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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Wednesday, 18 October 2006 |
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 Dan Daggett has one of the hottest jobs around. The 60-year-old Loveland man blows glass by hand.
It all started in Toledo, Ohio, where he was working with stained glass.
“I found I didn’t have the patience for it,” he said. “I tried hot glass and decided that is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Six months after starting, he discovered his great-grandfather was also a glassblower. Back then, though, all glass, including glass for commericial use, was blown by hand. Now the craft is usually only used for art glass and hardly any production.
 Daggett took a 20-week class to learn the art form and picked up the rest of it on his own.
“Learning glass blowing is a hands-on experience,” he said. “The only way to learn is to do it. You make those mistakes and drop pieces at times.”
Now, from his studio in Loveland, Daggett teaches others his trade.
“Glass is always a challenge,” he said. “It’s a very alive media to work with.”
The process starts with a small chunk of color. It is heated on the end of a blowpipe and then air is blown through the other end. The glass goes back into the furnace to grab more crystals to build up the size and shape. The process is repeated as desired.
Daggett’s job never gets boring, especially this time of year. He is busy making Christmas ornaments in preparation for the holidays. One of the benefits of glass is it can last for years.
Daggett, who is an avid reader, has read several books on the history of glass and said it started in the Middle East and was perfected by the Italians. In his 26 years of glassblowing, Daggett has made thousands and thousands of pieces.
“I’ve made quite a few bowls and vases but I haven’t made the ultimate piece yet,” Daggett said. “I don’t think it will ever happen. There is always room for improvement. It’s a continual journey where there is always something new to try.”
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VITAL STATS
Name: Dan Daggett, 60, of Loveland
Company: Daggett Glass Studio
Title: Owner
How long have you worked there? 10 years
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
 What is it about this job that makes it challenging?
Doing commissioned pieces. Generally a person comes in with the exact dimensions and it is very hard to do.
Makes you get out of bed in the morning?
The challenge of making something new and beautiful. I feel very blessed I get to come here and play.
Things that impress you?
Honest people.
Things that don’t.
Dishonest people.
How do young/new employees get ahead?
Training, dedication and a willingness to learn.
Did you ever think in a million years you’d work here?
I always hoped I would. It took me 15 years to open my own studio.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while at work?
I burned myself. It’s kind of obvious.
Smartest?
To persevere and continue to blow glass. At times it gets frustrating. Even after 26 years there are days I come into the studio and nothing works.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
Probably landscaping.
Any interesting anecdotes?
A few hundred of them. A lady called when I was working in Toledo and wanted me to make a globe of the world. She wanted it to be two feet in diameter in solid glass. That would weigh 400-500 pounds. There’s no way I could do that. I get strange requests.
What’s the one thing you wish you could do on the job that you can’t right now?
More time so I could try more different things.
What’s one thing about your job you would do, even if you weren’t paid to do it?
Everything about it. The opportunity to make something that could theoretically last forever.
Name one thing in your life that really prepared you for your job.
I don’t know if anything could prepare me for this job except doing it and patience.
What’s the biggest payoff in your job?
Customer satisfaction.
What do you do during your breaks?
I read.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I play in my garden. That’s my second love outside of my wife. I love her first.
Family? Pets?
A wife here. Both sets of our children are grown. I have fish, a cockatiel and a Molly Uromastyx (a type of lizard).
Favorite TV shows.
Probably the Discovery Channel and PBS. I like nature shows.
Movies.
“Lord of the Rings.” He (Peter Jackson) did such a tremendous job following the books.
Books.
Scientific history novels. I love history.
What Web sites do you have bookmarked?
None.
Where do you play?
Out in my garden.
Go out to eat?
My wife and I love going to different restaurants and trying different foods. My favorite for lunch is my brother’s restaurant, which is Tastebuds in Fort Collins.
Favorite spot?
My garden. | Only registered users can write comments.
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