Pilchuck Furnace Builders

Day 2 – And We Tore It Down!

After breakfast, we gathered in the library for what turned out to be one of the most illuminating lectures ever. Fred Metz, founder of Spiral Arts (est. 1994), delivered a masterclass on the behaviour of glass—and let me tell you, wow. If I had to leave this course right now, I’d still say his lecture this morning was worth the tuition alone!

Fred’s genius lies in his complete understanding of how glass behaves—not just on its own, but in relationship with everything it touches. You think glass just melts in a crucible? Nope! It reacts with the pot. It reacts with the furnace lining. The crown’s first refractory layer. The secondary and final insulation. Are those layers too thick, too insulating? Could they be trapping heat or misdirecting energy? How much power does it really take to melt glass?

And the surprises kept coming. Those tiny bubbles we all hate? There’s a science (and maybe a little sorcery) to getting rid of them. And here's the kicker—did you know your color could suddenly become incompatible with the furnace glass? Yep. If it's sat too long in the crucible, it can lose its original COE (coefficient of expansion). Glass isn't a static material—it's a living thing.

After our class, we headed back to the annex to continue dismantling the old furnace. She’s ten years old, and I was way off in my guess—she doesn’t weigh 200 lbs... she holds 1000 lbs (500 kg!) of glass! For context: Berlin Glas's furnace holds 130 kg. Our cullet orders? 500 kg at a time. Imagine...

By evening, we were Zombies at dinner. But good zombies. Grateful zombies.

This class is something special, and I feel incredibly lucky to be here.

#alexandertutsekstiftung