Kalmar, Sweden-(UPD-An art centuries older than Chris tianity shaped that prized crystal vase in your living toom, the tumblers or wine glasses brought to the table on special occasions. Visit glass factories in south east Sweden, most of them within less than an hour's drive of this coastal town, and you come away with a whole new appreciation of glass which today we take for grant ed in its numerous forms -from the water glass to the mirror to the picture window to fine crystal to sculptured Works in museums. '' Mechanical means now make possible mass produc tion of much of the glass which goes into the world's markets. But in many parts of Europe and a few centers in the United States - notably at Corning, N. Y., where the fam ous Steuben crystal is made -"the hand-produced product .still reigns supreme, All Types of Glass " Swedish glassmakers pro duce all types of glass, but it ;'fj their crystal which has be .come known world-wide. Much of it is exported to the jjnited States, . The chemist, the artist and the craftsman all combine jhelt skills to produce that heavy crystal with its bril liance and bell-like ring when an edge is tapped sharply with the finger. ' The' origin of glassmaking lies with the ancients. The Swedish glass manufacturers' association, at Vaxjo, in the heart of the factory area, says it began as early as 5,000 B. C. But for 5,000 years it was used as a flexible mass, much the same as clay, to make decora tive items. About the time of the birth of Christ, the Indus trious Phoenicians had learned how to blow glass. Glassmak . ers of Alexandria and later of i Byzantum and Venice perfect ' ed the methods. First Glass Melted . In Sweden, glass first was I melted in 1556. Forty of the 46 glass factories of Sweden now center in the southeast part of 'the country where wood and water - two vital items for its production - are plentiful. , The oldest factory Is Kosta, founded in 1742. , It was one of three works I toured-the Others, Orrefors and Strom bergshytta. All are known for high quality of workmanship and design. Sand is the basic ingredient of glass. Sand melted with Smart Slant "if! 1 IfnM.n ; 9041 f I sizes A .; I ! UJ4-24JS ' v soda ash and lime produces the common flint glass. The finer crystal consists of a melt ing of sand, potash and red lead. Gives Crystal Weight The lead gives weight to the crystal, but the red color dis appears during the melting. Substances such as saltpeter and arsenic, the latter a high ly poisonous substance used only in minute quantities, are also added to Improve the melting and purify the glass. Different types of metal oxides added to the "batch" the factory term for the sand mixture - produce different colors. Cobalt oxide, for in stance, gives a blue tint; zinc oxide, a red hue. Paradoxically, most of the ingredients used by the Swedes are imported-the sand coming from Germany and Belgium, the potash and soda ash coming from Germany, Belgium or France. But the lakes and rivers provide the water, basic to the moulding and cooling process, and the forests the wood to stoke the furnaces. ;.' The melting process for a new batch of glass begins as soon as the day ends at the factory. Workers clean out the furnaces, or crucibles, of any residue-and then shovel in a new sand mixture. , . . Melting takes all night and by the start of the next work day, 6:15 to 6:30 a. m., has reached the thin liquid stage and 1400 degrees centigrade -from 2300 to 2400 Fahrenheit. The "working" temperature - when the technician starts blowing - is a little lower, about 1150 centigrade, or 1900 Fahrenheit, and the glass has the consistency of syrup. " A spokesman at Orrefors explained that blowing is done by a team known as a "chair," consisting of seven to eight men, each with one task to perform. Head man is the gaffer, or foreman, and he has had at least 15 to 20 years of blowing before he rates his Job. At some factories, master blowers were in their 40th sod 50th year of experience. Most of the tools for hand blowing glass are the same to day as they were 2,000 years ago - pipe, forming block, shears, pliers, and wooden moulds. The white hot glass is picked up from the furnace at the end of the pipe, hollow iron about one inch in diame ter and five feet long, much the same way a housewife twists a bit of cooking fudge onto a spoon. The bubble of glass dipped out is no larger than an egg-and the blower doesn't take out large bubbles to produce a larger piece. The craftsman starts with the small bubble, shapes it, dips it again into liquid glass, thus adding another layer, shapes again and repeats the process until the desired size has been reached. - : The same process is re quired if the designer wants more than one color - and sometimes you'll see three and four colors combined. Start with one shade, say clear crystal, shaping it as desired, than superimposing other lay ers in other colors. The pipe onto which the molten glass Is clinging Is never stilt-it is kept in con stant motion - at this stage. Otherwise it would run just like melted butter. The glass is given its shape by the the skill and lung power of the blower, who blows into the pipe as if he were producing soap bubbles, by the sizzling wooden moulds into which the glass is dip ped occasionally, by one hand padded with thick layers of wet newspapers gently mould ing white the other hand twirls the pipe, by the form ing block, and by the crude looking shears sending sli thering strings of glass to the floor as the worker cuts the molten mixture if the product is to be open at one end. If a stem and foot are to be added, an assistant takes a small amount of glass just from the Iterance, drops tt onto the already shaped glass and shears off the amount neded. The stem and foot are shaped with the same tools. When a piece is finished, the foreman quick -cools a rim along its base with a pair of water-dipped pliers and then, a sharp blow with the plier handles and the piece breaks off cleanly. It now Is ready for the cooling chamber. It is fed by conveyor belt Into a long, tunnel-like oven heated by electricity. This oven, or lehr, holds the glass from three to four hours and removes the thermal stress. . Other processes in handling the cooled glass include smoothing rough edges of such as wine glasses by an other heat process-a flame from a gas jet burner licks the edge el each as it moves along a conveyor. . Cutting and engraving are other finishing touches. Cut ting is done in stages and the design on, say, glasses for table use is marked first by a red line in the hands of another technician. One expert does a rough cutting first, with sand and iron disk. Cutting wheels get finer as the glass moves to the finished stage. Work from Design Engravers work from the design of artists, but between blower, engraver and artist, there is a constant collabor ation. As Mrs. Eric Strom berg, widowed . owner of Strombergshyttan, and its chief designer put it, "The furance is the heart of glass. It is from there that all must work." Engraving is done with the aid of copper wheels fed with oil and emery powder and can be anything from a simple figure cut Into a cig arette box to elaborate car vings. At Kosta, I watched one engraver cutting the in tricate shape of a polar bear on an ice floe Into a free form block of glass. The block wag turned on its side and he was using assorted stag drills working from the bottom. The technician said such art engraving took him about one full day. At Strombergshyttan , Its owner displayed a pair of sculptured horses of which she was extremely proud. The horses measured less than 12 inches each, but she said each had taken a master engraver about 300 hours. The cost of each, S4.0UU. . try lHiM'fllfif Fashion takes a slant to the no-collar n e c k 1 i n e smart, cool for now and tran sition season. - In light or deep-toned cotton, you'll en joy this dress. Printed Pattern 9041: Half Sizes 14V4 16'4. 1B4. 20'4, 22i, 24V4. Size 16V4 takes 3 ii yards 35-inch fabric. FIFTY CENTS in coins for this pattern add 15 cents for each pattern for first class mailing and special han dling. Send to Marian Mar tin, Medford Mail Tribune, Pattern Dept. 232 West 18th St., New York 11, N Y. Print plainly NAME. ADDRESS with ZIP CODE. SIZE and STYLE NUMBER. CLIP COUPON FOR 50c FREE PATTERN in big, new Fall-Winter Pattern Catalog, Just out! 354 design ideas. Send 50c for Catalog. Among state statutes In the U.S., 28 different divorce Penney's ALWAYS FIRST QUALITY OPEN MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS UNTIL Downtown Medford TO mm. 9 P.M. - !r Y: :" -; I LZj Thursday- Friday- Saturday 45-PIECE SET MELMAC OIHNERWARE Tremendous sayings on a complete 45 piece service for eight featuring 16 deco rated pieces In 3 beautiful designs. 1 12" 58-PIECE ''.'' STAIRLESS FLATWARE WOMEN'S SLEEVELESS BLOUSES Hot weather favorite. White casual styied blouses with neat trim, details at a special . low Penney price. 1 00 GIRLS' JAMAICA SETS Easy-care stainless steel flatware service for eight, plus 8 Iced tee spoons. Stain' and rust resistant, sparkling design. 077 WOMEN'S COTTON SHORTS Just In time for the warm summer days ahead. Cool, carefree cotton shorts In solid colors, novelty fabrics. ' . 1 00 WOMEN'S RAYON PANTIES Elastic leg brief style panties in rayon tri cot knit. White and pink. Scoop up a hand ful at this low price. 2SC 2-PIECE BATH MAT SET Cotton pile, bath mat set with foam back ing. Set consists of standard lid cover and 20" x 33" mat. Popular colors. 1 44 WOMEN'S COTTON DRESSES An assortment of cotton housedresses. In cluding some sunback styles In prints, , plaids, percales and plisse. 2oo PADDED CHAISE LOUNGE Heavy gauge tubular aluminum frame. Durable, washable floral print plastic covered pad,. 4 position back adjustment. 14 88 Cute crop top styled tops with Jamaica ' shorts Iri fine quality cottons at a low, low price. Sizes 3 to 6X. i 22 FULL FASHIONED NYLON HOSE 60 gauge 15 denier hestery with plain seam, colors ot bale and Pebble, sizes B'j to 11,. ' ' . , 2 PAIR oc flOJ LARGE SIZE RUG REMNANTS 1 . 241 x-'54" approximate sue, fUmnantf of v hi oh quality carpeting, serged on all four aides. i . ,t . g 44 BIG BUYS IN ' SWIMSUITS FOR THE FAMILY! GIRLS' WOMEN'S SWIM SUITS A00 A huge assortment of better swimsuits, take your pick of lastex, knits, cottons, in 1 and 2 piece styles. SWIM SUITS 3 to 6x-7 to 14 Best selling styles from higher price ranges. Knits and cottons at a once a year savings price. BOYS' SWIM SUITS 4 te 8-10 to 16 J Ml MEN'S SWIM SUITS 88-l6B 1M-2M Printed boxer models in easy care cottons, knits in all popu lar styles. Take advantage of in season savings. Stretch knits, lastex swim trunks, printed cotton boxer models, you'll find them all in the huge assortment at a low price. GIRLS' COTTON SHORTS Styled right for summer's heat and priced right for big savings. Big assortment of colors in easy care cottons. GIRLS' COTTON SLIPS Scoop up several of these taffctited cotton bouffant full slips and save yourself plenty. White, sizes 4 to 14. 77' FOLDING WEB CHAISE 2 L BOYS' DENIM JEANS 10 ounce Wue donim feens in western sty) Ing.. Zipper fly, reinforced at. points of strain. Sizes 4 to 12. I11 3Z3 SHORT SLEEVE MEirS SPOUT SHIRTS Assortment of prints, pfaids and solid color cotton sport shirts, priced low for In $tson savings. Short sfeevaoV 1 66 L BOYS' COTTO'I SLACKS Buy several pairs now for school wear. First quality cotton twill In Continental or Grad styles. . . v. . g50 JR. IOYS' PLAY SHORTS Big assortment of popular fabrics and colors' in practical Boxer model shorts. Sizes 4 to 10. SHORT SLEEVE BOYS' SPORT SHIRTS Short sleeved shirts In popular prints or plaids. Choose several now for the warm summer days ahead. ' ' 1 22 Heavy weight tubular aluminum frame, colorful green and white plastic webbing. 44 i WOMEN'S VINYL SLIPPERS Expanded vinyl slippers In gay colors with soft, comfortable sole. Smartly packaged in clear plastic, , 11' mm WALKING SHORTS Smartly tailored In polished cottons, fine line twnfs, and woven plaids. Sizes 29 to 36 waists. 250 METAL FOOT LOCKERS Rugged sheet steel covering over plywood frame, heavy duty bindings. Full 30" X 14" x 12". Removable tray. . ?80 Plus Tax irounds are recognuea. i
