Stained Glass Floral Mirror Repair

This lovely mirror was handmade by my customer's daughter. It sustained damage during a move and my challenge was to repair it for him.  Here's how I went about the process.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

 Here's how the panel came to me .. With a crack going from side to side and a piece of mirror glass missing from the center.

Here's the back side of the mirror.  Notice the blue tape.  I braced the sides with "credit card splints".  I cut up an old credit card lengthwise and taped it to both sides to avoid further damage to the panel.  Worked great!

The first step in the repair is to remove the cracked glass.  Here I'm using an oil-filled pistol grip glass cutter to score the back of the glass using a cross-hatching pattern. Then I tap repeatedly on the back of the piece using the metal end of the glass cutter.  This serves to further crack the piece to make for easier removal.

At this stage, I'm wearing eye protection.  Glass shards fly everywhere.  I'm using needle-nose pliers to tug out the chunks of glass.

In order to prepare for the insertion of replacement glass, I'm tugging off all the old solder and foil using needle nose pliers.  For those parts which do not come off easily, I use my soldering iron to melt them off.  A clean inner border is essential for best adherence of the new foil to follow.

 Now I'm on the front of the glass, scoring it from this side.  Mirror glass is tough!  Because it has that mirror coating on the back, it is much studier than regular stained glass.  It has to be handled differently, and carefully.

 Here I'm melting off some of the stubborn old foil and solder using my soldering iron.

Now the piece has been completely removed.  I've used Goo Gone and a generic orange-based spray cleaner to clean off the remaining old foil adhesive around the border.  Here I'm using a manila folder as a pattern for the new glass.  I'm tracing it with a pen.  Notice that the leaf cracked!  This is to be expected, since the shock of the fall went from side to side.  No worries, I have the exact green glass in inventory to replace that as well.

Now I've cut out and marked the manila pattern "mirror front".  Then I traced the pattern onto the glass using a black Sharpie marker.  Note that I used 1/8" mirror glass from a local glass supplier.  The glass which is offered through traditional stained glass suppliers is very costly.  This is a better way to go .. It saves money for me and my customer.

A quick lesson on cutting curves.  Notice that I'm scoring and pulling off thin arcs of glass, one at a time.  If the cut is too deep, the sides of the curve will crack.  The tool used here is called a grozier.

Next, I put on my "rubber fingers" which are available at any Staples or Office Depot.  These protect my fingers from glass cuts and provide a firm grip on the wet glass. Then I run the edges of the glass through the grinder.  This helps the copper foil to adhere firmly.

 During the grinding process, mirror glass will often splinter off.  Here I'm applying ink from a silver Sharpie pen to the back of the mirror.  It covers any flaws which resulted from the grinding.

Now I'm applying 7/32" adhesive copper foil to the center of the edge of the replacement glass.

Now I've placed the replacement glass where it belongs and am brushing on liquid flux with a metal acid brush.  This enables the 60/40 solder to flow evenly onto the copper foil.

 Now the replacement glass is soldered into place and I'm starting to work on removing the cracked leaf.  Notice that I have the exact green glass in my large inventory.

 Using the same method as before, I've cut a new leaf.  I'm using a fid or flexible flat plastic wand to smooth down the edges of the foil.  This prevents any liquids or chemicals from seeping beneath it, and improves the bonding to the adjacent pieces of glass.

Next, I'm repeating the solder and foil removal process with the large piece of cracked mirror glass.  Note that I've taped up the sharp edge to lessen the chance of injury.  Care of course must always be exercised when working with glass.  (I keep a first aid kit in my studio, but thankfully, have rarely used it.  The glass knows me by now .. I rarely get cut).

Now I've replaced both green leaves.  I've removed the large piece of cracked glass and have cleaned off the inner borders as before.

I've laid down a manila folder to prepare for tracing the inner border for the replacement glass.  Notice that the "credit card splints" will remain in place throughout the entire repair.

In order for copper foil to adhere well, its essential that the edges of the glass be grinded.  On this panel, as on many pieces I've repaired, the glass is not ground.  Here I'm using a metal file to rough up the glass since it cannot be run through my electric grinder.

An "aerial view" of the application of adhesive copper foil to the inner edge of the border for the large piece of mirror glass.

With the large mirror piece in place, I'm again applying liquid flux to the copper foil.  Notice that I'm taking it from the bottle cap.  This is to prevent contamination of the bottle contents.  Any left-over flux from the cap is discarded.

Shown is the back of the panel which is coming along nicely!  All the cracked glass has been replaced and soldered. Notice the chain attached to the right side.  To facilitate the repair, I temporarily un-soldered it on the left side.

And here is a view of the soldered piece from the front.

This piece was made with decorative soldering.  In the majority of stained glass pieces, the solder is smooth and forms a dome along the copper foil line.  This piece is different in that the solder is textured.  It was a fun challenge to duplicate the look!  You can see I did a great job of duplicating the original solder (if I do say so myself!.

Here I'm applying Novacan Black Patina to the solder lines with a metal acid brush.  Again, I'm taking the product from the bottle cap.

Along the way, the panel has to be fully cleaned several times.  This is to wash off the caustic, toxic chemicals and to prepare for the following steps.  I use "Kwik-Clean" spray for removal of flux and patina.

And here is the repaired mirror!  I'm happy to say that the owner, Chuck, was very pleased with the repair.  Thank you Chuck .. It was a pleasure doing this for you and your daughter!!

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

Stained Glass Terrarium Repair

This unique and pretty terrarium was handmade by my customer's mother.  It had been sitting in water and the solder oxidized around the rim.  The supporting wire had also become detached.  Here's how I went about repairing it.  (Click on any image to enlarge).

Here's how the terrarium came to me, with a loose supporting wire and turquoise oxidation at the rim.

First, I carefully tugged off the old wire.  Most of the old solder and copper foil had already deteriorated.

I used this product to clean off the oxidation.

 For further cleaning, I used window cleaner and a generic orange cleaner.  Then I used my metal file to grind the edges of the glass.  This helps the copper foil adhere better.

Here, I'm "tinning" the wire, meaning that I'm brushing on liquid flux and then soldering on a thin coating of solder.  This will help the wire adhere to the rim.  In the white dish seen behind my hand is a collection of solder splatters which I use for this purpose.

I've taped the wire to the edge of the terrarium to hold it in place. Then I'm soldering it to the foil which I've previously put on the rim.  With enough solder, the wire sinks into the metal and becomes practically unseen.  

Here I'm applying black patina to the rim. After this process, I cleaned the whole terrarium, waxed and buffed it.

And here's the repaired terrarium, looking great again and ready to be enjoyed by my customer's daughter.  Thank you Gwen, for the pleasure of repairing your Mom's terrarium 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!

Colorful Geometric Lamp Repair

This gorgeous lamp fell victim to my customer's little boy who accidentally bumped it over.  It sustained a few cracked pieces, three of which I was asked to replace.  This lamp is Chinese, though, and an exact match is not available here in the United States.  Fortunately, I had a piece in inventory which matched the transparency and the colors, so we decided to go ahead with the repair.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

Here's a close up of Chinese glass which is not carried by any U.S. manufacturers. 

A view of the three pieces needing replacement.  The blue rectangle on the right has a major crack.

 My first step is to pull off the old solder and copper foil using needle-nose pliers.  Then I melt off whatever is remaining, using a soldering iron as shown.

 Then I use a piece of manila folder, hold it behind the opening and create a pattern for the exact-size replacement glass.

I used the pattern to trace the glass and then cut it using a pistol grip glass cutter.

 

Here I've applied adhesive copper foil to the borders of the opening.  I'm applying copper foil to the replacement glass.  

Soldering the piece in place.  Notice the blue painter's tape behind it, to hold the glass in the correct position.

Here's the new piece of glass, soldered in place.

Here I'm applying liquid black patina which reacts instantly with the solder.  Following the application of the patina, the lamp gets cleaned and then waxed.

 And here's the lamp, repaired and ready for many more years of enjoyment by the family.

And here it is, in its full glory, illuminated from below by a large light box.  Thank you Dan and Cara for finding me!  It was a pleasure repairing this 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!

Cap repair to Stained Glass Lamp

This pretty, autumn colored stained glass lamp came to me with a loose cap and several small pieces of glass about to give way.  Here's how I went about repairing and strengthening it.  (Click on any photo to enlarge)

Shown below, the cap of the lamp had loosened, as did some of the small pieces of glass, as far down as the second row.

I started the repair by carefully melting off the solder around the cap and removing it from the base.

Then I melted off the old solder and copper foil around the edge with a hot soldering iron.

Several small pieces of glass were still firmly anchored to the cap.  I decided to leave them in place.  Here I'm melting off old solder and foil.

To further clean off the edges of the glass, I'm using a metal file.

At this point, I've cleaned off the old solder and foil and re-applied fresh foil where shown.

Here I'm burnishing the copper foil with a "fid" or flexible plastic wand.

In order to protect the repair and add strength, I've cut a length of flat, braided reinforcement wire and soldered it to the top of the second row of glass as shown.

To promote the adherence of the solder to the cap, I used a Dremel tool to clear off the patina on the inside of the cap.  This is a temporary measure.  I'll patina it black again when the repair is completed.

 Now I've replaced the three loose pieces of glass in the second row and re-fitted the pieces onto the top of the lamp.

 To further strengthen the repair, I'm "tinning" two pieces of thick gauge wire.  Tinning is a process whereby I coat the wire with liquid flux, then apply a thin coating of solder.  This will enable the wires to instantly bond with the solder on the inside of the dome.

Below, I've soldered the pieces and integrated the two wires along the lines inside the dome.  About half of the wire covers the cap, the other half extends onto the dome.

 Here I've applied black patina which reacts instantly with the solder.  I applied a generous amount of solder throughout the edge of the dome to ensure a solid attachment.

 Now the dome is repaired and ready for use again.

 And here it is!  Thank you Ed, for bringing the lamp for repair.  May you enjoy it for many years to come!

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!