Amber Diamond Lamp Repair

This lovely little lamp had been in storage for so long that it's owner couldn't recall how it broke.  But 5 pieces along the lower edge were cracked.  Here's how I went about repairing the lamp.  See more lamp repairs under "Projects" to the right of this post.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

Below, three of the cracked pieces are shown, each marked with a piece of blue tape.

Because I repair so many lamps, I usually have amber glass on hand in a few different shades.  Each sheet of amber glass contains variations of color from pale creamy white to a medium caramel.  Below, I'm matching up a piece from the lamp to the piece in stock to be sure they have the same luminosity .. and they do. 

 The first step is to score the cracked piece with a glass cutter, then, using the brass end of the cutter, tap repeatedly on the piece until it cracks further and starts to fall out.

 Below, the glass has fallen out and I'm pulling off the old solder and copper foil with needle nose pliers.  Prior to replacing a piece of glass, the borders must be cleaned of old materials.

 Here I'm pulling off more old solder and foil.  I clean the border further by applying the hot soldering iron to areas which are resistant to the pliers.  Then I simply melt off the remaining solder.  Of course, a protective breathing mask must be worn whenever solder is being melted.

 Below, I've traced the cleaned-up opening onto a piece of manila folder.  This becomes the pattern for the new glass.

 Below, the pattern has been traced onto the glass .. The glass has been cut and grinded .. Copper foil has been applied to the edges of the new piece of glass as well as to the inner border of the space.  Once the glass is set in place, I put a piece of blue tape across it on the inside of the dome to hold it in place while I solder it.

 Here, the new piece has been soldered and the flux has been removed using Kwik-Klean Flux and Solder Remover.  After it dries, I apply Novacan Black Patina with a metal brush.  Then the newly patina-ed areas are cleaned again.

 And here it the repaired lamp!  At this point, I've cleaned up the lamp using glass cleaner and I've also applied Clarity Stained Glass Compound which gives it a nice shine and adds a protective coating to the patina.

Thanks Joan, for thinking of me when you decided to repair your lamp .. It was my pleasure!

Please visit my website to see my custom windows and repairs (click here).  And if you are on FaceBook, become a fan and I'll keep you up to date on all my stained glass projects.  Call me any time at 201-600-1616 or email with your questions. Thanks!