This specific furnace port provides localized heat to a piece of glass being worked, particularly in the traditional production of crown glass. The glassblower holds the parison or globe just in front of the opening to maintain its plasticity without subjecting the entire piece or the blowpipe to the full heat of the main glory hole. It allows for precise temperature control before spinning the glass into a flat disc.
Keep the globe rotating near the nosehole until it softens enough to start flashing it open.
Working at the nosehole requires constant rotation; if you stop turning the pipe, the glass will sag unevenly on one side.
Related terms
Linnet hole
A small flue connecting a main glass furnace to a subsidiary heating chamber.
Bullion
The thick, rounded center of a spun glass disc where the punty was attached.
Blowpipe
A hollow steel or iron tube used by glassblowers to gather molten glass and inflate it.
Parison
A preliminary mass of molten glass gathered on a blowpipe before final shaping.