Paul Wissmach Glass Company

Today, our class visited the Paul Wissmach Glass factory located in Paden City, West Virginia.  Wissmach is known world-wide for their variety of colorful, rolled sheet glass; which is commonly used in stained glass applications.  The glass produced in this factory is available in many colors, patterns, and transparent qualities. Over 5000 colors and tints have been produced by this company.

The complex process of making sheet glass requires a great deal of knowledge, skill, patience, and ability to collaboratively work with others.  As they work together, they need to perform their tasks in a timely manner - always keeping in mind the safety of themselves as well as others around them.

In order to make their glass, they must first create the correct mixture of glass using the basic raw materials as mentioned in earlier blogs.  All raw materials are shipped in via railroad - which runs right behind the factory.

Once mixed,  the raw ingredients are placed in a box called a hopper, which is numbered to indicate color and the appropriate furnace it will be placed in. One batch will make approximately 1500 sqft of sheet glass.

When they are ready to create a new load, the hopper is lifted by crane over to the area where the furnaces are and loaded into a wagon.  From their they are shoveled by hand into the appropriate furnace and heated until used.

Glass is scooped out of the furnace with a large ladle on wheels.  In the process I observed, 2 different colors were used.

The molten glass is then wheeled over to the top of the machine and poured on a metal surface where 2 other workers begin mix the glass together with metal tools. It is then shoved down into the machine where it is rolled into a flat sheet of glass.

Once it has been completely rolled into a sheet, another worker slides a special tool under the sheet to make sure it does not stick to the metal table.  He then pushes it forward into the annealing oven where it slowly passes through to cool

In the annealing process, water is used to help cool the glass through a special ventilation technique.  The steam from the water acts as a barrier between the glass and the mesh bedding to ensure it does not stick to the conveyor belt. (In some instances, water can be used to help give glass a specific texture - as in the mystic #45 line)

At the end of the line, glass is carefully slid onto a metal table by 2 workers and cut into appropriate sizes and shapes.  Broken pieces are either salvaged, sold for $1/lbs, or sold as cullet to local glass company Marble King.

Glass is then either stored or packaged with poplar tree shavings and labeled for shipping.

A majority of the glass is shipped out by railroad, although some may travel by road. Wissmach distributes to customers all around the world.