Glass casting a French commercial crystal manufacturer, produce highly sculptural pieces in pate de verre. Graphite is also used in the hot forming of glass. Graphite moulds are prepared by carving into them, machining them into curved forms, or stacking them into shapes. Molten glass is poured into a mould where it is cooled until hard enough to be removed and placed into an annealing kiln to cool slowly. Glass casting Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by directing molten glass into a mould where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the Egyptian period. Modern
History of glass in sub-Saharan Africa be shaped, heated and cooled. The archaeological evidence of beadworking in Sub-Saharan Africa provides examples of both types.5 9 With melted glass working, beads found were generally formed by either a wound, drawn or moulded process. Wound glass beads, also known as Tubular, Cylindrical, Spherical or Melon-Shaped, were formed by folding molten glass around a metal rod called a mandrel. Once the glass had cooled slightly, the material was slipped off the mandrel and pinched and prodded until it reached a desired shape.9 Also known as Cane beads, Drawn beads were formed by dipping an iron blowpipe into molten glass