hotshop

Hotshop is a term used in several crafts and industrial contexts to denote a workspace dedicated to work conducted at elevated temperatures. The meaning varies by industry, but it generally refers to a area where hot work is performed, in contrast with a cold shop where cold or room-temperature processes take place.

In glassmaking and glass art, the hot shop is the area that contains furnaces and related equipment used to heat, shape, and manipulate molten glass. Core components include a glass furnace (or furnace block) and, for reheating, a glory hole. Operators work at high temperatures, often around 1000–1100°C, and use torches, molds, and shaping tools to form objects. After shaping, pieces may be cooled slowly in an annealing lehr to relieve internal stress. Safety concerns center on heat, radiant energy, and the handling of molten glass.

In metalworking and fabrication, the hot shop refers to the section where hot-working processes occur, such as forging, welding, brazing, and heat treating. This contrasts with a cold shop, where metals are formed at or near room temperature. The hot shop typically houses furnaces, forges, power hammers, and heating equipment, and it emphasizes operations that alter metal properties through high-temperature treatment. Safety considerations include burns, fumes, and fire hazards.

Historically, in typography and printing, a hot metal or hot type shop described workshops where molten lead alloys were cast into type for letterpress printing. This usage is largely obsolete today.

See also: hot work, glass studio, metalworking.