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SAFETY:
Safety is the number one priority. All students should know the
risks of glassblowing. Glass blowing is inherently a dangerous
activity. The following rules created by various studios and teachers,
are meant to help keep the glass blowing experience as safe as
possible. Be aware of your position in the studio. When you are
walking behind someone, be sure to let them know that you are
there. Students will be intensely focused on the piece of hot
glass at the end of their pipe, please be aware of their potential
movement. Do not swing a pipe in the direction of another person.
Do not give the pipe a full swing no more than shoulder height.
Never raise the blow pipe higher than your head. You should always
move around the shop with the hot glass end of the pipe angled
toward the floor. ALWAYS LOOK BEFORE TURNING AROUND WITH A HOT
BLOWPIPE. While blowing glass always be aware of any person in
other areas of the studio. Safety glasses must be worn at all
times. We will provide eye protection. If you have prescription
eye wear or prefer your own ordinary sunglasses, please feel free
to bring them. You are responsible for keeping your safety glasses
on at all times. All classes will start with an explanation of
the safety rules. Only authorized personnel are permitted to adjust
studio equipment. If there are any problems, contact the the instructor.
Clothing:
Do not wear synthetic material or plastic fiber. Proper dress
should include a cotton long sleeve shirt with a short sleeve
undershirt, long pants, closed toe shoes, no open toed footwear
or flimsy shoes. Sturdy hard soled shoes are recommended. Do not
wear metal exposed such as jewelry, metal buttons, watches, ect.
Individuals with long hair need to bring something to tie their
hair back.
Liability Waiver:
All students are required to read and sign a liability waiver
and agree to abide to the standards of safety and conduct that
Greenwood Glass Blowing Studio has outline. All students should
know the risks of glassblowing. We attempt to run a safe shop,
but cannot protect you from everything. Students under the age
of 18 will require a parent or guardian signature on the liability
waiver. Parents are encouraged to read and review safety procedures
with their children.
Link
to liability waiver Please
print, sign and send with your reservation fee. Otherwise the
form will be provided.
Refund/Cancellation Policy:
If a student must cancel
and cancellation is received 30 days prior to the class start
date, you will receive a full refund less a $15.00 processing
fee. If cancellation is received less than 30 days but at least
7 days prior to the class start date, a 50-percent refund will
be given less a $15.00 processing fee. There is no refund for
cancellations received less than 7 days before the class start
date. If, for any reason it is necessary for us to cancel a class,
and we are not able to offer another time, a full refund will
be given. If there is a major snow, ice storm, or power outage,
the class will be postponed to another date.
Payment May Be Made By:
Check (payable to Peter Greenwood) or cash.
Health:
All students must be in good health and ability to withstand the
heat and the physical demands of glass blowing. Please check with
your doctor if you have any questions.
Students Work:
Finished pieces must cool overnight. You will need to pick them
up later, or if desired, we can ship them for a reasonable packing
and shipping fee. We cannot hold your pieces indefinitely, so
please pick them up promptly or make arrangements for shipping.
We are not responable for students work that is left in the studio.
Drug &Alcohol Policy:
Alcohol is not permitted in or outside of the Greenwood Glass
Blowing Studio except during permitted events. The use of illegal
drugs while at GGBS is strictly prohibited. We do not tolerate
behavior that jeopardizes your safety or the safety of others.
Do not blow glass if you have been drinking or have consumed anything
else that would impair your coordination, judgment or balance.
Burns & Cuts:
Students might receive minor burns or cuts as a natural part of
learning to blow glass. Many objects are hot, tools, pipes, punties,
furnace doors, annealing ovens, assume that all surfaces are hot,
even surfaces (such as the rails of the bench) that are not directly
in contact with the glass. Report all burns and cuts to a staff
member. We have a first aid kit available. All of these issues
will be covered in the safety instructions at the beginning of
the class.
Unannealed Glass:
Shards and other pieces of unannealed glass can be extremely dangerous
and may explode without warning. Under no circumstances should
any piece of glass be removed from the studio unless it has been
properly annealed. Shards and unannealed glass pieces will occur
from the glass blowing process. These pieces of glass called drops
are usually cut off from the piece that a student is working on.
They rest on the floor and will retain their heat for many minutes.
Please do not try to pick up this pieces. Instructors will dispose
of them throughout the class.
Teamwork:
We blow glass in teams. The person making the piece is in charge
of the team and is known as the Gaffer. The two assistants help
the Gaffer by getting pieces of glass, arranging tools, providing
bench blows, etc. Gaffers will not always need 2 assistants, allowing
time for one assistant to rest. Team members should take care
of each other. Help your fellow students to follow the rules of
safe behavior and not work beyond their abilities.
Steaming a Pipe:
Never place a pipe in water without capping the end. If you forget
to do this, a column of ultra-hot steam will surge up the pipe,
and burn your hands or you'll be scaled with flying boiling water.
Sharing Blowpipes:
The Gaffer and assistants
will take turns blowing on the pipe during the course of a piece.
If you are uncomfortable with this communal contact, the best
remedy is to purchase your own blowpipe and use a blow-hose. We
clean the pipes between classes, but not each time that a student
uses it. We have alcohol-based wipes to use on mouthpieces if
you so choose. Please inquire with your instructor.
Personal Property:
Greenwood Glass is not responsible for the security of property
belonging to students, instructors, or staff.
Pets:
Students are not permitted to have pets with them while at the
studio.
Photography:
Greenwood Glass and its associates reserve the right to photograph,
on site, students and their artwork for public relations work
in promoting GG and its programs.
Nondiscrimination
Policy:
Greenwood Glass does not discriminate on the basis of race, age,
religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, or sexual preference.
A
Note on Gathering:
We purposefully do not teach gathering at the beginning of the
class for several reasons. First, most students are intimidated
by the heat of the furnace. Secondly, we want you learning the
other skills on relatively symmetrical gathers (your first gathers
won't be this way). Finally, the furnace is fragile and must never
be hit with a gather of glass. We will teach you to gather as
your skills warrant.
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Furnace
The furnace holds 210 lbs of glass in a free standing crucible
at 2000 F. It runs continuously and is very fragile. Students
need to receive special instruction before removing glass from
the furnace.
Glory Hole
Glory Holes are used to re-heat glass and run at a temperature
of 2300 F. The doors are fragile and should be operated only with
care. When you accidentally drop a piece in the glory hole, use
the pipe or punty that it fell off to immediately retrieve as
much of the piece as you can. While re-heating your glass object,
pay particular attention to avoiding collisions with the doors.
Glass Blowing
Bench
The main work area, the bench combines two areas: a seat with
rails and a tool stand. The bench is setup for right-handed people.
Lefties will need to learn to blow glass right-handed. Both hands
are important and do different things. Although benches can be
set up right or left-handed, most benches in the world are right
handed.
Annealers
Annealers (aka Lehr ovens) are used to safely cool glass from
final temperature (960 F) to room temperature. Annealer doors
are fragile and must be closed slowly and firmly. Beware, their
surfaces can get very hot.
Pipe/Color Warmers
Glass will not stick to cold objects, it is necessary to preheat
pipes and puntys. A pipe is hot enough when it has a very slight
glow. Do not use a pipe that has not been heated as bits of glass
on the end may explode violently when rapidly heated. Color ovens
contain colored glass. Color glass will crack unless preheated
to 1000 - 1100 F.
Marver
The marver is the most powerful method of shaping glass and also
the most difficult to master. When marvering glass, remember to
support the weight of the piece and only allow the area you are
working to touch the surface. The marver is an excellent tool
for shaping and removing heat from an area of the glass. Marvers
must be keep clean. Never set any object (especially a wet object)
on a marver. It is a good habit to wipe the marver down before
each use.
Optic Molds
When a hot bubble is inserted in an optic mold and inflated, the
profile of the bubble is distorted into optic ridges. Used for
decoration on both clear and colored vessels.
Hand Tools
Blocks & Paddles
Wooden spoon-like "blocks" are used only to shape very
hot glass (usually fresh out of the furnace). Blocks should not
be used on glass that is not moving as they will simply scum the
surface and damage the block. Blocks should be used wet, but not
with pools of water inside. If a block begins to smoke, rather
than steam, immediately re-wet it. Paddles are used primarily
to flatten the bottoms and lips of pieces. They do not need to
be wet.
Jacks & Pacioffis
This versatile tool for shaping glass has two working surfaces,
the blades and "backs" (the flat section near the bend).
Assume both are hot and only grab the jacks by the handles. A
pacioffi is basically a jack with wooden blades and needs to be
kept wet. Metal jacks should have a fine coating of wax on the
working surface.
Tweezers
Tweezers should be free of wax and are used for any number of
activities: "plucking" the glass, guide puntys into
place, etc.
Paper/Graphite
Pad
A thick layer of wet newspaper will protect you from the glass
even straight out of the furnace. Newspaper and graphite pads
should be treated like blocks and always used wet on moving glass.
Purpose of the paper or graphite pad which is held in ones hand,
is to shape the hot glass.
Diamond &
Straight Shears
Shears are used for cutting glass. Straight shears are used like
scissors to slice through glass and diamond shears are used to
cut to a single point. NEVER use shears on cold glass. If you
catch yourself using much force with shears, the glass is to cold
to work and most likely you will damaging them.
Blowpipes
Blowpipes are provided for student use. Shop pipes should be treated
gently, especially when hot. They will bend with excessive force.
Our pipes have fancy plastic mouthpieces rather than the traditional
metal. This is for safety reasons as plastic is much less likely
to knock your teeth out. The plastic pieces are more delicate
and scratch easily especially when spun on the floor. If you are
inverting a pipe, protect the mouthpiece by spinning it on your
shoe (not a beginner technique).
Puffers &
Steam Sticks
Puffers, either bent or straight, are used to inflate a blown
vessel while it is on the punty. "Steam sticks" are
wet wooden cones and have a similar function.
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Copyright
© 1999-2010 Peter
Greenwood
All rights resevered worldwide
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