Boehm Stained Glass Studio ad

Welcome!  Here is our ad which appears in local papers in Midland Park, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, Ridgewood and Glen Rock.  Do you have a cracked, copper-foiled stained glass piece that needs repairing?  Or an idea for a custom residential window?  They make unique, heirloom gifts.  Give me a call or send an email .. I'm always happy to answer questions or "talk glass".

Please scroll down to the next post to see a window being repaired .. and read further for the story of the design, creation, and installation of a pair of my stained glass windows for a local historic home.

 

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Restoring Peace .. A repair job

The other day, a neighbor asked me to add hanging hooks to the back of one of my windows, a 12” x 12” peace sign which he commissioned as a gift for his pre-teen daughter last Winter.  When he handed it to me, I noticed that one of the pieces of glass had sustained two cracks. If a window is going to crack, its usually during, or soon after soldering, not after any length of time.  I was puzzled.

Later, I asked his daughter how it happened. Her reply was “It’s a long story”.  She may have dropped it, or something heavy fell on it, I’ll never know. But that’s OK, my task was then not only to affix the hooks, but to repair the glass as well ... I couldn’t bear to return it to them in that condition.

First step:  Carefully score by cross-hatching the entire cracked piece, as shown.

Next, carefully tap on the glass to break it into smaller pieces.  Be sure to wear safety glasses ... bits fly everywhere. Then gently remove each piece using needle-nose pliers.

Once the broken glass is removed, make a template of the opening and cut a new piece of identical glass, in this case, clear rough rolled. Then, using a soldering iron, loosen the copper foil that was around the broken piece.  Using the pliers, remove the old foil from it, as well as from the adjacent pieces. Then use “GooGone” to remove all the old adhesive from the foil.  Clean thoroughly. Re-foil the adjacent pieces as well as the new piece.

This repair was tricky because it was in the corner. I had to cut the glass slightly smaller to fit the space, then push it away from the adjacent glass and toward the corner, so it would catch inside the channel (metal frame).  This resulted in a slightly wider lead line than I prefer to have, but it was the only option.  After soldering and patina-ing the repaired piece, I affixed two hooks to the back by lightly sanding the upper back corners and soldering them on. 

It took just over two hours.  My neighbor was pleasantly surprised. I turned down his offer to pay for the repair (which I did as a favor) ... but when I looked outside later, he had cleared the snow from our driveway and porch … Cool!

Have a broken stained glass window piece that needs repairing?  Have an idea for a custom window?  Please call or email me ... Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Dolphin & Manatee installation

Here are a series of photos of Eric in the process of preparing, and installing the Dolphin and Manatee stained glass windows above our clients’ Jacuzzi tub.  Here they are with the custom wood frames as constructed and painted by Eric.

On site, Eric adds the insulating tubing around the perimeter of the frame.  There is also insulating tape around the glass itself, as well as square wooden spacers between the glass and the window.

After carefully re-measuring the windows, Eric drills pilot holes for the screws.

And here he is, tightening the final screw.  Each screw was covered with a white cap, as shown, so that they blend into the frame.

Here I am with the windows.  Its SO satisfying to see the windows "living" in such a beautiful home with owners who truly enjoy them!  Thanks Ed and Julie, it was a pleasure!

  

(Click on images to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

And here's a "thank you" note from my client!
"Just a little note to tell you how much we love these works of art.  I had some time today, during a call, to really look through these in detail, as the sunlight came through.  The textures and angles of the light flowing through the glass is just magnificent!  Even the touch of making their eyes translucent blue just “pops” when the sun hits them just right!   Thanks again!"

Please call or email to have me build one for you ... Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Dolphin & Manatee are done!

The windows are done!  My husband, Eric, will now build custom wood frames for each of them.  Then they will be installed in my clients' beautifully renovated 18th Century, eco-friendly, Victorian mansion.  Here they are, side by side, as they will be installed in their new home.

  

And here are the two original renditions as created in my stained glass software. It's a very useful tool which enables my clients to see a "real life" version of their windows before a single piece of glass is cut.

These windows were a joy to create ... I already miss working on them! Lighting permitting, I may post a photo of the windows "in place" following installation.  (Click on images to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

If you'd like to have a custom stained glass window for your home, give me a call or send an email, and we'll get started!  Comments and inquiries always welcome.

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Dolphin & Manatee windows are soldered

As of this afternoon, both windows have been framed with a stabilizing zinc channel.  The fronts and backs have been soldered.  Following the soldering, the flux and bits of excess solder were carefully washed off with warm water, a brush, Comet, and rubber gloves.

The sky area, as mentioned before, is non-transparent, clear glue chip glass.  The tan color seen here is the homasote board showing through.

It is my goal to work toward completing my clients' windows quickly and well.  But it is bittersweet when they get to this stage.  All that needs to be done now is the patina-ing, the rinsing, the waxing, and the wood framing.  My husband will then install them in my clients' home.

Tomorrow, I will post the first photos of the finished windows in the sunlight, along with their original computer-generated renditions.

(Click on images to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Dolphin & Manatee windows are foiled

As of this afternoon, the Dolphin and Manatee stained glass windows are now foiled.  This process involves evenly wrapping the edge of each piece of glass with a strip of adhesive 7/32" copper foil.  The foil is then burnished with a fid (a flat, firm, but flexible, plastic wand). The two windows took a total of 53 yards of copper foil.

The foil is then brushed with liquid flux (a wetting agent) and then soldered with 60/40 solder.  I anticipate starting that process tomorrow, followed soon after by patina-ing, cleaning, waxing, and framing.

With time on my side, the windows are about one week from completion .. The anticipation is building .. Stay tuned. 


(Click on images to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

Dolphin and Manatee window glass is cut

All of the glass for both windows have now been cut, ground and fitted, and are ready for the next step, applying copper foil.  (The gray above the water line is the pattern showing through.  It is actually clear glue chip glass).

Although I prefer to do all my glass cutting by hand, these windows are primarily opalescent (non-transparent/ translucent) glass which doesn’t have the “grain” of a cathedral (transparent) glass.  This characteristic makes getting good cuts “iffy” when cutting by hand. 

Rather than take chances with “bad breaks”, I fired up my Gryphon Omni 2 Wire Saw.  Its loud and its messy, but given a slow hand and a lot of concentration, it is very accurate.

Much of the glass used in these windows came from my reliable online suppliers in PA and FL.  But nothing beats a trip to the Glass Gallery in Nutley, NJ where surprises always await!  I found the beautiful light gray for the Manatee there, as well as the swirly textured dark blue and green for the lower portion of the water, and the pale green Spectrum Corsica glass used in the greenery.

I am a fan of Youghiogheny glass (don’t ask me how to pronounce it), and I was glad to incorporate some of their steel gray opal mottled glass into the Manatee’s body and the Dolphin’s tail.  It adds a very realistic dappled effect appropriate for these graceful sea creatures.  I gave each of them dark gray-blue eyes … Next time you see them, they will be foiled in copper and ready for soldering.

(Click on images to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.

First look: The borders

As they lay on the pattern, the true beauty of the pieces of glass can't yet be seen, but here are views of the Dolphin and Manatee windows, with the borders cut.  The outer border is composed of shades of deep purple, the inner borders are shades of emerald green, and the diamonds are a bright yellow.  

The purple glass is a mix of Spectrum grape rough rolled, which is a semi- cathedral glass with a texture which bounces light beautifully, along with a few pieces of deep purple water glass. The green glass is mostly Spectrum emerald green rough rolled, along with some rich Wissmach green that has a hefty hand-made look with some darker green and a touch of yellow in it. The yellow diamonds are from an older glass, similar to Spectrum rough rolled, but a bit more refined in texture and more brittle to cut. It really pops in the sunshine.

The mix of colors in the border will echo the exterior colors of my clients’ home.  They will be a beautiful match when viewed from outdoors at night! 

Next up will be more cutting and refining as the windows come together.  Stay tuned for updates as the Dolphin and Manatee take on their personalities and come to life!

Click here for Boehm Stained Glass Studio website.