Handicraft and Precision Workers

How to become a glass maker or cutter or grinder or finisher

Official title: Glass maker/cutter/grinder/finisher

Also called: Froster (glass sandblasting), Glass beveller, Glass blower, Glass cutter, Glass driller, Glass edge grinder, Glass finisher, Glass grinder, Glass grinder (laboratory apparatus), Glass lens moulder, Glass maker, Glass rod maker

Glass maker/cutter/grinder/finisher blows, moulds, presses, cuts, trims, grinds and polishes glass, shapes molten glass according to patterns.

Main tasks

Heating glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens, and rotating glass to heat it uniformly
Blowing and bending glass tubing into specified shapes to form scientific apparatus like flasks, retorts, pipettes
Grinding and polishing glass objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing and smoothening and polishing rough edges, using belt sander or polishing wheels
Examining glass stock and finished products and marking or discarding items with defects such as spots, stains, scars, snags, chips, scratches, or unacceptable shapes or finishes
Reading work orders to determine dimensions, cutting locations, and quantities to cut
Observing gauges, computer printouts and video monitors to verify specified processing conditions and make adjustments as necessary
Positioning pattern or drawing on glass, measuring dimensions, and marking cutting lines, using glass cutting tools and cutting glass along marked outlines or around pattern
Setting up, operating and adjusting computerised or robotic glass cutting equipment

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

Will AI change the work of a glass maker or cutter or grinder or finisher?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026