TOOL MADE FROM A BROKEN BOTTLE

[Maine Digger]

Hey Harry, I thought you might be interested in this pane of glass I pulled out of an 1860s - 1870s dump. It measures 4'' x 6'' x 9/16''. It clearly shows the marks of hand tooling. I suspect it was a small pane in a larger window of mutiple panes. Unfortunately, there's quite a 'bite' out of one side.

 

[Maine Digger]

I converted to grey scale in first photo for better definition, here' overall shot

 

[Maine Digger]

and lastly...a shot illustrating the thickness.

 

[Harry Pristis]

That is a remarkable piece of glass, Norm. Nine-sixteenth of an inch is three time as thick as the plate glass shelves I use for my bottles! Do you suppose that it had some industrial use?

I understand why those edges are nibbled instead of having clean breaks; a small piece of glass that thick would be very difficult to score and break.

When you say "hand tooling," do you mean the nibbling? It's not crown glass, is it?

---------------Harry Pristis

 

[Maine Digger]

Hi Harry, yes I meant a 'tool' of some type was used to square up the edges of the glass. I was thinking something like the 'nippers' I use with ceramic tile. Perhaps this little pane was salvaged from a larger pane that had been broken. I'm not sure where it may have been used, it's remarkably clean for such an old piece.

 

[Maine Digger]

Here's the pic I meant to post - Not sure what you mean by Crown Glass - glass that was taxed?[8|]

 

[Harry Pristis]

crown glass is blown on a blowpipe, then opened, and pressed flat. The earliest form of window glass. Crown glass has irregularity, the thickest glass being at the place of detachment from the blow pipe.

------------Harry Pristis

 

[Maine Digger]

No, I don't believe this is crown glass then, it is very smooth and uniform. Just another little mystery from the 'sands of time'[] Thanks for all the information, have you written any books Harry?