glassblowing (glasblo"ing)

The proce of making gla ware and window-gla by taking a ma of viscid gla from the melting pot on the end of a blowing-tube and inflating it by blowing through the tube. For common window-gla the hot blown ma a is extended into a long cylinder by swinging a bulb of hot gla from a bridge on which the workman stands. It is then cut open and flattened out in the flattening-furnace. For fine window-gla the bulb of blown gla is cut open and whirled round in the flashing-furnace till it flashes, or opens into a flat disk with a bull's-eye in the center. A small quantity of gla also put into molds, and then expanded by blowing till it hot, and decorated, twisted, and united with other pieces is Stove-gla , sheets of mica used in the fronts of stoves, etc.-Tempered, toughened, or hardened gla . (a) Gla hardened by being plunged at a high temperature into an oleaginous bath, according to a proce invented by M. de la Bastie in and following Such molds. Blown gla also while cannot be cut by the diamond, and will endure heavy blows and great changes of temperature, but when fractured flies into minute fragments. (b) Gla that has been heated and then suddenly cooled, under the proce of F. Siemens. When the articles to be made are such as of gla in many different ways. The term gla -blowing is also applied, though incorrectly, to the making of spun gla and filigree-gla by melting and molding rods of soft Bohemian gla in the flame of a blowpipe. Toys and ware made in this way are not properly called blown gla , but are generally molded, the molten gla is run into suitable molds and squeezed while it is highly heated, the mold filigree-gla . gla . See to crush cup, under crush. - draw the gla , to perform the operation of testing the gla , after the founding and refining are finished, to determine whether it is ready for casting. It is done by plunging the end of a rod into the pot. - To get a gla in one's head, to have one's drink go to one's head; become flustered It is common for a number of them that have got a gla with drink. in their heads to get up into some belfry and ring the bells for hours together for the sake of exercise. Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 40. Toughened gla . See tempered gla . - Venetian gla , ornamental gla ware made at and near Venice. See def. 1. Sometimes called Mu rano gla , Venice gla . No illustrations can do justice to the endle diversities of Ve netian gla es; they rival in lightne those of Greece and Rome. To examine them is to imagine that the inventive faculty can go no farther. A. M. Wallace - Dunlop, Mag. of [Art, March, 1884. Venice gla . Same as Venetian gla . Though it be said that poyson will break a Venice-gla , yet have we not met with any of that nature. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., vii. 17. Volcanic gla , obsidian.- Water-gla . Same as soluble gla . (See also plate - gla .) II. a. [Attrib. use of Example of Modern Venetian Gla , with spray of flowers in color on a transparent body. the noun. The older adj. is glazen, q. v.] Made of gla ; vitreous: as, a gla bottle. - Gla enamel, tear, wool, etc. See the nouns.- Gla house, a