About the Educational Hot Shop
Pittsburgh Glass Center is acclaimed among national and international glass artists for having one of the world’s best-designed and well-equipped hot shops. Our original second-floor hot shop spans 3,500 square feet and supports a full schedule of classes, ranging from absolute beginner to advanced techniques. It features eight workstations, each equipped with a glory hole and workbench. Two state-of-the-art Wet Dog furnaces, each with a 1,000-pound capacity, operate 24/7 at 2,115˚F, ensuring a continuous supply of clear molten glass. Esteemed glass artists, including Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, and Davide Salvadore, have worked here.
Our Hot Shop Features:
- Two 1,000-pound Wet Dog furnaces with invested pots
- Basic hand tools, pipes, and punties
- Six 12″ glory holes with pneumatic doors
- Two 18″ glory holes with pneumatic doors
- Eight benches with compressed air, oxygen, and gas
- Nortel Ranger, mid-range, and multi-mix torches
- Exact “Fluffy” torches
Hot Shop Rental
There is a limited capacity in all studios and rental times vary. Since our studios are busier than ever, is important that you email us ahead of time to reserve studio space. Please include the requested studio, date, time frame, and any additional equipment that will be needed for the rental session. Prior to submitting a rental request, please make sure you have an active membership and a credit card on file for payments.
To schedule hot shop rental email us.
- Small Hole (12” x 24″) $35/hour (2 hour minimum)
- Medium Hole (18” x 46″) $45/hour (2 hour minimum)
- Large Hole (24” x 46″) $60/hour (4 hour minimum)
- Torch Only $15/hour (30 minute minimum)
- Complimentary use of pipes/punties, hand tools, and blocks. Charges for all other extras still apply.
These are the charges that you may incur during rental time. For every 2-4 hour session, 25 pounds of glass, half a small annealer, and complimentary use of studio pipes, punties, basic hand tools, and blocks are included. All extras are subject to availability. Large quantities of glass usage, extra annealer space, and long annealing cycles may incur extra charges. Pricing is subject to change based on usage amounts.
For hot casting, there is a 4-hour minimum rental with 25 pounds of glass included. For 8 hours, 50 pounds are included. It is $2/pound of glass after the included amount.
- Mapp Gas Torch $5/session (excessive use)
- Propane Torch $2/hour
- Oxy/Propane Torch $3/hour
- Mid-range Torch $5/hour
- Garage/Hot Plate $3/hour
- Pastorelli/Forks No charge; damage fees may
- Pickup Oven $10/session
- Extra Bench $10/session
- Extra Half Annealer $15/session
- Extra Standard Annealer $25/session
- Big Annealer $35/session
- Extra Long Cycle +$2/hour
