the clear
West Virginia air, we learned 
that the area around Huntington was
famous for its hand blown glass. We sought out one of these
factories in Milton, just east of Huntington. The Blenko Glass
Factory, world famous for its hand blown decorative tableware and sheet glass for stained glass windows,
maintains both a museum on glass and an observation area which
overlooks the working area where the glass blowers apply 
their
trade. It was in this area that we met Don Walker, a 34 year
veteran employee with the company. In Don, we found all the
knowledge 
one would ever need about the blowing of glass. He
explained that the glass was created out of a mixture whipped up
in the back yard in a cement mixer. A combination of 60% sand,
20% soda ash, 10% limestone and 10% additional inert
materials creates the clear glass that is used for all the
creations. This compound is then shoveled into a furnace and
heated at 2,600 degrees for 14 to 16 hours. 
The
glass is then checked for 
"seeds" or bubbles and if
acceptable is cooled to 2,200 degrees. The blowing pipes are
stainless steel and around 5-6 feet long. A small bubble of glass
is added to the end of the pipe. In
a few minutes a second layer of glass is added. The glass is then
brought out onto the floor where a worker cools it down and
starts the basic shape by turning it against a wooden bowl or
spoon. A paddle is then moved back and forth over the glass ball
to distribute the weight.
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