# Wood Bottle Molds on eBay



## ktbi (Oct 29, 2012)

These look interesting.  Anyone (Red) know how they are used? Are these molds used to make the actual bottle molds?
 Thanks for looking.......Ron

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/121005339937?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


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## ktbi (Oct 29, 2012)

Here's another image taken from the listing.....


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## kd89 (Oct 29, 2012)

They are really interesting


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## chimi2003 (Oct 29, 2012)

My understanding of wood molds is they were soaked in water until they were totally saturated, then the bottle was blown in the wood mold. When I first started collecting we used to think that nice hammered whittle effect was from newly carved wooden molds. Anyway hope that helps.  John


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## kungfufighter (Oct 29, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  chimi2003
> 
> My understanding of wood molds is they were soaked in water until they were totally saturated, then the bottle was blown in the wood mold. When I first started collecting we used to think that nice hammered whittle effect was from newly carved wooden molds. Anyway hope that helps.  John


 Dear God......


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## kungfufighter (Oct 29, 2012)

I am left speechless....


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## chimi2003 (Oct 29, 2012)

Why is that, am I mistaken? John


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## sandchip (Oct 30, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  kungfufighter
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 LOL!


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## andy volkerts (Oct 30, 2012)

[8D] I dont think bottles were ever blown into wood molds. the wood pieces on e-bay are I believe, cores for sand casting bottle molds out of metal, brass, bronze, cast iron etc etc etc, not the molds themselves...........


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## baltbottles (Oct 30, 2012)

Actually these are just patterns for what the bottles should look like and are only the first step in making a mold. 

 Chris


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## RED Matthews (Oct 30, 2012)

Well all of you, I need to explain what these forms are.  They are the blank mold cavity forms of the intended parison shape needed to make a bottle.  The parison shape determines the availability of hot glass to be blown in the final mold; to be blown with good glass distribution in the final bottle being made.  The secret of making a good bottle, in any form is in knowing how to shape the parison for glass to end up with a good bottle.  The person that really understood these secrets could almost put his own digits on his pay check; when I went to work in the industry.  That person at Thatcher's was Mr. Reginald Bird - and he became another person in my world that gained a lot of my respect and knowledge from.  Mr. Al Abrahams was another nan that taught me a lot about making glass molds.  

 These forms deserve to be in my collection of parison shapes.  I have a few solidified glass ones that were picked off the glass machine in the blowing process of operations.  That is a tricky thing to accomplishment,  believe me. 

 These wooden forms were not used in the making of the blank mold castings, they were just for shape reference in engineering studies.

      RED Matthews


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## chimi2003 (Oct 30, 2012)

The process I described last night was one I had read about many years ago in an old bottle book. Kungfufighters response made me doubt that. I spent some time today doing an online search for antique bottle history. I did not find alot, however on the B L M site there was a reference to the same process I described, although they suggested that clay or some other material was added to the molds for longevity.  When returning to this site I see Mr. Matthews post which just makes sense. I am sure I will spend a lot of time on his site learning all I can.   John


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## RED Matthews (Oct 31, 2012)

Well Thanks John,  I have about 10 blogs in process and hope to get to work on them after we get moved to our new living quarters here in Florida.  There are a lot of subjects that need to be referenced more directly to the subjects that have come up from a lot of the collectors on this forum.   
 The big problem is to word the descriptions so they tell the reader what the function looks like or how it happens.  The subject of bottle mysteries is very broad in scope because of all the tricks that early bottle makers picked up on making their glasswork products.
 It is a great hobby and it has consumed most of my life.  I have collected glass enough to scare me now that I am moving.  So I will be selling some of it gradually to satisfy the interest of collectors.  They will have to list their interest on the bottom of their forum pages comments.  
 Thanks again,  RED Matthews


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## westernbittersnut (Oct 31, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  chimi2003
> 
> The process I described last night was one I had read about many years ago in an old bottle book. Kungfufighters response made me doubt that. I spent some time today doing an online search for antique bottle history. I did not find alot, however on the B L M site there was a reference to the same process I described, although they suggested that clay or some other material was added to the molds for longevity.  When returning to this site I see Mr. Matthews post which just makes sense. I am sure I will spend a lot of time on his site learning all I can.   John


 
 Hi John,

   Not sure where you live, but if you have a strong interest in learning how 19th century glassblowing was done and the products they produced in the West, the book I published called EARLY GLASSWORKS OF CALIFORNIA is a must have reference. The books are sold through me.


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## Rockhounder55 (Oct 31, 2012)

Great info Red. Too bad others can't be as helpful to the newbies on here as you are, sir. And westernbittersnut, I'll send you a pm about your book.  ~Mike


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