Embossed Glass - From "Decorative Glass Processes"

[William Holohan]

White Acid Recipes.
Embossed Glass
From Decorative Glass Processes
Hydrofluoric acid is produced by heating fluor spar (calcium fluoride) in concentrated sulphuric acid in a retort made of lead and condensing the resultant gas in water, and formerly had to be prepared by glass-workers themselves, but can now be obtained ready for use from manufacturers, such as Messrs. Wilkinson & Son, Attercliffe, Sheffield, and Messrs. Cruikshanks, Birmingham.
White acid can also be obtained ready made, but, as no special apparatus is required, most workers prefer to prepare their own to suit the particular style of work which they have in hand. This course is, in fact, advisable, as white acid is very apt to go wrong and may require frequent “doctoring “ to keep it in working order. Although popularly known as white “acid,â€￾ this mixture is not really acid in its nature - when in proper working order a test with litmus paper shows it to be distinctly alkaline. Red litmus paper dipped into it turns blue, while blue litmus paper dipped into fluoric acid of course changes to red.
One of the most satisfactory recipes for the production of white acid is as follows:
fluoric Acid (full strength) - 1/2 pint, carbonate of soda - 1 ½ lbs, water - 1 pint. The soda (common washing soda) must be selected, only clear crystals being used and the white powder discarded…. The above quantities may have to be modified under certain conditions, weather, for instance, having a considerable effect upon the mixture, and only an actual test upon a sample piece of glass can be taken as an indication that the mixture is in working order. It ought to produce a dense white obscure in about an hour.
Another recipe substitutes carbonate of ammonia for carbonate of soda, adding the carbonate to a mixture of acid and water a small lump at a time till effervescence ceases. This mixture works perfectly well, but does not produce such a dense white as the first. Its fullest effect is reached in about twenty-five minutes.
A third recipe - Soda Ash, 1 lb., Rain Water, 1/2 gallon, Fluoric Acid, 1/2 lb. - also produces a very weak effect.

[Patrick Mackle]

William,
I first found the book Decorative Glass Processes by Duthie in the late "70's. It was in a Ohio library. They were nice enough to lend it to me through the L.A. library. I had a burning desire to learn about french embossing. I had accidentally seen my first examples in an antiques warehouse in L.A. and was so drawn to it, as if it was something I had done in a previous life, but had forgotten the process. Your post brings back vivid recollections of many hours spent in a one car garage/studio trying to read between the lines for the missing information. I eventually bought a ticket to London and sought out glass merchants in hopes of finding more information. Shortly after that I was back home and visiting a good friend Dean Hensley, owner of The Hensley Company. Dean had a business making reverse glass signs one of which was the Casa Blanca Fan Company signs which are now collectable. He told me to come by the next day to meet a group of people who were also interested in glass signs. The next day as Dean and I sat on a picnic bench in his driveway, there came up the dirt driveway a group of people following a large statured fellow. That was my chance to be introduced to Rick Glawson, and that group that followed behind him later became the letterheads that would come to conclaves with Lola and Rick at Fine Gold Sign Co.
When I filed my fictious business name I chose the title of Duthie's book "Decorative Glass Processes" because I knew that I wanted to be able to perform all the skills once so common back in the day. Happily I found a great friend in Rick who also shared the same interests.
I have great memories of both Dean and Rick.
Pat

[William Holohan]

Pat,
I came to the sign industry a little to late to ever develop into a true and well rounded signman. I also came to late to have the opportunity to meet Rick Glawson.
I remember well the outpouring of sorrow and personal anguish at the loss of such a master researcher and expermenter. I spent days reading the many, many postings on this board and others as his many friends expressed their love and respect for the man.
I was impressed by who and what the man was, as revealed during those days after his passing.
Ray Chapmans eulogy tore me to pieces. I was deeply saddened in my own way at his passing. I had, through the vagary of time/place, missed the Daddy Finegold era and experiences and knowledge it brought.
I am now on a quest to gather as much printed history about signmen/women of old as my finances will allow. In a very small way I get a little feeling of the thrill Rick must have gotten when he found or purchased an old, arcane text from the 1800's within which was a formula or technique that he didn't know about. I can almost hear him thinking, "Boy, I gotta try this."
He did touch my life, even after he was gone to re-gild the pearly gates. The search for the past of the industry is more than a little fascinating. The almost alchemist like language still has me confused at times.
Sorry for the windy response. Just the mention of the name of a man I never met makes me want to thank all those still here on earth who do so much to keep the skills and knowledge he brought to the industry alive and expanding.
Ok, OK, I'll glue my hands in my pockets....

[Sarah King]

William,

I never met Rick either though I spoke with him on the phone several times - asking yet more questions about Angel Gilding. Always kind and helpful to rank outsiders like me.

I wanted to ask people here if they had looked at another Dover reprint called Pattern and Design with Dynamic Symmetry by Edward Edwards. It's all about the geometry of design with some fabulous examples. The original was published in 1932.

I'm not a mathematician but I found that with the aid of the computer I can work out all his spirals and whirling squares very easily. For those interested in the history of design - and why some of the old guys were so good at it - you can't beat going back to the basics - to the books they read when they were in training.

The other book I like was the basic text book in most high school art classes in 1910. It's called Composition by Arthur Wesley Dow. Anybody here know that one? If you're trying to understand what they did, you gotta read what they read, I figure.