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