Brilliant Cutters 100 years ago

[DAVE SMITH]

I seen these nostalgic images of Brilliant Cutting and Acid Etching in a book I recently bought. Thought you guy's may like to see them as I seen an earlier post on interests with cutting lathes. image 2 .The cutting benches are the same as the one I have and Stuart also has this setup, nothing seems to have changed except we have electricity to run the pullies. I would imagine the youg lads went on to be pretty dam good cutters they look like they were there to apply the polish for the wood wheels. Notice the cut lead ontop of the brunswick black in image 1 ready for embossing. image 3 is interesting as you can see the power for the shafts come off a main drive at the back ,i'm guessing this may have all been steam powered. Stuart would know alott more than me as he served his apprentiship in this trade with some old timers. Pat also has extended knowledge to what went on.
Hopefully they can cover the past and facts in these bygone pics a bit more than me. Dave

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[erik winkler]

Do you notice that allmost every cutter has his little boy who's only task was keeping the wheel cool ad moist?
I think the kids were supposed to learn, learn and absorbe some more learning, just by looking, before being given the change to cut flat glass for himself.

I already posted this video clip on an other post but why not again, I love it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WpMA-tpRgs

[DAVE SMITH]

Good video that Erik.
Dave

[Patrick Mackle]

I couldn't help but notice that in the second photo down (in Dave's post) the lathe in the foreground with the "sponge boy" has no power belt.
They must just be posing for the camera. The small belt pulley just next to the wheel has no belt, and I believe it would have run from the rear shaft
like my old Lange lathe does.
and...
OH MY GAWD!! And did you get a load of the pair of eye glasses that the glass cutter is wearing in Erik's U Tube post. There must be a crystal vase's weight in glass in EACH lens!!
Looks like he has two little peas for eyes. You could find the belly button on an ANT with those puppies!!
Maybe I'll give up wheel cutting...
Pattttt

[Doug Bernhardt]

Loved the photos Dave. I see the one man cutting away at what appears to be "refreshment Room" I also wanna know how come the "Gents" in the cutting room Pat mentions aren't wearing proper attire? Slovenly Englishmen!! The old fella I spent so many years with always wore a tie and vest to work. Maybe not so often in the last years but it speaks volumes about the times we live/lived in.

[DAVE SMITH]

Thanks Robert. They certainly were creating some incredible glass panels ,and from the look of some of the detail in the original panels around London that I have seen ,they still probably created them quickly by a means of different departments working on seperate treatments. If only I could have a workforce that did that.
Dave