|
 |
Glass Artists Newsletter
- August 2006 |
|
|
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.
|
We spent a lot of time designing and working on projects during
July.
A very unique project included the iridized glass that was installed
in railings and newel posts in a home that was stunning and is now being
featured on the Salt Lake City parade of homes.
|
|
|
|
|
Reinforcing A Large
Panel
|
|
We recommend that windows which exceed 3' by 4' in
size be reinforced to prevent breakage. If a window is 3' by 3', it
might not need to be reinforced, that's usually a judgment call based on
where it is to be installed.
In the old days, when a panel was large and needed
to be reinforced, artists actually installed big pieces of rebar, no
kidding rebar, in window frames and wired the stained glass to the
rebar. This was an effective method of reinforcement, but it was far
from attractive.
Now, I'm not complaining, but doesn't the art of
stained glass have enough restrictions already? Are you telling me that
I'm going to have to work my beautiful design around chunks of concrete
reinforcement? Fortunately there's something fairly new on the scene to
help in that area.
|
|
|
The secret? A thin strip of copper
which is thin enough to fit between existing lead lines. You solder them
in place and you've got a substantially stronger panel. |
|
|
How can that be? It's so thin and
floppy? See how easily it bends.
That's part of what's so cool about this strip of
copper, it bends easily in one direction, allowing us to follow the most
meandering lead lines, but it's fairly rigid in the other direction,
adding strength to the glass.
|
|
Before this new copper strip was available, we used
to go to a sheet metal shop and have them cut 1/4" wide strips of
thin gauge copper on the shear. Then we had to bend it to follow our lead
lines using needle nosed pliers. It was fairly complex and when done, you
still had a piece of copper that stood 1/4" above the surface of the
window. It sometimes cast a shadow on the panel and soldering the back was
a challenge as well.
|
|
|
When reinforcing a window (using this
or any other method) it is important to remember that the reinforcement
must run from one side of the window to the other to do any good. If a
piece of copper is run to the middle and then it just stops, you will
actually be creating a place where more stress will be applied to that
spot and the window could break there. |
|
|
The copper strip comes in a roll and
will cover a lot of glass. The idea is to run the copper back and forth
along lead lines so the glass will have more strength than it did before,
and will transfer the stresses on it to it's outer edge where it is
stronger since it's installed in some sort of rugged framework. This will
prevent the glass from getting cracks either from being pushed on, or from
the weight of the glass being pulled down by gravity over time and
sagging. |
|
|
This panel is so large that we need to
reinforce it a great deal. I begin by running strips up and down the
length of the window. I used some spray cans which were handy to weight
the strip down in between the glass. Make sure if you use this method to
remove cans before soldering because heat and pressurized cans can be hazardous. |
|
|
At places where the copper strip
intersects another piece of copper, I have to cut the new piece so I can
continue on across the panel. |
|
|
I bend a little "L" on the
end so the copper won't slide as I install it. Then I gently press
it in between the glass, the foil and the other copper strips. I use
something to weight it down, or it will pop out from between the glass. |
|
|
I then string the copper out to the
edge of the panel. When doing this, I keep the roll of copper in the bag
it came in and gently pull it out as I need it. I use care not to let it
tangle or slip out of the bag so that I don't have to relive the disaster
with my "Slinky" when I was a kid. |
|
|
I use tin snips to cut the copper,
about 1/4" from the edge of the glass. |
|
|
With all the reinforcement strips in
place, I begin to tack the glass together. I make sure that the glass is
pushed into the right place (on pattern), the copper has a tendency to
push things around. Arrows point to all the places where copper has been
installed to properly reinforce this panel. |
|
|
After soldering the panel, I need to
clean up the areas where copper extends beyond the edges. |
|
|
Using the tip of my soldering iron, I
push the copper strip over the edge, which bends it. |
|
|
Holding the strip in place with needle
nosed pliers, I solder the copper against the edge of the foil. When it's
done, you can't even tell that the window has been reinforced. |
|
Since this panel is being installed in a door, once
it's soldered, it gets sent out to be encased in tempered glass and
insulated. The tempered glass adds an additional amount of strength to the
panel. |
|
|
