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Glass
Artists Newsletter - December 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. |
We
got a little sidetracked in November,
building a candy window for the Provo Arts
Council Downtown Holiday Celebration. This
is the sixth year that candy windows have
been sponsored by the Downtown Business
Alliance and they keep getting better and
more complex. Artists work all year long
on some of the windows.
Many
sticky hours later, we finished our
window. We went through many pounds of
candy, Styrofoam and hot glue.
Our
entry, "Dancing In The
Moonlight" can be viewed at D B Woods
on Center Street, downtown Provo
throughout the month of December.
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| In
July 2005, we showed how to build a
shipping crate for a large piece of glass.
This month, we show how to build a more
compact crate, with a lot more detail. |
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How
To Build A Solid Shipping Crate
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To ship a piece of glass, it needs to be crated and
well protected. We
build a crate around every piece of glass which we ship. It needs to be
a custom fit so that the glass can be adequately protected. The
following pictures are of us building a crate for an 18" by
30" window. We
use the same techniques when crating bigger windows.
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We start by laying out a piece of
1" thick, rigid foam insulation which can be bought at a home
improvement center.
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Then we lay the stained glass piece to be shipped
on the foam. I align two side of the glass with the edges of the foam. |
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Using a utility knife, I score the foam along the
two edges of the foam that need to be trimmed. |
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I then break the foam at the score line by lining
the score on the edge of the table and firmly pressing both ends. It
really makes a popping sound which will scare the cat or any small
children in the area. |
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Then I line up the resized insulation and cut an
identical piece using the cut foam as a template. While I'm cutting
foam, I cut several strips the width of a two by four. |
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Here we have the "foam, glass, foam sandwich,
ready for some wood crating. |
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Here is the "sandwich" and two of the 2 x
4 sized pieces of foam for the edges. |
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I put the foam edges around the sandwich so I can
take measurements for the 2 x 4's I need. |
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Here you can see the sandwich, surrounded by foam
and 2 x 4's |
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I remove the top layer of foam, so you can see
what's happening in relation to the stained glass. |
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I use pipe clamps to gently squeeze the frame work
together. The 2 x 4's only put slight pressure on the foam which is
holding the glass. |
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Now that the boards are lined up, the crate is
ready to be assembled. I layer "squishy" foam under the panel
and on top of it before replacing the top layer of foam. This way there
will be a slight amount of give when the panel is being transported. |
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With pipe clamps holding the wood framework
together, I use additional clamps to squeeze the side boards so that
they line up perfectly. This puts a slight pressure on the glass so it
will sink into the foam slightly and stay held tightly as it's shipped. |
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I shoot a couple of finish nails into the frame to
hold things together. There is little danger of hitting the glass since
it's so far away from the edge of the crate. Then I can remove the pipe
clamps. No need to shoot many nails, just two per joint, the side will
hold the box together. |
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I fill the void in the top of the box with scrap
styrene foam, that other shippers send to me. |
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Then I top it of with another layer of foam sheet.
I want there to be a little pressure in the crate to keep things from
having too much play. |
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I set a sheet of instructions inside the box.
TO
UNPACK YOUR GLASS SAFELY,
FIRST PRY THE 1” WIDE FOAM FROM THE EDGES ON ONE SIDE AND THEN THE TOP
OR BOTTOM. THIS WILL FREE UP THE FLAT FOAM SO YOU CAN LIFT IT OUT,
EXPOSING THE GLASS.
TIP THE GLASS CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY. GLASS HAS LITTLE STRENGTH WHEN LYING
FLAT.
ONCE THE GLASS IS VERTICAL YOU MAY CARRY IT TO THE SPOT WHERE YOU WANT
IT AND HANG IT FROM CHAINS BY THE RINGS PROVIDED.
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I then mark the pieces of foam to remove first
mentioned in the unpacking instructions. |
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Next I cut plywood to the size of the frame. Two
pieces are needed. |
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I put the top over the side with the instructions,
lower it into place and line it up with the frame. |
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Then I screw 1" long drywall screws all around
the top to hold it down. |
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I lift the crate and gently tip it over, making
sure to hold the exposed foam on the underside to keep it from shifting. |
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With the bottom of the crate facing up and the foam
side exposed, I'm ready to attach the bottom plywood. |
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I set it in place and line it up. |
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Then use staples to hold it in place. I do this
because I want it to be easy to take the top off of the box and hard to
take the bottom off. That way, the customer receiving the case will have
a greater likelihood of success. |
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I write instructions on both side of the crate,
like, NO STEP, FRAGILE GLASS, and DO NOT LAY FLAT. On the top, I add
arrows and the words: "Take out screws this side and read
instructions." |
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Then I take the crate to the UPS store and hope
they don't throw it or drop it too hard. I figure if the driver doesn't
throw it down on its' side and use it for a step more than once or
twice, it'll survive the journey.
Then I insure it for the retail value! |
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I got an e-mail from Debra Beatty, who
followed these instructions when sending a window to Granada from California via snail mail (US postmaster ground)
and it got there fine. |
