More about Making Paperweights 4
Most factories had their own special methods of cutting and faceting their weights. In an encrusted overlay weight, the color overlays and faceting were apparently followed by a final dip into clear crystal to complete the weight.
Flash, an overlay color applied by firing, as in some of the Bohemian glass, is likely to wear off. It was never used on a fine old weight.
Although most weights were made by building rather than blowing, the blow pipe was an essential tool. This was a long, hollow metal tube with a wooden mouthpiece at one end and an expanded lip at the other. The size varied according to the article to be made.
Flash, an overlay color applied by firing, as in some of the Bohemian glass, is likely to wear off. It was never used on a fine old weight.
Although most weights were made by building rather than blowing, the blow pipe was an essential tool. This was a long, hollow metal tube with a wooden mouthpiece at one end and an expanded lip at the other. The size varied according to the article to be made.
| Kanawha Glass company horse head paperweight. Our Antique Shop
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The pontil rod was an iron tool for holding the weight during construction. Other tools of the weight maker were shears, both sharp and dull; tongs, for picking up small objects; a wooden spatula; and a marver; or table, on which the glass was rolled to give it a symmetrical form. The marver was originally made of marble but later of Iron.
The first step in making a weight was to take a thin piece of crystal or colored glass and decorate it as desired. It was essential that all the clements to be combined were brought to the same temperature. Otherwise the structure would crack and have the appearance of having been broken by a fall. Such cracks, however, would not be on the surface, but on the inside of the weight-around the pattern, like those which occur in many of Barber's first Jersey roses.
The decorated piece was then placed facedown in a mold, which might be either flat or concave. It was then heated, a conical ring was placed over the mold and more glass was poured through the opening. This covered the back of the decoration.The ring was next removed and the pattern form taken up on the pontil rod. The decorated end was then dipped into more glass until it reached the form and size desired.
The first step in making a weight was to take a thin piece of crystal or colored glass and decorate it as desired. It was essential that all the clements to be combined were brought to the same temperature. Otherwise the structure would crack and have the appearance of having been broken by a fall. Such cracks, however, would not be on the surface, but on the inside of the weight-around the pattern, like those which occur in many of Barber's first Jersey roses.
The decorated piece was then placed facedown in a mold, which might be either flat or concave. It was then heated, a conical ring was placed over the mold and more glass was poured through the opening. This covered the back of the decoration.The ring was next removed and the pattern form taken up on the pontil rod. The decorated end was then dipped into more glass until it reached the form and size desired.
| An assortment of modern glass bird paperweights from our collection. You can see more paperweights and other art glass at Our Antique Shop.
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At this point, the workman seated himself in a chair called a cradle. The cradle had large metal arms,and across them he rested the pontil rod, moving it quickly back and forth with his left hand, while a spatula held in his right hand shaped the mass to its proper size and form. As a final step, the weight was sometime annealed in sand to produce a more brilliant finish.
A solid stick of glass, when plated layer upon layer, is called a cane. This was made in either of two ways. A workman following one method would gather a small quantity of glass on the end of a blow pipe and roll it on the marver into a pencil-like form. Next, he dip ped this into a pot containing glas s of another color. The dipping in various colors and rolling was repeated until he had a piece about five inche long and twp inches wide. After reheating, an assistant attached another pontil rod to the other end of the glass, and the two workmen moved apart until the glass was brought down to the diameter desired. The consistency of the glass was such that patterne were undisturbed by the stretching.
By another method the patterns were formed in a mold. If the cane was to carry a figure---for example an animal, a four-leaf clover. a bird, or a butterfly a mold was made accordingly. The mold was then filled with the required amount of molten glass and allowed to cool to the proper degree. The cane was then removed, dipped and rolled to introduce as many colors as were desired, and finally drawn down to the proper size.
A solid stick of glass, when plated layer upon layer, is called a cane. This was made in either of two ways. A workman following one method would gather a small quantity of glass on the end of a blow pipe and roll it on the marver into a pencil-like form. Next, he dip ped this into a pot containing glas s of another color. The dipping in various colors and rolling was repeated until he had a piece about five inche long and twp inches wide. After reheating, an assistant attached another pontil rod to the other end of the glass, and the two workmen moved apart until the glass was brought down to the diameter desired. The consistency of the glass was such that patterne were undisturbed by the stretching.
By another method the patterns were formed in a mold. If the cane was to carry a figure---for example an animal, a four-leaf clover. a bird, or a butterfly a mold was made accordingly. The mold was then filled with the required amount of molten glass and allowed to cool to the proper degree. The cane was then removed, dipped and rolled to introduce as many colors as were desired, and finally drawn down to the proper size.
