Reproducing Stained Glass Kitchen Cabinets

Back in October, I was asked to bid on a stained glass commission to recreate 4 beveled kitchen cabinet panels. The panels were in a home which had been devastated by a fire.  I recently got the go-ahead to begin the work and I completed the four panels about two weeks ago.  The contractor had me deliver them this week, while his installer was on site. The newly reconstructed kitchen has come a long way since my first visit. I'm pleased for the homeowners that they'll soon be able to return to their home.  Here is the process of recreating the panels shown below.

The top two photos were taken by the homeowners before the fire.  They served as an excellent record for me to follow.  There are two pairs of panels.  One pair is 11" x 29", the other is 14" x 29".

 Notice the beautiful colored gems at the center of the panels. 

 Here's the kitchen on our initial site visit while it was undergoing renovations.  My husband Eric took all the pertinent measurements so that I could begin constructing the patterns for the panels.

As shown, each of these panels is surrounded by clear bevels.  Since the bevels cannot be cut, they present a design challenge.  The clear "Artique" background glass and the gems must be placed onto the pattern after the bevels are all in place.  In order to recreate these windows, I needed to locate 2" x 9" bevels which are available from only one supplier. I began by making a full-size outline of the outer border of each of the two sizes of panels.

Then, using a "fence" or "jig", I made a metal border around the edge so that the glass would not shift.  I carefully laid all of the various sizes of bevels into their place on the "cartoon" or paper pattern.  Each of the four panels required three 40mm jewels in Rose, Light Amber and Amethyst, four 1" x 2" corner bevels, six 2" x 9" bevels, and either two 1" x 10" bevels or two 1" x 7" bevels depending on the width of the panel.

 

 After each bevel was laid in place, I made a "sandwich" of a manila folder, carbon paper and the cartoon.  I then traced the pattern as shown.  Then I cut the outside border with regular scissors, and I cut the pattern pieces apart using stained glass cutting shears.  As shown below, these are double-bladed scissors which cut out a thin strip of paper between each piece.  This thin area will be taken up by the copper foil which will be applied later.

Notice that each piece of the pattern is given a unique letter and number.  I use a black Sharpie pen to write the pattern letter and number onto each piece of glass.  This is to prevent duplication of any pieces cut and serves to keep the entire project organized. Good pattern organization is essential, especially when working with pieces such as these, which are similar in size and shape. 

 Below, I've traced the pattern onto a piece of clear Artique glass.  This glass is transparent and has random lines running through it to mimic antique glass.  It is an excellent choice for this application.

 Straight cuts are made by resting a flat ruler alongside the traced line.  I then used an oil-filled pistol grip cutter, pressed at a 90 degree angle onto the glass, to score it.  (My left hand would be pressing down on the ruler but in this case, I'm holding the camera).  After the glass is scored, I tap repeatedly along the score line until the glass "loosens" and can be readily snapped in two.

 After each piece of glass is cut, the edges are ground with an electric grinder.  The purple sponge wicks up water from the reservoir which is beneath the cutting surface.  I'm wearing rubber fingers, found at any Staples or Office Depot.  These serve to protect my fingers from cuts and also help me to keep a firm grip on the wet glass.

Here is one of the panels, fully cut, labeled, and set in the "jig".  The pieces fit well, but not too snugly.  There should be a small amount of movement between the pieces.

Now I'm applying the "black back", self-adhesive copper foil to the center of the edge of each piece.  When using clear glass, "black back" is the foil of choice if the patina will be dark.   After the panel is soldered and the patina is applied, the copper foil will become all but invisible inside the glass.

 Here I'm using a "fid" or flexible plastic want to press the copper foil onto the glass, on the edges, the front, and the back.  This is to prevent any fluid or chemicals from leaking under the foil.

Here is the panel after each piece has been removed, copper foiled, and replaced onto the cartoon.

 While the glass is all still in the "jig", I'm brushing the copper foil with liquid flux.  Flux is an agent which promotes proper soldering.  A light coating of it is sufficient.  Too much will cause the solder to bubble.

 Now I begin the "tack-soldering" process.  I'm soldering a small amount to the intersections of all the glass, just enough to anchor all the glass and prevent it from shifting.  I'm using 60/40 (tin/lead) solder, which is the preferred ratio for stained glass use.  Whenever I solder, I wear a lead-protectant face mask.  I also use a carbon filter fan to disperse harmful fumes. Safety first.

 As soon as the glass is "tack soldered", I removed the "jig" and carefully slide the "cartoon" out from below.  This will protect it from the chemicals and liquids which follow.

 Here is one of the four panels, fully soldered on the front.  I do not apply copper foil or solder to the borders, in order to facilitate the attachment of the metal frame or "channel".

 Here my husband Eric has cut lengths of 3/8" zinc "channel" to the border of each panel.  He saws mitered corners to the entire frame, for a neat appearance and added strength.

After he attaches the frame, he re-installs the "jig" to press the frame against the glass.  Then I go in and solder the mitered corners.  I also solder the lead lines to the frame, particularly on the back of the panel where it cannot be seen. These extra solder points help secure and strengthen the panel.

 After the entire piece has been soldered, front and back, I spray wash it with "Kwik-Clean" which is a stained glass product used in the removal of flux and patina.  As an extra precaution, I washed each panel with powdered cleanser and an old dish brush as shown.  I'm wearing rubber gloves to protect my hands against the harsh chemicals.

 To assist the installer, I've tagged the top of each panel with tape and markings to indicate the proper orientation.

This newly renovated kitchen has very warm elements, including dark bronze cabinet hardware.  In order to complement those colors, I custom mixed Novacan "Copper Brite" patina with Novacan Black patina.  Then I tested it on tinned copper foil until I arrived at a ratio of color which best represented a dark bronze.

 Here's the bronze patina on the solder.  The zinc frame accepts patina differently than the solder, and it appears black.  This will largely be hidden under the frame of the cabinet.

 After the patina is applied and allowed to set, I spray washed the panels again using "Kwik-Clean".  I then went over each panel repeatedly with a de-greaser and a window cleaner to remove all streaks.  Then I applied "Livia" stained glass finishing compound.  This product is a light wax which serves to protect the patina and give the glass a nice shine.  An occasional dusting or light cleaning should be all the maintenance these panels will need.

 Here is one of the completed panels, shown against a white background.

 This view shows a bit more of the texture of the glass.

Here the contractor's lovely assistant is modeling the installation of one of the four new panels.  I'm very pleased to have been part of the team who is working hard to get this family back into their home after the fire.  Thank you Groundswell Contracting for calling me in to assist you.  It was my pleasure!

To view another project where I reproduced kitchen cabinet panels, please click here.

For more kitchen cabinet ideas, I recommend this site ..
http://topreveal.com/diy-kitchen-cabinet-shelf-ideas

Next ... For the past several weeks, I've been working on a series of custom stained glass birds for a customer in Omaha.  I'll be posting about this commission soon, as well as a second commission for a larger bird-themed window.

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!

Fruit Lamp Repair #7

I recently finished a commission of four kitchen cabinet panels for a contractor who is rebuilding a home damaged by fire.  As soon as I completed that, I started on another commission, this one for a newly renovated kitchen in Omaha, Nebraska.  It features 15 bird panels plus a larger bird panel.  These projects will be posted in the near future.  For this post, a recently repaired lamp  ...

The seventh 1970's era fruit lamp sustained relatively light damage in comparison to other lamps I've repaired.  Only one panel on the top of the dome was cracked.  Here's how I replaced the cracked piece it.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

Here's the lamp with the cracked piece clearly visible on top of the dome.

 The first step in repairing any lamp is to locate matching glass.  This lamp appears to have been constructed using more than one kind of translucent green-amber glass.  I was able to locate a very good match.  Below, I've already scored the cracked piece with a pistol-grip glass cutter.  I'm now pulling out any glass which did not fall out by using needle-nose pliers.

 Now all the glass has been removed.  The next step is to pull off all the old solder and copper foil from the border of the cracked piece.  I've started the process by melting off the old solder with a hot iron.  At this stage, since I'm working with solder, I'm wearing a lead protectant face mask and I have a carbon filter fan on in order to trap harmful fumes.  Safety first.

Once I've melted off most of the old solder and foil, I'm able to use the needle nose pliers to gently tug off more of it.

Below, I'm using a cotton ball soaked in Goo Gone to melt off all the old adhesive which was left behind by the copper foil.

After the borders are clean, I cut a piece of manila folder behind the opening and trace a pattern as shown below.

Below, I've adjusted the shape of the pattern to be sure it will fit well into the opening.  I've placed the pattern on top of the glass and I'm tracing it using a fine Sharpie marker.  Notice the beautiful shades of color in this glass. I placed the pattern over a lighter part of the glass to get a good match to the adjacent pieces already in the lamp.

Using a ruler along the Sharpie line, I cut the glass using my pistol grip cutters.  Then I pressed the edges of the glass against the electric grinder to smooth the edges.  There is a reservoir of water beneath the grinding surface.  The water is drawn up to the grinding bit by the purple sponge. Note that I'm wearing rubber fingers, found at any Staples or Office Depot.  They protect my fingers from cuts and make it safer to handle the wet glass.  After the glass is ground, I run it under the sink and dry it off.

 Below, I've lined the border of the opening with new 5/32" copper foil.  This is the same width as was used in the rest of the lamp.  I'm using a "fid" or flexible plastic wand to press the foil onto the glass.

This is the view from inside the lamp dome.  I've used blue carpenter's tape to secure the piece so that it is flush with the adjacent pieces.

With the tape still in place, I'm applying liquid flux to the copper foil with a metal acid brush.  The flux acts as a catalyst to make the solder flow smoothly,

Below, I've soldered over the foil lines on the outside of the dome.  When the solder settles, I turned the dome over and fluxed and then soldered the inside of the lamp as well.

Next, I'm applying black patina to the solder after I've cleaned and dried it.  The patina reacts immediately with the solder.  After a few minutes, I wash off the patina as well.

And here is the repaired lamp.  After the piece was replaced, I spray-cleaned the entire lamp, inside and out and applied stained glass finishing compound which is a light carnauba wax.  It serves to protect the patina and give the entire lamp a nice shine.

And here's another view of the repaired lamp.  This summer, it will be on its way to Puerto Rico as a gift.  Thank you Javier and Edgardo, for trusting me with this wonderful lamp.  It was a pleasure repairing it for you!

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!

Pendant Lamp Repair #2

This is the second identical pendant lamp to come in for repair.  Its very small and lightweight but as mentioned in an earlier post, the top part of any lamp is generally the weakest point.  Even on a small lamp such as this, it can detach.  (Click on any image to enlarge) ..

Here is the lamp with the hanger detached.  

In this view, you may be able to see that about half of the wire circle is missing.

The first step is to add new copper foil around the perimeter of the opening.

 For this lamp, I decided to make small "clips" out of flat braided reinforcement wire.  Here I'm "tinning" or adding flux and then a small bit of solder to each segment.  This will enable the "clips" to adhere to the foil as soon as the hot soldering iron touches them.

Shown below are the "clips" surrounding the edge of the perimeter.  I attached them in such a way as to "nail down" the wire ring.  I added more wire to replace the missing half of the ring, also.

"Clips" can be seen from the inside of the pendant.  I added some thin copper foil to the outside of the pendant, to fill in the missing solder line shown in the above photo.  Then I soldered all the new foil and the "clips", inside and outside the pendant.

 Below, I'm applying black patina to the solder.  I'm taking the patina from the bottle cap so as not to contaminate the bottle.  The patina reacts instantly with the solder.  After its allowed to set, I washed it off.

 And here's the repaired pendant, repaired and ready to be installed back into the kitchen.  Thank you Camilo, for bringing the pendant to me for repair (and for making your wife happy in the process!).

To see the other pendant lamp of this type being repaired, please click here. 

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!

Replacing Cap onto Stained Glass Lamp

The weakest point of a stained glass lamp is the cap at the top.  After years of bearing the weight of all the glass beneath it, it will often separate.  In this case, the owner of the lamp noticed the cap detaching and brought it right in before it could fall and create further damage.  Here is how I repaired it.  (Click on any photo to enlarge, use back arrow to return to blog).

Below I'm holding the cap above where it disconnected.  Notice on the right that the copper foil and solder has detached from the glass.  Over time, the adhesive on copper foil may break down and thus weaken the bond.

Here, I'm pulling off the old copper foil and solder which was beneath the cap.

Once this was done, it was apparent that one of the four pieces of glass beneath the cap had become very loose.  I removed it.  The other three pieces were firmly in place.

In order for copper foil to adhere properly to glass, the edges of the glass must be ground down.  In this case, the glass was not ground, therefore I used a metal file to grind the exposed edges.

After I removed the loose piece of glass, I cleaned off the excess old adhesive, foil and solder and applied fresh copper foil to the border as shown.  The foil was then pressed into the glass using a "fid" or flexible plastic wand.

Whenever I replace a cap I always strengthen the bond by inserting flat braided reinforcement wire between it and the lamp itself.  Here, I'm applying liquid flux to the reinforcement wire.  Then I'll apply a thin layer of solder to it.  This process is called "tinning".  This acts as an adhesive which aids in the attachment of the reinforcement to the copper foil.

Here, if you look closely, notice the tinned reinforcement wire between the lamp and the glass.

 Once the seam is soldered, the reinforcement wire disappears.

 After fluxing and soldering the bond, I spray it with Kwik-Clean and dry it off.

 Next, I've lined the outer edge of the opening with fresh copper foil. 

 Then I take the cap and pull off any old solder and foil by using needle nose pliers.

 Then I wrapped 1/4" copper foil around the edge and flatten it onto the cap using a fid.

 Somewhat visible on the lower side is a strip of the tinned reinforcement wire.  This will bond with the edge for a strong attachment.

 Here I'm applying solder to the outer edge after I've applied the liquid flux.  Flux acts as a catalyst of sorts, making soldering possible.

 Viewed from the inside of the lamp dome, I've added foil to the interior as well.

 Here I've replaced the cap onto the lamp and added yet another layer of copper foil to wrap around the edge.  This cap will be covered with another black metal lamp part, so it will not be visible.

 After the foil has been fluxed, soldered, cleaned and dried, I apply black patina with an acid brush.  In order not to contaminate the contents of the bottle of patina, I always work with just a capful at a time.

 And here's the repaired cap.  After its dried, I clean off the entire lamp and apply stained glass finishing compound to protect the solder and give the lamp a nice shine.

 Now its ready to be picked up for many more years of enjoyment.  Thank you Warren .. It was a pleasure repairing this beautiful lamp for you!

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!