How does the glass get colored?

Color is added to the glass a few different ways. Colored powder, frit (small chuncks of colored glass), or rods of colored glass. The color is added before the piece is broken off the blow pipe and attached to the punty.

Why doesn't the hot, liquid glass simply fall off of the rod? How does it stay attached? Also, what if the glass blower blew a bubble too large? Would the glass bubble pop like a real bubble? These are really science questions, but i'm just wondering if anyone out there knows...

The pipes are preheated before you use them because glass sticks to things that are hot, if they were too cool the glass wouldn't stick. To answer your question about the bubble, it would't pop like a normal bubble would. The larger you blow a bubble the thinner the glass gets and the faster it cools, if the glass cools too quickly it will shatter so most often with large bubbles they will simply crack..

It's amazing. But what I really want to know is... How this technique was discovered and when? Thank you!

The history of glassmaking can be traced back to 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_glass

Why was the video so short i wanted to see more!

The Corning Museum of Glass has TONS of videos. Check out their youtube account for many more videos on glassmaking!

is true that glass does come from the sand?

Yes, it is true! When you heat sand to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit it becomes glass.

What is the glass made of ,exactly.

Silica, the main component in sand! Historically, glass was actually made from sand, and when thunder hits sand it forms glass. Cool, right?

The beginning of the video does not discuss where the molten glass comes from. Where do the 'ingredients' for glass come from and how are they 'mixed' and prepared to form the actual molten glass?

The raw materials mixture for glass melting is termed "batch". The raw materials used are sand, trona, lime, albite, orthoclase, dolomite, and borax. "Batch" comes in powder, block or pellet form and is melted down in the furnace. The furnace is anywhere between 2200 - 3000 degrees F. and is a big "pot" of clear glass.

I always wonder who was the first person to come up with the idea of glassmaking. Was it by accident or was it intentional after making observations about natural phenomena. I wonder if we have any historical evidence about that or even just a legend.

Wonder no more! You can find the history of glass at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass#History_of_silicate_glass

Main content

Special topics in art history

Course: Special topics in art history > Unit 2

Lesson 13: Mosaic, metalwork and glass

Glassmaking technique: free-blown glass

Name: Glassmaking technique: free-blown glass
Uploaded: 2013-10-28T17:45:58Z
Description: Creating a free blown glass bottle involves gathering molten glass on a blowpipe, shaping it on a marver, and blowing a bubble. The bubble is stretched into a tube, inflated to form the vessel body, and the bottom is flattened. The mouth is shaped using a pontil, and after a reheating, the opening is reshaped. The finished vessel is then cooled in an annealing oven.

Google Classroom

Creating a free blown glass bottle involves gathering molten glass on a blowpipe, shaping it on a marver, and blowing a bubble. The bubble is stretched into a tube, inflated to form the vessel body, and the bottom is flattened. The mouth is shaped using a pontil, and after a reheating, the opening is reshaped. The finished vessel is then cooled in an annealing oven. Created by Getty Museum.

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Rosalinda Merrelberry
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Rosalinda Merrelberry's post “How does the glass get co...”
How does the glass get colored?
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(15 votes)
Answer
- Shannon Reddoch
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Shannon Reddoch's post “Color is added to the gla...”
  Color is added to the glass a few different ways. Colored powder, frit (small chuncks of colored glass), or rods of colored glass. The color is added before the piece is broken off the blow pipe and attached to the punty.
  Comment on Shannon Reddoch's post “Color is added to the gla...”
  (8 votes)
Quinn McLeish
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Quinn McLeish's post “@1:45 "It can then be gra...”
@
1:45
"It can then be gradually cooled in an aneeling(?) oven."
What kind of oven is used for cooling? How does it work? Have I spelt it right?
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(12 votes)
Answer
- 2ccraysg
  Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to 2ccraysg's post “Is Dale Chulie's glass bl...”
  Is Dale Chulie's glass blowing studio on video for educational review?
  Button navigates to signup page
  (1 vote)
E
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to E's post “Why doesn't the hot, liqu...”
Why doesn't the hot, liquid glass simply fall off of the rod? How does it stay attached? Also, what if the glass blower blew a bubble too large? Would the glass bubble pop like a real bubble?
These are really science questions, but i'm just wondering if anyone out there knows...
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(13 votes)
Answer
- akc1113
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to akc1113's post “The pipes are preheated b...”
  The pipes are preheated before you use them because glass sticks to things that are hot, if they were too cool the glass wouldn't stick. To answer your question about the bubble, it would't pop like a normal bubble would. The larger you blow a bubble the thinner the glass gets and the faster it cools, if the glass cools too quickly it will shatter so most often with large bubbles they will simply crack..
  Comment on akc1113's post “The pipes are preheated b...”
  (7 votes)
Julian Delgadillo Marin
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Julian Delgadillo Marin's post “is true that glass does c...”
is true that glass does come from the sand?
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(5 votes)
Answer
- Ashlyn Galindez
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Ashlyn Galindez's post “Yes, it is true! When you...”
  Yes, it is true! When you heat sand to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit it becomes glass.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (9 votes)
カルリ価格
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to カルリ価格's post “Why was the video so shor...”
Why was the video so short i wanted to see more!
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(6 votes)
Answer
- 09jaw
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to 09jaw's post “The Corning Museum of Gla...”
  The Corning Museum of Glass has TONS of videos. Check out their youtube account for many more videos on glassmaking!
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
Jordi.farreras.92
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Jordi.farreras.92's post “It's amazing. But what I ...”
It's amazing. But what I really want to know is... How this technique was discovered and when? Thank you!
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(7 votes)
Answer
- Wei Zhao
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Wei Zhao's post “The history of glassmakin...”
  The history of glassmaking can be traced back to 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_glass
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
Braniac
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Braniac's post “What is the glass made of...”
What is the glass made of ,exactly.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Braniac's post “What is the glass made of...”
(4 votes)
Answer
- Миленa
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Миленa's post “Silica, the main componen...”
  Silica, the main component in sand! Historically, glass was actually made from sand, and when thunder hits sand it forms glass. Cool, right?
  Comment on Миленa's post “Silica, the main componen...”
  (5 votes)
TJudd
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to TJudd's post “How long is a normal blow...”
How long is a normal blow pipe?
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(6 votes)
Answer
Stacey Murray
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Stacey Murray's post “The beginning of the vide...”
The beginning of the video does not discuss where the molten glass comes from. Where do the 'ingredients' for glass come from and how are they 'mixed' and prepared to form the actual molten glass?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
- Shannon Reddoch
  Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Shannon Reddoch's post “The raw materials mixture...”
  The raw materials mixture for glass melting is termed "batch". The raw materials used are sand, trona, lime, albite, orthoclase, dolomite, and borax. "Batch" comes in powder, block or pellet form and is melted down in the furnace. The furnace is anywhere between 2200 - 3000 degrees F. and is a big "pot" of clear glass.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
epp
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to epp's post “I always wonder who was t...”
I always wonder who was the first person to come up with the idea of glassmaking. Was it by accident or was it intentional after making observations about natural phenomena. I wonder if we have any historical evidence about that or even just a legend.
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(2 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Wonder no more! You can ...”
  Wonder no more! You can find the history of glass at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass#History_of_silicate_glass
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)

Video transcript

(soft flute music) Voiceover: Free blown glass vessels are shaped solely by inflation with a blowpipe and manipulation with tools. (soft flute music) To make a simple bottle, molten glass is gathered onto the blowpipe, then rolled back and forth on a smoothed surface, the marver, to give it a cylindrical shape. (soft flute music) A small bubble is blown in the glass. The blowpipe is spun end-to-end in order to stretch the bubble out to form a long narrow tube. The thick mass of glass at the end of the tube remains soft and is immediately inflated to form the vessel body. (soft flute music) The bottom is flattened. (soft flute music) To shape the bottles mouth, a glass-tipped metal rod, the pontil, is attached to the bottom of the vessel. (soft flute music) Drops of cold water are applied and a sharp bang on the blowpipe causes the neck to break. (soft flute music) After reheating, the opening can be reshaped. (soft flute music) A gentle tap on the pontil easily breaks the finished vessel free. (soft flute music) It can then be gradually cooled in an annealing oven. (soft flute music)