VDG-Nachrichten 12/2021
International Zoom Meeting of the ASGS Midwest Section in Japan
Friday, November 12th, 2021
8:00 pm (New York USA)
7:00 pm (Chicago USA)
5:00 pm (Los Angeles USA)
Saturday, November 13th, 2021
1:00 am UTC (Europe)
6:30 am (India)
10:00 am (Japan)
November, 12th, 01:00 am: I am sitting in front of my computer trying to get access via a Zoom link to the online meeting. Erich Moraine, Chair of the ASGS Midwest Section coordinated this meeting in Japan. I confess, I did not get it working on my first try…and it was not because of the link. Finally, I get connected and a friendly voice welcomes me. I see faces from all over the world. I cannot believe it. Japan, USA, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand…glassblowers from everywhere including the Caribbean, and I am in the middle of it! My English skills instantly create heavy sweating and my internet connection has cardiac dysrhythmia, but the next hours became an unbelievable and amazing experience.
Erich Moraine is sitting behind his computer adding more and more glassblowers to the meeting as they successfully log in. Hideko Natsume is sitting in her workshop in the University of Nagoya, together with her glassblower colleague Kazunori Watanabe of the Osaka Prefecture University, where he also works as a fine mechanic.
Tsuyoshi Nakamura, Director of the TRGK and owner of Nakamura Rika in Tokyo, is sitting in his office,
Finally it begins.
The meeting started with an introduction video about the University of Nagoya and the glassblowing workshop with all the possibilities and custom designed tools and controls for Hideko Natsume.
Hideko gave us a tour through her workshop and explained in great detail the tools, burners and holders. She also gave a demonstration on how to make a side seal in the lathe using a hand torch.
Another interesting point was the presentation of Kazunori Watanabe. He presented a very professional splash guard for a diamond lapping wheel which he designed and produced by himself. This will be a separate article. In the following video Kazunori presented his way of producing conical joints for high vacuum applications, by forming, rough grinding and precision grinding. After each presentation, we had time for specific questions and answers in Japanese/English and English/German translation in real time.
Our Japanese colleagues shared their vast knowledge with lots of charm and fun. After the end of the official 90 minute meeting, we moved over to a social part and lots of nice conversations started. Despite the complications you might imagine for such a diverse meeting, from my own experience, it worked perfectly! I would not have imagined being so surprised to check my clock to find that it was already 05.00 am…
observing the get together. In the following 90 minutes he will translate for us Japanese / English. All participants are waiting patiently for the meeting to start, while new attendees are welcoming each other in their mother tongue. I was welcomed as well by Hideaki Hashimoto and Tsuyoshi Nakamura. I was very honored and excited about it as we published an article about Hideaki Hashimoto and his company in the VDGN 02/2021.
I got so much input. I was encouraged to share uncertainties in the job, curiosities, successes and problems with so many colleagues worldwide – I was very satisfied and felt totally exhausted when heading to bed.
Article Thomas Nieß Uni Tübingen
and editor team VDG
with support of Klaus Paris and Erich Moraine
Kontakt, Anfragen und Anzeigenschaltung:
Redaktion des VDG e.V.
c/o Eberhard Karls Universität Tübungen
CZI Glasbläserei
Karin Rein und Thomas Nieß
Auf der Morgenstelle 6
72076 Tübingen