How Glass is Cut.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 298, 18 December 1886, Page 3

How Glass is Cut.

"There are six processes for outfcingglasw,"" ' said the manager of a glassware .manu-"n 1 : factory to a-reporter of the New-York- -:"' "Mail." "The first is termed roughing] - Ao iron wheel, on which sand mixed with > '• waterdripscontinuaHy,diga out the pattern,'■-;_■■: f. As there are only a fewiines traced on the glass whereby to go, this is.a very difficult task. All glass cutting is done by crossing certain straight lines at certain points. If;- *•■ ■;' in glass cutting, the wheel moves slightly from the line, the whole piece of glass is.^ ruiued. The workmen are, therefore, >coi- > pelled to ksep their, eyes on iheir work-" all-"' ; the time. The glass itself is made in Baccarat, Germany. It is the finest glass made. It is termed metallic; because a:\ ,][.■ Large part of it is silver. It is bought by : the pound and is very expensive in the bulk. '-' ~ 'i. - ' '" i- " The second process is called smoothing. ; The .wheel used for this ia made of Scotch - - Craigetn etone. Water runs freely on-it as j it revolves. It smooths out all the rough ,-j edges on the lines which have been dug out in the first process. ■ *■-'; v ?. " After this come the1 different •nodes of * " polishing. A wooden, wheel and powdered pumice stone are first used. Those take out the wrinkles on the surface of the glow. Then follows a brush with which pumice atone is used Then a brush and putty powder. Lastly, a buff wheel." made o . nearly fifty pieces of Canton flannel and • rouge. The pieces of flannel are looee, but bhe machinery causeß.them, to;r,evolye bo rapidly, about 3,000 revolutions to' the minute, that the wheel seems as hard as a board. The last process not only polishes, ■ but imparts a beautiful gloss to the surface " of the glass.. Then it is finished. ;; " There have been very few changes in the art of glass-cutting for centuries;'"1: Except that we no.w use-steam instead of ■■" foot-power, .we have no advantage over the Bttjters of 200 years ago. There are only •*;'•: bwo manufacturers < f the rough metal in this country, and their glass is of inferior quality. Workmen have to serve a longj:' ~ apprenticeship before they': master, the" - trade. An-expert workman.receives high' pay. "It is very close, confining work, and * makeß them all look pale. A great many., Swiss and Bohemians are^ employed. The ./ catting of lapidary stoppers is the most ; difficult work. It requires the greatest" 'i exactness, because there are' bo many:-• diamond-shaped figures in a small space. " Very few can do thia'work well. There*, ia1 one old m»n in this country who is looked -"; up to by all the other workmen. TKey say ho carries a charm. He' is the .most expeit ''. r cutter of lapidary stoppers in the c mntry. , Not only does he cut them, all perfectly, but he gives them a finer polish than any. i bpdy eleo'cau. He is closely watched by his W.ow-workmen, who'sav they' have ' " obseved liim take something' from . big / pocket and rub the stopper with it. Be v; has been offered large sums for his eecrct, but has alwayß refused to Ftll it. -; ' ■ "There is of courje some smashing.;*! ; think it i? safe to cay thut oufc of e^ory five ' ' pioco!", costinu: 750 lols. each, one is broken. Sometimes tha broken piece can.be-cut :6 ■ advantage, bat more frfiqiienUy ft is v.*li:e- - *': less Th» broken glasses often'fetuftipd to' , ttio manufactnrer, b?«au.=o the breakage was (?ue to a fLiw in the glass. ■. This potc of glass-goes through an'annealing process, .-. That is, in manurachitina' it i" piit in f)'.(V - oven a number of times'a"t srsided [degrees of temperaturj;. ThM hirdens the gliss."':'P Usually a flaw, can •be diccovnrcd-. before, cntting. . Much more smishirg Is 'done carelessly by cn?tom«rs dowrigtafis' than ■": by oar workmen.. Clorks da share, too. Of course the firui haa'tii'beaf the et- : penees. '\, •/ " Coloured cut glass is very, .expensive. .:: The colour is put in the sa'iie way. as siK'fir ' plate, and then part of it is cut away, It leavo3 thn blended eff cfc of cVoiir Snd no colour. The po!ar~st-ir is one qf the pre*tii:s{'. designs '' M»iny cnfrtoinara hrinf» us ririei-'-' na'.deutinß wh?ch they wish nj,i4e. Many;" of (ham aro >iro very odd, and some are iiv- 1/ possible to make." . 1 • .;: ■■,:!>»■;