Author Archives: Pressed Glass Pros

Upgrading to a Wireless Intercom System

Published by:

In a glass shop, artist create virtually everything that you see when inside of it. This is the only way to do it as far as we are concerned. We like that every piece of glass has our personal touch and as we move into making furniture; we also look forward to giving it our touch as well. The biggest issue that we face is having a shop that is open to those who want to look around while we are in the back working on our projects. To make it easier on us and our potential clients, we have decided on a new upgrade; a gate intercom system wireless and on our door with the receiver in our work shop.

Need for the Intercom

At this time, we have mostly glass working tools in the shop. They include torches, fire pits, hammers, and other things. This makes it difficult for us to hear when someone comes into the front area of our store. We have been hard at work in the back and then had customers sneak up on us in the back, ready to purchase their items. This makes us very uncomfortable. What if someone had come in and taken what they wanted rather than pay for it? After that, we locked the door, but then we would get phone calls from customers wanting to know why we were always closed. From a business sense and on a personal level, this is not okay. We decided to look into our options.

The Usability of an Intercom

In our situation, a doorbell would have helped, possibly, but we prefer the idea of a gate intercom systems wireless since it allows us to find out who is at the front door and enable us to tell them that we will be with them in a moment. It was easy to install and has helped us have a better knowledge of what is going on within other areas of our store. We can work easier on the back and feel confident that we do not take a chance on missing sales. This is very important considering we will soon include more saws and woodworking, which will make things even louder.

Purchasing An Intercom for the Home

With how easy having an intercom system in our shop has made our life, we are adding another to our home. We are doing it because we often have times when we are in the office and have people ring the doorbell, then it’s a mad dash to the other end of the house to find out who it is; just to arrive and find the mailman. For us, it is easier to have someone buzz us and then we can have a conversation where we tell the mailman to simply leave it on the porch so that we can get it later. We will be able to finish up what we are working on and go to the door when we are ready. If it’s a friend, we can tell them to let themselves in and come to the office. It just makes sense to us and we would recommend it for everyone who has a home, office, business, or anything else. Even a two-story home can befit from less running to find out what is going on between the upstairs and down, especially since you do not need wires running everywhere.

 

 

Tools of the Trade

Published by:

glass kilnPressed glass or patterned glass is a beautiful art form that can be used in a variety of goblets, bowls, plates, and more. It was first patented by an American inventor in 1825, though it didn’t hit its popularity peak until closer to the 1880s. This is when it became mass produced by companies all over the world. What does it take to make patterned glass? If you are interested in giving it a try, there are several tools of the trade that you will need.

The Tools Used in Pressed Glass Projects

The necessary tools for you to use when creating glass products is as extensive as the patterns that you can create with pressed glass. The two most important tools you will have to have is a way to heat up and melt the glass as well as a mold to put it into so that the desired glass comes out when it is cooled down again.

The heating process is most often done with a machine or a kiln of some type. Once the glass is melted, you will need to put it into the mold, let it set, and cool it down. About the only time that you will use other tools besides a mold is if you are hoping to shape the glass on your own. At this time, a muti-tool that is specifically designed for a pressed glass specialist will be a helpful tool to have on hand.

multi toolsShaped Glass Tools

When shaping glass, you will want to use a glass multi-tool like one from bestmulti-tool.com that allows you to work with melted glass while it cools off, without you having to worry about getting burned by the glass. There are also roller shapers and barrel shapers. Many of these are used to make glass beads. There are also pliers you can use and torches to keep the glass warm while you are shaping it. There are also glass cutting tools that can be used to help you shape the glass the way you want it. It is also ideal for cutting away excess from the molding.

Where to Begin

As a beginner, it may not be something you just dive into. You will have to purchase a kiln, tools, large pliers, and molds that you like. Therefore, if you are interested in learning about it, you should check out a book that tells you how to get started in the world of glass. There are several detailed books available that will be able to tell you about the variety of tools that are helpful.