CUTTING CRYSTAL

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3214, 9 August 1932, Page 3

CUTTING CRYSTAL

DELICATE DESIGNS WITH ROUGH IMPLEMENTS. (By G.Y.8.) The art of transforming a plain piece of crystal into a thing of beauty by cutting a design into the surface has been practised for many years. In Australia, however, the cut-glass industry is in its infancy. New South Wales and Victoria are the only two States in which the craft is practised. Five men work in a factory in Punt Road, Richmond, Melbourne. They were trained in the great centres of crystal cutting in Europe. The glass articles which are to be cut are imported already blown to shape and size. These articles, although they possess a definite outline of rugged beauty, are at first glance ugly and plain in their raw state. To reverse the adage, the ugliness is only skin deep. When the operator has completed his work the crystal is revealed in all its sparkling beauty. The first step is drawing the outline of the design in red paint as a guide to the operator. The first cutting, known as sand-cutting, is now begun. A revolving wheel of soft iron and carborundum,, upon which a continuous stream of water is played, is the sole instrument used by the operator. He holds the article lightly but firmly in his hands, supporting only his elbows on a board. The article is manipulated so that the iron wheel follows the design as it bites into the glass. Hie sand-cutting leaves the pattern incomplete. The second cutting, or fine cutting, brings the outline into being. The fine cutting is accomplished by means of a smooth stone wheel. The rough edges left by the sand-cutting are smoothed away and the design is completed. The third step is the polishing. This is an art m itself, and it requires great skill. The operator is clothed entirely in rubber. He dips the article in a tank of acid, which leaves the crystal with that brilliant sheen that is one of its chief attractions.

The cutting of coloured crystal is accomplished by practically the same means, although this cutting is known as facet cutting, and requires a great deal more attention than that of crystal cutting. The colour is infused into the glass when it is blown by means of metallic oxides, and it can never fade. For polishing coloured crystal cork and wooden discs are used in conjunction with the acid. There are a great many different shades of coloured crystal. The more unusual colours are golden amber, which appeared only two years ago; smoked, which has an almost black appearance; dark green, and a light blue that seems almost too delicate to be true. Monograms or special designs can be engraved on any article with highly satisfactory results. The work is done by a revolving wheel, but the discs are infinitely smaller than those used in the cutting of crystal. By cutting crystal an extraordinary variety of articles is produced. These are suites of all descriptions,, including wine, liqueur, champagne, water, cocktail, sherry and whisky glasses, made to various sizes and in all designs; vases in either plain or coloured crystal, sandwich trays, flower-bowls, fruit dishes, water-jugs, decanters, and oth er articles for use or for ornamentation. Despite the fragility of the medium with which the operators work, very few articles are broken in the course of the cutting.