Question Old Stained Glass

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MaJa

MaJa

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Jan 20, 2008
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Lincoln City, OR
I have a customer that has an old leaded stained glass window that was just removed during renovations. It is about 2' x 4'6".

I had planed to get a stained glass moulding for it, but it's not in very good shape. Some of the pains are cracked, the edges are rusty, and it's sure isn't square.

Ideas or suggestions or should I just pass on it? He wants to hand it on the wall by a chain.
 
If it is not being seen from both sides you can rip the rabbet width of a regular moulding enough to make it work.
 
How out of square is it? Is the piece flat with not bowing?

Is the piece have a zinc channel around it?

Ok ...

If it is not badly out of square, stained glass moulding will work. cut the frame to the larger dimension and you might have to put spacers (I use jute twine or rope) in the channel.

If the piece is bowing and does not have zinc around the outside edge, suggest the piece be taken to a stained glass artist to put zinc channel around the edge. This will square up the piece and make it more stable so you can easily frame it.
 
MaJa said:
...and it's sure isn't square.
Click to expand...

How far out-of-square is it?

Jeff's idea works if you have the tools. Another way to accommodate the out-of-squareness might be to use a slip or fillet in a frame with a standard rabbet. You could make your own slip out of firring strips, too, if you can find good stock. Gild or paint/stain to match.

We have a piece of leaded glass in the shop right now that's about 33" x 59", but it has fairly square corners. Heavy, though. We're using a sturdy, deep-rabbet shadowbox frame. Customer wants lights or a light panel in the frame, so we're waiting for him & his electrician to come around with the needed parts in hand.
 
If you have the option, getting an opinion from someone experienced with stained glass would be very useful. They may see something in the joints that you or I might miss. And might be able to square it up without much expense.

I am lucky enough to have a stained glass studio right up the street. I usually consult them whenever I am presented with older stained glass.

And I second the idea of having a zinc channel around the edges.
 
Jim, that sounds fun!

I went to take photos and measurements. This thing has broken cane all over the place. I'm going to send him to a stained glass artist before I try to frame it. Otherwise, I think it might fall apart.

Thanks for the ideas!!
 
I once had a lady bring to me two huge pieces of leaded glass to be framed. They were sidelights that were taken out of her former residence. In the middle were ovals with the word "Queen" etched in them. Absolutely stunning pieces. I would have loved to see the entrance of that house that she took them from.

Anyhow, they were out of square also. She chose a stained glass moulding that was routed in the middle. While I was scratching my head as to what to do, a long time customer that does oil restorations came in and asked for a fillet to fit an out of square oil on stretchers. Customer wanted to keep the original stretchers and frame. And the light bulb came on.

I ordered the widest fillet I could find, painted it to match the moulding, and problem solved. I did take the moulding to a cabinet shop down the street to route the channel deeper so it would all fit.

Ohhhh, and I did charge for it!
 
Jim the back lighting option can get insanely expensive :) I had a customer that wanted to go that route, after getting price quotes we decided it was cheaper, and she would get better lighting results by having a carpenter replace her door frame with a door and side light frame.... Got natural lighting going through the stained glass, so it was more even and really did look better than building a frame into the wall.


If the glass is bowing outward a glass artist is the best option to shoring it up. We used to offer to have a sheet of plate glass put in front of and behind the stained glass. Got pretty heavy that way, but was great protection from bowing and really made cleaning a breeze. Crackled stained glass, and the nooks and crannies between the lead came are hideous to clean.....
 
Bob Doyle said:
If the glass is bowing outward a glass artist is the best option to shoring it up. We used to offer to have a sheet of plate glass put in front of and behind the stained glass. Got pretty heavy that way, but was great protection from bowing and really made cleaning a breeze. Crackled stained glass, and the nooks and crannies between the lead came are hideous to clean.....
Click to expand...

Not only hideous to clean but makes for it being structurally unsound.
A glass artist can tell the client what needs to be done.

Sounds like this one needs some attention.
 
I remember when one of the glass techs tried to repair a church window. He randomly opened one of the channels and it was the wrong one :) A whole section of the panel started to fall out, he didn't notice that the one he snipped in to was a structural one :)

Kinda like kicking down a support column under a load bearing wall....
 
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