Chemistry of Glass Pigments

 Watch the following video.

So, what do you think adds color to all the wonderful glass pieces you saw in the video?  Lets find out.  Our first stop will be looking at the substances used to color glass.  Below you will find a chart with the chemicals used in the productions of colored glass called pigments.

 Glass Pigments

Compounds	Colors
iron oxides	greens, browns
manganese oxides	deep amber, amethyst, decolorizer
cobalt oxide	deep blue
gold chloride	ruby red
selenium compounds	reds
carbon oxides	amber/brown
mix of mangnese, cobalt, iron	black
antimony oxides	white
uranium oxides	yellow green (glows!)
sulfur compounds	amber/brown
copper compounds	light blue, red
tin compounds	white
lead with antimony	yellow

So, how does this work?  Go to this next site to read how this process takes place and why the elements work to create the colors.  One thing you will notice is that the process of making colored glass is not as simple as it looks.  There are many parts to the process, like temperature for example, and if that is not exact, you may not get the color you expect.  Use the worksheet your teacher has provided to help guide you in your travels through the web page.  Come back to this page when you are finished.  Click here to get there.

The video below will show you how the "recipe" for making glass is put together.  It will also discuss the different elements that are added to create the color.  While watching the video, answer the following questions.

1.  What three main ingredients are used to make glass?
2.  Explain how the recipe is put together.  How is it measured?  How do they know what to add?
3.  How do they assure that the "batch" is mixed thoroughly?
4.  Once the batch is mixed, what do they do with it and how?
5.  How long does it take for a batch to melt in the oven?




In the next video you will see how they are adding color to the glass but it is not a pigment.  What do you think is different about the video below compared to the video on making a "batch" of colored glass?

 

The Chemistry in Making Glass

Watch the following video.  Pay close attention to the process of making glass.  In class, Mrs. Wood will give you a flow chart to complete to check your comprehension of the process of making glass.  Make sure you watch it a few times before you come back to class!! 

 

Simulate Glass Blowing in Class

Using sugar and corn syrup, you can also simulate the art of glass blowing in class.  Of course, this post is for teachers that may have the opportunity to have a higher heat capacity in their classrooms to melt the sugar.  Be mindful of the dangers of heat with students.  Or you could possibly do it as a demonstration if you cannot get a field trip to an actual glass blowing facility. 

This video shows the process and then below are links to a site that shows you the recipe to use as well as links to other pages that show how to pull and shape the sugar glass and one on how to blow it.



If you do this and it works, please let me know!  I'm dying to try it myself!!

Click here to go to the page.

Making a Glass Christmas Ornament

From the link below, you will watch a series of videos showing how different types of glass ornaments are made and the different process that can be taken to "decorate" and finish the ornament.  Click on the link and watch the series of videos.   When you are finished, ask Mrs. Wood for your worksheet that will have a chart on it to complete.  On the back of your worksheet, you are to write an essay about what you learned about making glass ornaments and compare it to the Blenko video you watched of the making of the candy dish.  Describe the differences in the process and the difficulties in making smaller items compared to larger ones.

Click here to watch the videos. 

Blenko Festival of Glass

This weekend Blenko is having their Glass Festival.

For more info, click here.

Mrs. Hill and I went to share the awesome experience of making glass with our families.
Here is a video of my son making the small version of the water bottle I made on my first trip to Blenko in June.



while there, I had an opportunity to watch them make Christmas ornaments and was able to compare the process to what we did in Pittsburg.  I found that although each glass blower has their own refining techniques, the basics of the process were the same.  They used crystal glass as the base, rolled the glass in their preferred color(s) and then added another layer of crystal.  The process of blowing it into a ball was the same for all but the way they "broke" the ornament away from the blowing rod was different.

I was able to have my sons blow glass and used this as an opportunity to try out some of my teaching ideas on them as they went through the process.  I even had a few other "students" in the group listen to what I was teaching as well.

We got to talk with A. Blenko and shared our blog address with him and told him about our interest in working with Blenko and the students at our school to try and instill a sense of appreciation for an art that is a big part of the history of our state and our town.  

Pittsburg Glass

In watching the glass blowing here and comparing to what we saw and did in Blenkos, there are a few things that I noticed.

One thing was the difference in creating the same style of "bowl" or dish.  In Blenko, a special made form was used to create the "waves" or intentions in the dish.  But in Pittsburg, they only used the force of gravity and centripetal force to get them to form.

What pros and cons can you come up with for each style of making the glass?

I Also noticed that the two different people that were helping us with the ornaments had a different style as well When it came to making the ornaments.  Even though all the ornaments turned out practically the same, the way they started out making them was completely different.

Watch the video below and see if you can notice the difference between what the two artists do.  You will have to watch the guy in the background as he is turning his glass and compare it to how the lady is turning hers.  What do you notice about the glass(color that was added) as far as how it is melting in the process?

We were able to make a Christmas ornament.  We had to work in pairs to accomplish this and that teamwork was more difficult than it seems.

Below are some pictures of it.

Fun Videos of Our Day at Carnegie Museums and the Phipps Conservatory

Just a couple of fun videos on things we saw today at the Carnegie Museums and the Phipps Conservatory.

Carnegie Museums:








And the Phipps Conservatory:

 

Carnegie History Museum

On our visit to the Carnegie Museum I noticed on the way in a display of a wonderful piece of art that uses the science behind the refraction of light to create an art piece.  Look at the two pictures below and come up with a short essay on how viewing the vase at different angles creates the difference in the pictures below. 

One of my many hobbies is observing great architecture and learning the historical aspect behind its creation.  One of the fascinating things I saw today were the replicas of some of the most awesome carving I have ever seen.  Check it out.

Mosser Glass

On our trip, we stopped in Cambridge OH at a small glass making company called Mosser.  Mosser company makes pressed glass in stead of the hand blown glass that we were able to make at Blenko Glass  This means that the glass is formed by molds that the molten glass is placed in.

Once the big glob of molten glass is placed on the mold, there is usually a two piece mold.  In the video below, you will see how the molten glass is placed in a mold, then pressed (the mold had two sides and the molten glass is sandwiched in between then two).  It is then placed under another flame to get rid of the stiff rigid marks left behind by the molds.  The tip of the pitcher is then heated up again for the finisher to start the spout on it.  Once the finisher completes the pour spout, the item is then examined and placed under another flame if necessary.  If the pitcher passes inspection here, it is then placed on a conveyor in an annealing oven (slow cooling) to get the perfect Temperature and 4 hours later, your glass product has cooled ell enough.

Enjoy the video and pay attention to the process and how pressed glass is made compared to how Blenko blows their glass

 

Pottery Production and Modern Innovation

Production of pottery is a process that appears to be simple in nature.  I mean, how hard is it to make a bowl?  We all have dabbled with modeling clay and made our own items so it can't be too difficult.... or can it?

As you watch this first video, write down any questions you may have about the process that you are watching.  I know that there is no narriation or captions to tell you specifically but we will discuss that together as a class.  Write down anything that you see but have no idea what it means or what the people are doing in the process.





Now that you have watched the video by your self, we will watch it together as a class whole as I explain some of the processes that you are witnessing.  Mark off your sheet any questions that I have answered and write any new ones you may come up with.


Now, we have to admit that the video above is not from a modern era.  Just like coal mining, the process of doing everything by hand has changed drastically over the years.  In this next video you will see a modern version of some of the same processes from the first video.  Once again, mark off any questions that are answered and write new ones that you may come up with.


 

Now, write down some of the differences that you saw from the first video and the similarities in the processes form then and now.

We will discuss your responses as a class whole.

Recycling....

In the process of making glass as with any other manufacturing process, there are always imperfections and mistakes that cause the product to need to be scrapped.  In the glass world, the scrap and mistakes can usually be discarded and used again.  Most glass manufactures find a way to recycle their glass and broken pieces if not in their own companies, at least transferred to other glass makers.

In our trip to Wissmach glass today we saw how they make sheet glass and it was a difficult process to make complete sheets without any "breaks" in them.  The good thing about glass companies is that they can reuse a lot of their imperfections and scrap. 

But what happens to the glass that they do not use?  That's where Gabbert Cullet comes into play.  They get cullet (broken discarded glass) and distribute it out to many different glass manufacturers making it a much smaller impact of glass being thrown away.

In households however, the process of recycling glass is miniscule.  The amount of places in most places that exist for glass recycling in very few and far between making it difficult and inconvenient for most families or households today.

Just how would recycling benefit our environments? 

What types of glass do you have in your household?  Do you or your family recycle? 

Do you know of a recycling facility in your area?


Go to the following page:

http://igsfederal.com/glass-life-cycle.html

Take the data listed and create a table or graph to visually show the comparisons between glass used, glass recycled and glass thrown in the trash. 

Whey do you think the number of land fills has fallen so drastically since 1978?


Here is a blog from a city in Alabama.  What do you think the author of this blog is trying to tell the community?

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/05/huntsville_residents_your_recy.html

What do they write as the pros to recycling glass?

What cons can you infer with recycling glass?  Divide you paper into two columns and compare the pros and cons.  Does one greatly outdo the other?

Do you believe a recycling plan in your community would be beneficial?  What are some ideas you could come up with for the use of broken and discarded glass?

 

Fenton Art Glass

Fenton Art Glass was founded in 1905 and is located in Wheeling WV. 

Once one of the top glass producers of handmade art glass, Fenton has now produced any large production pieces for the last two years.  Now they mainly produce and design handcrafted glass beads.

Why do you think that a company that specializes in handmade items has been forced to stop production for something that is slowly becoming a dying art?

In the glass bead production room, there are a number of employees with different jobs.  One person was the designer, there were a few employees creating and making the beads from glass and then the ones that were actually painting the designs on the small beads. 

Now, lets talk about the process and the tools used to create these small wonders. 

First, the glass is melted and formed on a small metal rod.  The man below is not forming beads but is creating the teardrop glass pieces that are used to create the ear rings.  But much of the process is the same as with the beads.

So lets talk a little about the rods that hold the molten glass.  The very tip of the rods are coated with a substance that has a sandy or gritty texture to it.  This will enable the release of the glass later on in the process to be easier. 

The glass maker will the turn the molten glass on a mold called a marver.  Look at the picture of the marver below and hypothesize as to why you think it would be used.

There are three different sizes for the different items that they make.  The marver is used to keep the size of the beads consistent and even.

Once the beads are made, they are put in an annealing oven to sit overnight and then a release agent is used to get them off the rods.  Once they are checked for imperfections, the beads are then lined in the center with metal to create a protective layer between the beads and the chain or necklace that they will eventually be placed on.  You can see that in the picture below.

 



Here is another picture of the different styles that are created at the company.

As you can tell, there is a wide variety of designs to choose from.



Use the diagram below to create a pie graph of the percent of ingredients used to create class and compare it to the chart.  What do you notice?

 

Gabbert Cullet

Our first stop on the tour was at a company that had been started almost 25 years ago in Williamstown,WV.  They specialize in selling cullet to glass makers all over the United States and some companies overseas.  They get discarded and broken glass from recycling businesses and other glass manufactures which is purchased by the ton.  They mainly provide cullet to art glass companies and marble manufacturers.

When the glass comes in, they sort it by size (they have a machine for that) and by color which is sorted by hand.  They sell their ware for a dollar a pound.

 

 

 

 

 

Blenko Glass Trip

The Glass Making process behind the scenes is much more entailed than it seems.  We were able to go behind the scenes to see the glass making process first hand.

We didn't get to see the actual process of blending the chemicals to create the glass because it needs to be prepared in advance and then placed in an oven to "melt" together in the glass making process.

What are the normal temperatures for an oven containing the molten glass?

We were assigned to make two different items.  A candy dish and a water bottle.  I'm going to start with the process of making the candy dish.

The first step of the process was to choose a color thet we wanted to make for our candy dish.  they had a samole on hand to give us an idea of how the color would blend with the glass.  Then, we had to get et a glob of glass on the end of the glassblower's pole.  We were using crystal as our "base" for the candy dish.

(Insert picture)

The glob of glass was then placed in a smaller oven to help maintain the consistency of the molten glass.  It was then "rolled" in the color granules that each individual chose and placed back in the small oven to melt them.  The glass was then "rolled" in the color granules again (some chose different colors for the second time and some chose the same - I chose the same color - red) and placed in the small oven a second time.

Meanwhile, if you were a visitor to Blenko, you would only see the "other" glass blower at the observation deck and would not have seen this "behind the scenes" process.

Once the second layer was melted, there would be a second layer of crystal placed on the "glob" at the end of the pole.

(Insert picture)

That was then taken to the glassblower on the observation deck where visitors to Blenko could watch the final process of mankind the candy dish.  That is shown in the video below.

The Real Deal?

Here's an article from WCHStv.com about the legal issues the Homer Laughlin China Co in West Virginia is facing and why.

 

Making Glass in West Virginia Videos

A couple of videos I found of people making glass right here in West Virginia.

 

Glass in West Virginia, Cultural Center Displays

The Cultural Center on the Capital Complex in Charleston has a gread display of glass and glass making throughout the history of West Virginia.  It also has exhibits pertaining to the coal and timber industries that would tie in to the last two years of our projects in cabell county.  I've compiled a short video to share.

Blenko Glass, Milton

Post all information you learn from this post on your own blog.

The Blenko Project . . . thankfully there is someone out there interested in keeping Blenko Glass Company in the public eye.  They have created a lot of information about Blenko from the start to emplyees that have worked there.  Great historic information.  Click on the link below to check it out.

The Blenko Project

We are lucky to have a glass company still in production in our area, Blenko Glass.  It is located in Milton, and has been in operation since around 1925 when William Blenko arrived in Milton and started building his furnace in an old barn.


Glass Inquiry Video from Kellie Wood on Vimeo.

Now, click on this link to Mrs. Hill's blog to find out how glass gets its color.

On your blog, write an essay explaining the process of coloring glass and be sure to include what is added to make each color!!  Title this post "Coloring Glass"
On a second post, write an essay explaining the use of cullet, the broken or discarded glass.  Be sure to include why it is used and how using it is helpful to the company, the consumer and the environment.  Title this post "Use of Cullet"

So how did Blenko come to be in Milton?

Go to the History of Blenko Web page below to find the answers to the following questions. 
History of Blenko page   Title the answers on your blog, "History of Blenko"

1.  Where was William J. Blenko born?

2.  What brought him to West Virgina particularly Milton?

3.  What product did William J. Blenko start out making?

4.  In 1929, he secured the services of two Swedish glass craftsmen.  Why?

5.  How many generations of the Blenko family have run the company?

For your next assignment, we will look at the process behind making glass. Use the links provided below to come up with the general process of glass production.  In otherwords, look at all the links and find the most common way that glass is produced.  Write an essay with your explanation and provide links for your readers to go to for more detailed information.  (You can also find more information on other posts in my blog)  On your blog, title this post, "How Glass Is Made"

Making Glass at Blenko Glass Company

Glass Making Online

eHow description of making glass 

Or research your own site.  Be sure to post a link on your blog!!

A few more informative sites about Blenko and the glass it has made over the years.

Blenko Archives informs you on how you can tell Blenko glass from other glass.

Blenko Museum has a selection of pictures of the glass designs made through the decades.

eWV website has information about Blenko and its history.

Collectors Website for Blenko glass. Lots of pictures of different glass produced over the years.




And here are a few videos to watch about the process of making glass.
 

Video from Owens-Illinois on making bottles and Jars
 

This is a neat video to watch how they roll glass for sheet glass.


 

and just for fun, how to make sugar glass.  You know, the kind they use in movies to break over someones head!  Check it out!!

 

History of Glass

In watching the video below, answer the following questions.

1.  What is the most likely way that humans first developed a sense of using glass?

2.  Give an example of how glass is produced naturally.

3.  Where did West Virginia most likely get the artisians to produce glass?

4.  What brought glass making companies to West Virginia?  Explain each reason with background information.


 

Watch the following video. It states that glass is a supercooled liquid. Do some research yourself to answer this last question.


5. Prove or dispute the old wives tale that glass is a liquid and it "settles"(gets thicker) at the bottom after years of placed vertically.

Here is a good little video that shows the early days of factory glass production and how it moved from large factories to small studios.


"Harvey Littleton had a dream about blowing glass without a factory to support the work, when his father, a Corning researcher, created a formula for glass, LIttleton took this and his dream and introduced his concepts at two workshops in Toledo in 1962. That began the studio art glass movement, and it continues to this day to thrive with collectors, educators, gallerists and artists working in glass around the world."
 

Glass Videos

Information on Making Glass

Glass Blowing in Canada

 

New York
 

WV Glass Towns -- Moundsville

In Marshall County West Virginia, along the Ohio River, is a town called Moundsville.  The city was named for an Indian mound (the Grave Creek Mound) and was settled in 1771.  Moundsville became incorporated in 1930 and there were three known glass companies in production in the town. The first company I will talk about is the Fostoria Glass Company.

Fostoria Glass Company was headquartered in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986 and moved there from Fostoria Ohio because of more dependable gas deposits.  Fostoria Glass works specialized in hand blown glass such as tableware, stemware, vases, lamps, cut glass and novelties.  Fostoria advertised that it manufactured "tableware, colognes, stationers' glassware and candelabra", as well as inkwells, sponge cups, vases, fingerbowls and fruit jars. Many of the stemware designs were needle etched or wheel cut.  This was popular styles during the early 20th century.

In 1986, Fostoria closed up the factory.



This is a picture of the Glass blowers in the plant.

Here is a picture of the furnaces as the factory was in the process of demolition.

On old postcard with a picture of the factory.

A few pictures of the factory in the process of demolition or just before. 

Some workers in the early years

Hypothesize reasons that would cause the company to close the factory after so many years in service.

listen to ‘Hypothesis Hints’ on Audioboo

What kind of products were they selling at the time of closing? Had it changed much from their early years? Why?

To learn more about the history behind the Fostoria Glass Company, I have added links to other web sites.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fostoria_Glass_Company

http://www.fostoriaglass.org/fgsamus.htm#HISTORY

Wilkerson Handmade Glass

In 1975, Wilkerson Handmade Glass began operation.  Making paperweights, novelties, and gift ware.

I wasn't able to find much on the Internet about them but I did happen to find them on Facebook.  I have put a link below if you would like to check it out.

Their facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilkerson-Glass/158288050892917

You can also find contact information here:
http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/travelplanner/destination/Wilkerson-Glass-Company/4910/default.aspx

Murphy Glass

 Murphy Glass was still in operation in 2005 making paperweights and lamps.  Other than what was listed in Dean Six's book, I was not able to find anything on the internet.

First Class Session - Guest Speaker - Dean Six

In our first class session, we had a guest speaker who was very knowledgeable about glass in West Virginia.  I knew that glass was a part of the heritage of our state but was really unaware of how much glass was actually produced in the area.

Dean gave us insight on the reasons glass came to our state.  He also gave us some insight on the history behind glass and the types of glass that were produced.  I had not really thought about the different types of glass in our lives.  Something that we use every day seems oblivious to our observations of it.  I've found myself looking at things in my home made of glass and trying to follow the history of it back to it's first production and WHY it came into production. 

How many glass objects do you have in your household?  Do you know where it originated?  How about whether it was hand made or machine made?

I was really surprised at the number of items of old that were made by hand and the processes that came about to produce it.  I think the most intriguing thing I found out was the art of creating cameo glass and the process (scientifically) it takes to accomplish it.  I've listed a few web sites below to check out about cameo glass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_glass

http://www.david-issitt.1hwy.com/custom4.html

What are the steps to creating a cameo glass piece?

There were so many things to talk about from the making of marbles, to paper weights and flasks.  I can't wait to have the opportunity to see more in first hand experiences.

At the end of our class session, we received books about Glass Towns in West Virginia and West Virginia Glass Between the Wars, three glass marbles and a new perspective about something I walk past every single day but have never stopped to think about how it was made or how it came to be... glass.

 

Thursday April 4, 2013

Tonight we start our first class on studying the realm of glass and ceramics in West Virginia.  I am excited about this project because it is an extention of two previous projects we have done.  I have learned from those projects that there really is a lot about West Virginia and the industries that make up our economic background.  You would think that I would have a depth of knowledge about the glass making industry being that I have lived in Milton my entire life and it is the home to Blenko Glass Company that makes hand blown treasures.  But, alas, I am very ignorant and have only been to the Blenko visitor center less than 10 times my entire life.  And some of those times I only went out around the pond to watch the ducks! 

Anyway, I'm hoping to gain a new insight to another part of the history of my state so that I will be able to teach the future residents of West Virginia how truly wild and WONDERFUL our state really is.