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Glass
Artists Newsletter - April 2006 |
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You
can read our current newsletter here
on-line each month, free of charge. We
hope you will take the opportunity to let
your stained glass artist friends know
about the newsletter and if you have
students, encourage them to read it.
If
you'd like a reminder when a new issue is
published simply send us your e-mail
address.
In
the meantime, we welcome your input and
support. Let us know if you have tips and
techniques or product information you'd
like to share. |
Last
month the office panels we had worked so
long on went in. It was great to have help
from the Glass Doctor on the install.
It's a continuing
revelation to me, each time I realize that
others who are in the glass business are
not our competition. They can, in fact,
become our partners if we let go of
selfishness and reach out.
Do you live in a world
of abundance or scarcity. Those who
believe that there is abundance, find it
and those who believe in scarcity, prove
themselves to be right. Kind of cool that
we can choose happiness or we can choose
fear.
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| After
covering repair techniques over the last
few newsletters, I thought it might be
helpful to go over the chemicals we use in
the studio and their uses. |
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Studio
Chemicals
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We use many chemicals
in the stained glass studio. It's
sometimes helpful to review how they are
best used and when they should be used.
This helps us achieve better (and safer)
results.
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Flux:
Comes in different brands and strengths.
The purpose of flux is to clean the outer
layer of copper foil or lead so that
solder will stick to it. Acid eats away a
small bit of the outer layer so that it's
super clean which allows the solder to
bond with the metal surface. This cleaning
process is acidic so this stuff can eat
through your clothes and your skin. Try to
avoid getting it on you and don't let it
sit on glass any longer than you must.
When using some
particularly strong flux, I once left a
window with flux on it overnight. When I
came back the next morning, the copper
foil on the side of the window that hadn't
been soldered was dissolved away. I had to
work hard to save that window. So now we
always clean away the flux when we're
done.
Some fluxes
give off hazardous fumes when soldering so
insure you have adequate ventilation when
soldering.
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Good
old blue window cleaner. We dilute it with
water and clean flux off the window right
after soldering. This removes the bulk of
the gunk left behind from soldering.
We once had a
large order of windows and neglected to
clean them off as we built them. Instead,
we stacked them up till they were all
done. Days passed and when we finally got
ready to clean them, there was a haze on
the windows. We had to scrub with cleanser
to get most of the haze off of the glass
and even when we were done, we needed to
replace one or two of the panels because
we really couldn't get them clean enough.
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CJ's
Flux Remover. After the Windex treatment,
use CJ's on the panel to completely remove
the flux residue still left on the window.
For years I was
cheap and didn't want to spend anything
extra on chemicals. When we found CJ's, we
tried a small bottle and the results were
great, the copper patina we applied was
more vibrant than it had ever been before. |
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Patinas
come in black and copper color. A patina
colors the outer layer of the metal. They
work best when applied to very clean lead
lines.
We used to leave
patina on windows for an hour or two so
that the chemical reaction would sink in
deep and give us a better color reaction.
Then we left some on overnight and nearly
ruined the window. A bluish residue was
left on the panel. We went to the store
and bought all their cleaners, orange,
ammonia, and lemon cleaners. None of them
worked. Finally we tried cleanser and it's
abrasive nature cleaned off the residue.
Then we had to
re-apply the patina because we had
scrubbed it off.
When we started
using CJ's to clean our glass, we started
getting very brilliant results. We
pre-clean the lead lines with CJ's or Kwik-Clean
before the patina is applied. Afterwards
we also clean the lead lines with the same
cleaner to stop any adverse chemicals
reactions and limit oxidation and mold occurrences.
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After
applying patina, we use Kwik-Clean flux
and patina remover to do a final clean to
a panel. They claim it eliminates white
mold from a window. We don't believe that
the white buildup that sometimes forms on
lead is mold, we think it's oxidation. But
just to be sure, we choose to use this as
a final cleaner. We sure don't want white
buildup inside encased units. |
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Clarity
Finishing Compound: This is a light clear
wax that seals your metal and protects it
from oxidizing. It's applied by wiping a
thin coat all over the window and then
allowing the wax to dry. When it dries to
a hazy finish, buff the wax briskly with a
rag.
Every tiny crack
and crevice in the window will need to be
buffed and polished. Sometimes we'll take
a rag and a stick to polish along edges
that are hard to get to.
We also recommend
that once the window looks good on each
side while lying down, you should tip the
panel on it's edge and look though each
pane for any streaks and haze. The window
will then be very slick and shiny. This
takes a lot of time, but the payoff is
well worth the time, especially on panels
that are going to be sealed between
tempered panels. |
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We use
Minwax on more windows than the finishing
compound. It goes on easily, just the same
as the clear wax, except that instead of
being poured on, it's wiped on with a rag.
It also has a great smell. And a can
of it lasts a long time.
The first time I
tried it, I was rather scared because I
had never tried it and it could have
easily made the window worse or made it
cloudy or too waxy, then I wiped some on
and there was a moment when the glass was
hazy. I was terrified until I let it dry
for awhile and then buffed it. It turned
the glass into a brilliant, work of art.
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Never-Dull
Rubbing Compound: A cottony can of silver
polish which is good for cleaning and
polishing a window. When you first apply
it, the window will become a little hazy
but it buffs up well. It's especially good
on sun catchers because it brings the lead
line up to a bright silver shine. See the
June 2006 newsletter on "Cleaning Off
Corrosion" for steps in using it. |
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We buy
this 2 part polymer from a local craft
store. It's the best stuff for really bad
damage. Sometimes a window gets so damaged
that the only practical fix is to pour
this clear polymer over the entire panel.
It glues the whole piece together and
stabilizes it into a solid piece.
If the cracks were
noticeable, they'll still be able to be
seen, but you won't have to put little
pieces of scotch tape on it to keep little
pieces from falling out.
It's a good idea
to put the window you're sealing on paper
so that if any of the finish runs through,
the project won't be struck to the table. |
| One
chemical I didn't write about are the
essential oils. When cutting glass, you
need to oil the cut with a light
lubricant.
A few months ago,
we stumbled on using orange oil instead of
kerosene when cutting glass. What a
difference, when you get orange oil on
your hands, it smells good. When you get
kerosene on your hands, it makes you
cringe. There is something happy about
using orange oil, there must be something
to aroma therapy, we feel like we get a
shot of it every time we cut glass.
We also keep
Lavender essential oil on hand in case of
a soldering burn. putting it on a minor
burn or cut seems to relieve the pain
almost immediately. |
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