Linen Smothers

Linen smoothers

Linen smoothers have been used to smoth the fabric and align the fibers. Linen smoothers only have to have a smooth surface and have some weight or a way to add weight to work.

Glass linen smoothers have been found at birka in the iron age but also have been found in many 16 century and later digs.

I have tried to create both a Viking linen smoother and a later period on.

Viking linen smoother

17 century linen smoother

My linen smoothers

Top side up on viking                bottom side up on viking

Process on the on the 17th century linen smoother

I took a double gather of hot glass on a punty, put a jack line at the top , then a shaping jack line and finally and 3 jackline. I then had a partner push with  a wooden paddle to create the flat area at the end. I then knock these off the punty rod directly in to the anealer and  ground the top so there where no sharp edges.

The Green viking linen smoother.

The green viking linen smoother I started with a double gather of glass on a blow pipe so I had more glass that the 17th century ones.  I then used a block and jacks to shape it into a round with a point  shape. I then heated and used the marver table to flatten one side. As I reheated and flatted the weight of the smoother cause the piece to get off center and flop around this cause the point to not be smooth. I nkocked it off again directly into the annealer and after it was annealed ground it flatter.

The clear viking linen smoother.

Since I had problems with keeping the point flat on the green one. I tried a different meothed with the clear smoother. I too a double gather of glass but this time cut it off the blow pipe directly on to a cold marver table. I then used the paddles to shap it into a point. This left ridges for the quick cooling on the bottom of the smoother.

To make a smooth viking linen smoother   I think my 2nd method was used but instead of cutting the hot glass onto a cold marver that it was cut onto a piece of wood or a warm surface and then transferred to be annealed. This would have given it a smoother surface and a flat surface.

References:

http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/39020.html

http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/online/object/440764.html

http://www.cmog.org/artwork/linen-smoother-0

https://periodwardrobe.wordpress.com/

http://www.stringpage.com/viking/board.html