Because the crucible is invested, I typically get 5-6 years of service from my furnace. It holds about 150# of glass. I work alone so this suffices. The one pictured here is likely my last one. When I’m done, all of this will be forgotten, like tears in the rain.

The furnace is built on a dolly I made so it can be rolled right into place the same day I shut off the previous furnace. It is all built by hand. I form the crown out of rammed refractory using the crucible as a form. I think it is wise for gaffers to know how to build their own equipment.

This bench is the “driver’s seat” of all production at Fritz Glass. It has held up well. A wooden bench has less vibration than steel, and causes less fatigue. A bench is the first thing to consider when building out a shop. Next up, I’ll take photos of, and discuss my furnace.

The structure is held together by long carriage bolts which need tightening periodically as I’m up and down hundreds of times a day which loosens them. I think I did a good job designing this bench. Unless I’m at the helm of my boat, Im most comfortable here than anywhere when I’m awake.

There is a platform on both ends of the bench for holding hand tools. The one on my right had to be replaced after 25 years as my steel tools had burned all of the way through. When I replaced it, I made it longer and wider. It has been a comfortable bench for me, but it’s tall, so it fits me.

The arms are sheathed with steel angle iron from reclaimed bed frames from the Town dump. The dump was a trove of material I used for many things, but is no longer available. I welded “stops” at the end of each arm to hold pipes and punîtes from rolling off as my bench pitches forward.

Wood is more forgiving than welded steel benches and as I am up and down hundreds of times a day, it causes less fatigue. The cushion is an old mattress pad and a runner of carpet. The structure is held together by long carriage bolts which need to be tightened periodically.

I built my bench out of 2x10s purchased at a local lumber yard. At the time, 35 years ago, a friend, Jim Snyder, had all of the woodworking tools I needed to cut the pieces. I had done a mechanical drawing at first so I had some sense of dimensions and size before I started.

So this is the “driver’s seat” of all the glass production at Fritz Glass. I don’t know if I just did a great job designing it, or if my body has adapted to it, but aside from being at the helm of a boat, this is where I am most comfortable if I’m awake. Next up, I’ll discuss my glass furnace.

On the “non-business” end of the bench I made which holds various tools that I might not use as often. The entire structure is held together with long carriage bolts which need to be tightened periodically from use. I often get up and down hundreds of times per day and that can loosen up the bolts.

Mine is taller than most because I am tall. The seat cushion is an old mattress pad and a carpet runner. The platform which holds my hand tools had to be replaced after about 25 years as my steel tools had burned all of the way through in places. I extended and widened it at that point.

The arms are sheathed with lengths of angle iron, reclaimed from discarded bed frames. The metal pile at the Town dump was always a trove of material when I needed something. I cut and welded “stops” at the end of each arm for resting pipes and punîtes. As with most benches, mine pitches forward.

I started with a mechanical drawing, and purchased 2x10s at the local lumber yard. I like a wooden bench instead of a welded metal one. There is less vibration and it is more forgiving on my body. A friend at the time, Jim Snyder, had the tools I needed to cut all of the pieces.

Still, I’m kinda shocked that there’s no ombudsman at the Times! I always thought they had one. How else to challenge your news source? I’m less concerned with the slowness of their reporting and focused on accuracy. The loss of readers comments is big too.

I wonder if they’ll adapt the platform to be less clumsy. Regardless, I’m going to try and stick with it. FB is clearly censoring how my posts are viewed, and that is untenable. Very quickly now, I’m seeing how Trump is having an effect on online discourse.

algorithms, it seems to be time to try some other media platforms such as Bluesky, Medium, or sub stack. With the loss of the WaPo, the L.A. Times, and the WSJ as independent news sources, it feels as if the walls are closing in around the public for news sources.