Trick of the Trade
Posted on: May 19, 2014
Recently coming to work for the family business, I have become interested in understanding every step to making a marble: from creating it to selling to it to a collector. I decided the best way to learn the process is to watch a master do it himself, my Uncle Steve Davis. As I observed Steve I asked questions, trying to learn the secrets to marble making.
I discovered that the studio my family uses to create marbles is unique all on its own. My grandfather, Jim Davis, and his brother, Andy Davis, built the studio themselves. Within the studio are machines that they also created to make the process faster. It amazed me what these two gentleman did to make what they love doing possible for everyone in the family.
So I have decided to let the world in on some of the secrets to marble making. I took pictures of Steve making a Champagne Marbles (it looks like the marble is filled with champagne).
The first step to making this marbles is heating up the oven, glory hole (heater), and furnace to appropriate temperatures or the glass will not become hot enough to manipulate. Being in this setting can be very hot. The studio started at room temperature and within a few minutes was almost at a hundred degrees. After the glass has been heated a marble can be made.
A cane is used to get the heated glass out of the furnace. Steve had to make sure there was enough melted glass to make at least two marbles on the end of the cane and so he could roll a marble to be at least one and a half inches.
-Steve retrieving melted glass from the furnace.
Then the glass must be rolled to be sure to get the accurate shape. When rolling the marble it elongates the glass so that any excess glass can be cut off later. It is can also be rolled in crushed glass pieces to give it the starting look of champagne on the inside.
-Steve is making sure to put pressure on the cane as he rolls the glass.
-A closer look at what the glass/marble looks like while being rolled on the cane.
-The glass is being rolled through crushed glass pieces to give it the champagne look.
As can be seen in the last photo, while rolling the glass the end becomes smaller and smaller. This become excess that is not needed and must be removed. The tools used to remove excess and shape the rest at one point were made by my Papaw Jim and Uncle Andy; however, recently the tools used have been bought because it can become very difficult to make the tools.
-Steve carefully cuts the excess glass so it can be later sold on eBay as glass pieces.
-Here is a picture showing the tools used to shape and cut glass into a marble.
The glass is then put into the heater, known as the glory hole, where it is kept at a constant temperature and being rotated at the specific speed. Normally it would take two people to complete this task; however, my Uncle Andy built a machine that automatically rotates the cane at the correct speed. The glass is left in the glory hole for a few minutes.
-This is the rotating machine that my Uncle Andy Davis created to make marble making a little easier and faster.
-The cane is rested on the machine and locked into the machine to secure it from falling.
Again the marble is rolled to obtain the perfect shape. However, this time it is rolled over a rough surface to make indent marks in the glass. Rolling the marble over a rough surface allows for air to enter the marble to create the bubbles on the inside. This gives the marble the Champagne feel on the inside.
-Rolling the marble on this rough surface will create the space for the bubbles on the inside.
The glass is again heated to allow the air to fill the newly founded holes. The bubbles will stay in the glass and show wonderfully in the marble. Once removed from the heat, the end of the glass is shaped into a marble using a cup like device. This manipulates the glass to finally look like a marble. While doing so, the cane should be rolled to ensure the marble will be a perfect circle. This also allows the marble to separate from the rest of the glass, so it can be removed and polished.
-Steve is carefully rolling the cane, trying to separate the soon to be marble from the rest of the glass.
-He then uses a cup like tool to form the final shape of the marble.
-A closer look at the ending result of this process.
The marble is carefully removed from the cane and put in a stand to be fire polished. When my papaw Davis was making marbles they did not have fire polishing so he did his best to make every marble look good, then put it in the oven. Now Steve and the boys fire polish the marble to ensure that there are no defects on any part of the marble. The excess glass attached to the marble is carefully removed by using a torch and pinching it to pull it away.
-Steve has removed the marble and placed it on the stand to be polished.
-Steve is removing the excess glass to make the marble a perfect circular shape.
-Finally to complete everything, Steve fire polishes the marble.
-A closer look at fire polishing.
-Here is the oven used to store newly made marbles so they can harden.
From here the marble is set in a controlled setting. Jim and Andy Davis created a special oven like feature in the studio to keep new marbles. It slowly cools the marbles so that they can harden and become able to be sold. Once the marble has harden it hits the shelves on the Davis Marbles website, eBay, pinterest, and more.
Hopefully I will learn how to make a different type of marble the next time I go back. Some marbles require sticks of colors to create an amazing design on the inside of the marble.
-Here is an example of color sticks that can be used to create color in a marble.
I hope everyone enjoys and cherishes how to create a marble. It is sure a trick of the trade that takes years to perfect. It is a true talent to create such a masterpiece and to capture the art inside such a small canvas. I am truly honored and blessed to have such a talent running through my veins.
The Champagne Marbles will be hitting the shelves soon. Don’t miss the chance to get such an amazing art piece. Visit us on our website, eBay, Facebook, Pintereset, Twitter, and more.
Keep Calm and Marble On,
Amanda
Davis Marbles 
May 19, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Thank you for posting this information. When we go to arts and crafts shows, someone will want to know how hand made marbles are made. They are fascinated by the size of the marbles.