Up: Glassmaking
Reminiscences 94 of 123
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In many of these tools we perceive the same
general characters as mark those in use now. In some, improvements have
been effected; while others are quite obsolete. It is quite curious
to observe the etymology of many of the technical terms of the art in
use at the present day. The name of the present polished iron table,
i.e. the MARVER, is derived from
the practice of the Italians and French in using slabs of polished marble.
The iron now called the punty, from the Italian
ponteglo. The tool now called percellas,
from the word porcello. In fact, nearly all the technical terms in
the glass manufacture, appertaining to the tool or furnace, are derived
from the Italian. By referring to the drawing, we see that the tool
marked A is the blow-iron, that marked B the punty-iron.
Their character plainly indicates that the work made on them must have
been confined to small or light articles. C, the scissors,
D, the shears, correspond to those used at the present day.
The tool marked E was used to finish part of their work. F
and G were their large and small ladles,-- the small used to
take off the then called alkalic salt; showing that they were troubled
with an excess of this in their time. The shovel, then called stockle,
marked H, was used to carry
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