Fixing A Small Break In A Big Piece Of Glass

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Glass Artists Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2012

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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 have really been blessed to have a great deal of work recently. Jeanne has prepared designs for several shows and we've finished the third of five panels for the "Reach" project. (Click here to view progress)

We feel that we have much to be thankful for this year (especially now that the political turmoil is over), whether you're for them or against them, you get tired of hearing the messages.

Hope your Thanksgiving was good and we hope you have a Merry Christmas.

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Jeanne placed her "Tree of Flourishing Life" panel in the Springville spiritual art exhibit. It was accepted and will be on display through Jan 16 2013.

Two of her "Plate Panels" are hanging on display at the Provo Library as part of the UVAA show. We'll be hanging three more of them at The Covey Center in December.

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For this newsletter we show how to replace a piece of broken glass in a stained glass panel. The thing that is unusual about this project is that this is a very large piece of glass being replaced in a very large stained glass panel.
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Fixing A Small Break In A Big Piece Of Glass


Click Here For The YouTube Video

Here's the pattern for the piece of glass I need to replace. You can see it's got a very small chip in it, just a crack that went down and came right back up.

I put foil on the broken glass and soldered over it. It looked fine until Jeanne cleaned the glass and then it stuck out like a sore thumb, there was no way to cover it up, so we have to replace it.

"The difference between a professional and an amateur is that a professional will fix their mistakes" -David Gomm

I drew a line on the glass to show a method I considered, just placing foil on the curve of the red mark and making a false lead line. This would have been okay, but it would have diminished the look of the big panel.

I did an article about that type of repair and you can view it by clicking here.

I start by scoring the piece of glass many times, cutting it in strips about 1" wide. When I finish cutting in one direction, I go in the opposite direction.

I make sure to get a score right into the corner so I can remove that glass easily. 

I then need to slide the glass out so that I can break it loose. As I do so, I find that the end of the panel is wobbly, so I slide a stick under the panel to provide extra support. 

The stick spans from the worktable to the saw table.

I place a trash can below the window.

Then I can begin breaking out the pieces of glass.

When I get to where I tried to patch the break in the glass, it's pretty easy to see.

I continue to break out the pieces of unwanted glass.

Then I take a hot iron and melt the solder. I hold the foil, that was holding the old piece of glass in, gently and pull it as it's released.

With the foil removed, I run the iron under the edge of the glass to get rid of any "ice cycles" that might catch as I slide the panel back onto the bench.

I remove the stick that has been holding the end of the panel while I support the panel and slide the stained glass onto the work table.

The replacement piece of glass takes up a good portion of a full sheet. I trace it out and then score and break off the extra glass.

I then cut it out like any normal piece of glass, using a hand cutter and our orange glass cutting oil.

Then Jeanne grinds the rough edges off of the glass so she won't get cut.

Then she dries the glass off with a towel.

And she foils the glass with 1/4" copper foil.

She goes all around the piece, pinching and holding the foil in place.

The she uses a fid to burnish the foil tightly to the glass.

I can now place two pieces of scrap glass onto the work table to hold the replacement piece to the correct height.

I set it in place and check that the edge lines up with the other glass.

Since the nails and pattern are removed, I use the stick I used earlier as a straight edge to insure that the glass is flat along the bottom of the panel.

I apply flux to several spots along the replacement piece.

And I solder the joints to hold the replacement piece in place.

I then completely solder the repair in place. Later I'll turn the panel over and solder the backside.

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Email:  david@gommstudios.com

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