Blocking

Instead of using the marver, the artist chooses to use a wooden block soaked in water to shape the glass after the second gather. By using the wooden block, the artist maintains greater control than marvering on a steel table. The block can be used to shape the sides and the bottom of the glass and, in the hands of the artist, will produce a nice even shape from which to make the glass piece.

As a note: Glassblowers use several different size blocks as well as a wet folded newspaper to shape hot glass. Using newspaper grants even more control by squeezing and shaping the glass in the hands of the artist.