Glassblowing Techniques: Time to Blow
The batch of glass is mixed and ready to go. Glancing around the glassblower's workshop (called ahot shop), we see a number of tools and equipment that'll soon be in use.
First is the initial furnace, inside of which is a pot (sometimes called acrucible). In a process calledcharging, the furnace is filled with large amounts of batch that melt at temperatures higher than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1,100 degrees Celsius).

During the blowing process, theparison -- or partially blown glass -- is turned around and around andbits of glass are often added with the use of a smaller metal rod called a punty, as are variouscolorants. Additional glass can be joined in a number of ways. For example, it can be laminated on with heat or adhesive, threads andwraps can be laid in decorative patterns as the glass is turned, orshards can be melted in. While all this pulling and shaping is going on, a metal rod called a pontil is attached to the base of the blown glass to hold it while the mouth end is being shaped. The pontil mark is usually ground or polished away later.

While the glass is being blown, but before it's completely finished, it often cools to the point where it's unworkable, which is where the glory hole comes in. The glory hole is the second furnace in the modern three-furnace setup. It's commonly a round, insulated cylinder and the partially formed glass can be held suspended from the end of the rotating blowpipe, which