Glass house pots are large hollow vessels made of refractory fire-clay in which the glass manufacturer melts the materials of which his glass is composed, and which retain the molten metal whilst in a state of fusion for the workmen's use. In the case of the lead crystal glass, the materials, whilst being melted, require protection from the flames, smoke, and fuel ash present in the old English types of furnace chambers, which would otherwise reduce the lead present to a metallic state and spoil the glass; therefore, such glasses are melted in covered or hooded pots and thus protected from the direct action of the flames. Consideration has to be given to the extra amount of heat required from the furnace to find its way through the hood of the pot. For crown plate and chemical glassware, the metal is usually melted in open or uncovered pots. In this case the fusion is facilitated by allowing the heat of the furnace to come into direct contact with the materials within the pots.

Pots which are covered or hooded have an opening cut out in the front, in a position just above the level of the molten metal. Through this opening the workman gathers the hot metal. In the case of open pots, the crucible is set in a similar position within the furnace, but the working hole or mouth is built to form part of the construction of the furnace in front of the crucible.

Good pots are of the greatest importance to the glass manufacturer, and upon their life much of the success of glassmaking depends. They have necessarily to resist the corrosive action of the raw materials and molten glass within, and, at the same time, withstand the very intense heat of the furnace without giving way under the great weight of the glass within them. Should a pot of metal give way whilst in the furnace, the loss is considerable and very serious, for not only has the metal been wasted, but much of it has flooded the floor of the furnace and siege, and, finding its way into the fire-box, attacks the furnace walls, fusing and melting with the fuel ash, checking the draught, and causing endless trouble.

Glass-house pots are very difficult and expensive to manufacture, and upon an average each pot has cost £10 by the time it is set within the furnace; therefore every care is taken to extend their life by procuring the best possible materials for their manufacture.

Only the best selected pot-clays available are used, and every endeavour is made to keep them clean and free from foreign contamination. Only the best portions of the fire-clay seam are taken for this purpose, and a considerable amount of diligence and stringent precaution is taken to procure the best qualities. As the clay is raised from the mine, clay pickers look over the lumps and select out the best portions. A foreman of long experience is stationed at the head of the mine, and it is his duty to supervise the clay pickers and see that every care is exercised to guard against any unfortunate results which would naturally attend any indiscriminate or indifferent selection. The best portions having been selected and placed aside, the lumps are scraped on the surface to remove any dirt, and broken into pieces about the size of an egg, which are again carefully examined on all sides and cleaned from foreign matter such as pyrites or bluish parts. If this is carefully done, and the clays analysed and tested from time to time, a good pot-clay is obtained.

The clay for burning is treated in a similar way and dried. It is then burnt to a very high temperature and taken to the mill to be ground to the necessary fineness of grain. All pot-clays are well seasoned and weathered before use. They are first ground to a very fine flour and then mixed with ground burnt clay, or " chamotte" The proportion of raw clay to burnt varies with most manufacturers, but depends very much upon the plasticity or binding property of the raw pot-clay used. The burnt clay is preferable if ground to a size about 1 to 1½ mm., being sieved to take out any coarser particles. Some clays are more plastic than others, so the proportions in the pot-clay mixtures may vary from six parts of burnt clay to five of raw, down to one part of burnt clay to three of raw clay. The proportions are reckoned by volume, not by weight. The mixture is sieved into a trough and mixed with water to form a stiff paste, and removed into a large tank, where it is allowed to soak for some time. It is then well tempered by treading with the bare feet until the whole mass becomes plastic and tough. The clay mass is turned and trodden several times, in order thoroughly to consolidate the clay particles. Many efforts have been made to do this work mechanically, but without success. The fact remains, and experience has proved that, in the process of treading, the clay is more consolidated than by any mechanical method of preparation. The tempered and toughened clay is then allowed to sour and mature for a few weeks before use. It is then ready for the pot maker to begin the work of building the pots.

The room in which the pots are to be made is kept evenly warm by means of a series of hot water circulating pipes arranged around the outer walls. Usually a temperature of between 60 to 70° Fahr. is maintained.

Double doors are provided at the entrance, with a porch, so as to prevent sudden inrushes of cold air and prevent draughts in the pot-making room. All unauthorised persons are prohibited entrance, and only those who work therein are allowed free access. They are made responsible for keeping the place clean, as well as looking after the clay and taking care of the pots whilst they are being made.

The usual shape of a pot is of round section, 38 in. in diameter and 42 in. high, but many other shapes and sizes are used, according to the class of goods being manufactured. Thus, for colours, a very much smaller pot, less than one-third this size, is used, three of them, taking the position of one large pot, being set within one arch. For sheet and optical glass, a covered pot with a very large mouth or working opening is used.