Carving Glass
Carving glass is accomplished after the glass is cool. I hand blow each piece. When it is cool, I bring it to my carving studio in my home.
The carving involves using an engraving lathe. My lathe is a Merker engraving lathe made in Germany.
The motor turns the shaft. The shaft receives a mounted bit. The bit is either a diamond or stone wheel. Each wheel has a predetermined profile. (a stone wheel can be 'reprofiled') The motor turns the shaft, and I gently push the glass onto the turning wheel removing the glass in the random design.
Carving glass using this method is becoming a lost art. I chose to carve glass when I found how meditative it can be. When I make a mark on the glass, and then move slightly to make another, at the same pressure, for the same amount of time, there is no room in my brain for any additional random thoughts. I have the best of both worlds of glass art
The Lathe
The lathe is the tool used with glass pieces from Ascension Art. Cold water runs down the turning bit (no small glass particles enter the air) as the glass piece is carefully pressed against the stone or diamond wheel. Each time the glass touches the wheel, glass is removed, mirroring the profile of the wheel
The Bit
The wheel is the turning tool pressed against the glass to create the carving. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Each wheel has its own diameter, and profile, similar to a thickness of a pen or paint brush, creates a different stroke on the glass. With repetition, and pressure, the stroke creates a deeper groove.
