Supply section

摘要

The U.S. is known for its unique art glasses, and among the powerhouses is Woodinville, Wash.-based Spectrum Glass. The factory manufactures trademarked sheet glass in hundreds of colors and variegated mixes plus innovative textures, coatings, and special effects. In addition, the company provides custom production opportunities.rnA pioneer in continuous ribbon melting for art glass, Spectrum's primary furnace produces a flowing sheet of smooth or cathedral glass, which can also serve as the base for more complex products. Other colors are melted in smaller furnaces and as the base glass flows down the forehearth, one or more of the secondary glasses is ladled by hand into the stream and then stirred together by a skilled operator to turn out "wispies," made by small amounts of white opal on the flow of the cathedral base. The semi-translucent opals are half-opal and half-cathedral and require a jumbo pour every 20 seconds. Over-stirring may form a muddy appearance and under-stirring can cause the glasses to repel each other for a splotchy appearance.