Glass-blowers design, produce and decorate glass artefacts such as stained glass windows, mirrors and architectural glass. Some glass-blowers specialise in restoring, renovating and repairing original pieces. They may also work as scientific glass-blowers, designing and repairing laboratory glass.

Tasks

Tasks include -
(a) Heating glass to pliable stage using gas flames or ovens, and rotating glass to heat it uniformly;
(b) Blowing and bending glass tubing into specified shapes to form scientific apparatus such as flasks, retorts and pipettes;
(c) Grinding and polishing glass objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing and smoothing and polishing rough edges, using belt sander or polishing wheels;
(d) Examining glass stock and finished products and marking or discarding items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes;
(e) Reading work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations and quantities to cut;
(f) Observing gauges, computer printouts and video monitors to verify specified processing conditions and make adjustments as necessary;
(g) Positioning pattern or drawing on glass, measuring dimensions, and marking cutting lines, using glass cutting tools and cutting glass along marked outlines or around pattern;
(h) Setting up, operating and adjusting computerized or robotic glass cutting equipment;
(i) Inspecting, weighing and measuring products to verify conformance to specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, callipers, magnifiers and rulers;
(j) Regulating oven temperatures according to glass types to be processed;
(k) Transferring pattern for individual stained glass parts from full size drawing to pattern paper, using stylus to trace drawings;
(l) Spraying silver solution on glass to provide mirrored surface, using spray gun;
(m) Laying out cutting and grinding optical and other glass to specified dimensions and weight for moulding into lens blanks and for use as watch crystals.