 After several dozen glass manufacturing firms were interviewed , L. E. Smith Glass Company emerged as the company to produce 22 @,@ 500 glass blocks near the upper limit of the size of press glass formed from hand @-@ poured molten glass and cast iron molds . The process used sand and <unk> ash heated to a temperature of 2 @,@ 600 ° F ( 1 @,@ 430 ° C ) and " gathered " with a large clay ball resembling a honey <unk> . Rather than use a standard <unk> to ensure the glass that <unk> off the rod spread to the corners of the mold , they relied on gravity . The full mold was <unk> ( <unk> in an oven to 1 @,@ 100 ° F ( 593 ° C ) ) and cooled . Over the course of four months of production , about 350 blocks were produced per day . 
