The main ingredient of
our glass figurines are sand (silica), soda, and Lime. Over the
centuries these ingredients have changed very little. There are many
different types of glass available for use. The glass used by our
artistic glass blower is borosilicate glass.
The glass rod is heated in the flame of the Oxygen/LPG burner, to the
working point, where it is shaped using any number of different
techniques such as, applying glass, twisting, folding, blowing,
squashing, cutting etc. When the final shape is completed, the item must
be annealed, to remove the stress built up in the glass during and after
working
Internal stresses are relieved in glass by slowly heating to the
annealing point, the temperature at which the molecular arrangement is
so altered within a reasonable period of time that the internal stresses
disappears. After the internal stresses have been removed, the
temperature is gradually lowered - so slowly that all regions of the
mass are at practically uniform temperature during the cooling. The mass
shrinks uniformly and no strains develop. The treated piece is said to
be "annealed"
All figurines are carefully kiln annealed to ensure the strength of the
glass. Annealling at a temperature close to 1000 degrees allows the
glass molecules in the figurines to alleviate any stress that has formed
during the lampworking process. A slow descent to room temperature
ensures that the glass is strong enough.