Blowpipe
The hollow steel tube you gather on, rotate and blow through. The primary instrument of the hot shop.
Gathering / Blowing
Wear PPE and ventilate. Eye protection, heat-resistant gloves and extraction are required whenever the furnace, glory hole or kiln is open.
Showing 6 of 6 tools
Gathering Pipe
A solid rod used to pick up a gather when you are working solid rather than hollow.
Gathering / Shaping
Blowing Hose
The flexible hose and swivel that let you blow on a rotating pipe without stopping the rotation.
Blowing
Heat Shield
A radiant barrier that slides onto the pipe and protects the back of your hand.
Gathering / Shaping
Wooden Block
A soaked fruitwood block used to shape and chill a gather while it is still soft.
Shaping
No tools in this category match those filters.
About this category. The gather is the moment glass leaves the furnace, and everything after it depends on how clean and how even that first pickup was. These tools are simple in form and unforgiving in use: a pipe that is too heavy tires your wrist, a pipe that is too light flexes under a large gather, and a hose with the wrong bore makes it impossible to feel how hard you are blowing.
Specifications are published ranges and vary between manufacturers. Always follow the equipment maker's own instructions and safety documentation.
See it in the 3D Studio
Four interactive simulations covering gathering, shaping, colouring and annealing.