We have a lot of students who are unsure of what to do once they have finished soldering their window. The rule of thumb is to never wash off any flux until the window is 100% completed and ready to have patina applied to it. If the window is going to sit untouched for more than a month I'd wash it but you really shouldn't begin soldering if you are going to have that long of a wait between washing and coloring. That said, here's a problem area or an exception to the rule: Never allow flux to rest on Zinc Channel for any length of time (even one day is too long). If you are using Zinc Channel you should attach it to your window and then wipe any flux off of the zinc with some water (just the channel, not the window itself). Flux is an acid and it will eat into the zinc if left on too long so that it won't react to the patina. And we never use soap when washing off flux. Never. No exceptions. Never ever. Never ever ever ever. It's a question I get asked about 15 times a week.
Never use soap to wash flux off of your window.
Okay, so let's face facts here-- Terry 's Kaleidoscope Window is gorgeous. In fact, it's outright one of my favorite windows that a student has made. She changed out a few more colors and ended up with a window that is certainly impressive. Her colors, the symmetry, and her soldering are all perfect. It's everything we strive for.
Ann completed this teal and iridised white Cross in the span of just one class. She's become a lean, mean stained glass machine. Just look at how straight those outside edges are-- that's never an easy task to achieve in stained glass.
Becky S has managed to complete yet another frame. This holds a 6x4 picture and features a random stock photo family. In real life Becky's family is much more attractive than these people. I'm thrilled that she used the back granite textured side of the glass since this isn't going to be back lit. This way you can clearly see that the thinner border isn't cut from the same glass that the larger border is cut from.
Well, Jeannette says she finished making boat windows. She's learned a lot from doing a pair of them though because the skies have been done in a way that most hobbyist stained glass makers wouldn't think of. And I love how her border matches the small amount of trim of the boat. It made dark blue a perfect color choice for the border.
Martha completed her Beveled Cross Window and her work is exquisite. Everyone agrees that these cross windows are difficult to cut out but the end result is such a nice window that everyone wants to go the extra miles and try their hand at those eight tough cuts. Martha learned a neat shortcut that helps make it a little easier that we'll discuss next week.
Jeannette also managed to completed two Fleur De Lis Suncatchers along with her boat and one of them was even completed from start to finish during the last hour of class. When her boat was finished she was almost content to just call it a good days work but then she started the suncatcher on the right and finished it as well. THAT'S a good class!
And Paula completed her window repair. Let me ask you, which is the one that the center was knocked out of and replaced? To be honest, even I don't know-- her work is THAT good. She put hooks on both windows and now after somewhere around 20 years these windows will see the light when they get hung up for the first time ever.
Rowena is ending the year with a roar with her LSU/Tiger Eye Window which she completed this week. We hung it in the window and decided it was best to take the picture of her completed window with a florescent light behind it rather than the sun because the green grass behind it was making the transparent purple look grey. I can't tell you how many photo's I've had to color adjust due to the large amount of green reflecting through the glass. But rest assured, this picture shows exactly what Rowena's window looks like.
And like Jeannette, Rowena had a little extra time in class and decided to make this Christmas Fleur De Lis Suncatcher in her remaining time. She made it in under and hour and ended up taking home 2 projects rather than the one which always makes our students feel good about their abilities.
Betty is wrapping up 2014 by working on two Nativity Scene Windows. One just needs the borders cut to size and two corner background pieces cut. The other requires only a little more work which basically consisting of cutting out a sky before moving on to the border.
Bonnie got her border all ground into place, wrapped it, tacked it and even soldered one of the flowers. And that was done while she was recovering from a cold that had her off her feet just a few days earlier. On Saturday I got a call asking if she could pick up her window and take it home to solder there. This leads me to assume two things: 1) that she's feeling much better and 2) that this will be finished when she comes back in.
Linda F is wrapping up the work on her Three Wise Men Window. With only the hats themselves left to be cut I think she'll be wrapping her pieces and soldering this for her next class. Who knows, it may see the light of day also!
Cindy not only completed her Double Butterfly Window, she also managed to complete another bird on her 'Seven Birds A Hanging' Window. (Doesn't that sound Christmassy to you?) Anyway, this leaves just four large birds left to go.
Janet resumed work on her Peaches and Dragonfly Window and now has all of her background cut out of a wispy white glass that is all but invisible while it's laying on top of the white pattern paper. With almost everything cut save for the border, Janet will be completing this quickly. And she's also working on two more FDL Transom windows at home as well! Talk about keeping busy.
Becky S still has a few more Double Border Frames to work on. Here's a look at three more that she has all ready to be tacked and soldered. These make great gifts and are relatively easy to make since they are essentially just border work.
Jeanne is making a double bordered frame for a large etched bevel that she has. The image on the bevel is of an older couple walking together, but you can't really see them in the picture below. The first border is cut from red water glass that she's cut very wide. The outer border consists of 1" wide bevels . She also has a nameplate to attach to this when it's completed which should easily happen next week.
And Mary Grace's Deer Window is now complete save for the sky. She'll be cutting that out of one piece of glass for a nice fluid sky effect and it should only take a few minute to grind it once it's all cut. Will Mary Grace go with a double or a single border? We'll find that out during her next class.
Linda L worked on her Kaleidoscopes and they are just about set now. The six image wheels are completed and the tubes themselves just need eyepieces and hardware which will only take a few minutes to make. Then she'll just add the mirrors, screw on the wheels, and these will be complete (some assembly required).
Myrt's transom window needs just one more section (it's the left section) and then some solder. In fact, I have no doubt that the soldering will begin when we next see her because her window is THAT far along. Unless Disney has her all worn out...
This is easily Shelley's fastest window ever. The center section is now complete and all she needs to do now is add a border and solder it. Shelley learned one important lesson while making this window-- if your pattern is off your window will be off as well. Fixing a paper pattern is easy but trying to re-adjust glass that has already been cut incorrectly is a lot harder. So ALWAYS start with a perfect pattern and NEVER say you'll fix 'that' later.
Terry also had time left over in class after finishing her Kaleidoscope Window to start this new Santa Face Window. She's got a lot completed on it and I won't be surprised if this Santa isn't ready to come down a chimney in time for Christmas.
Lynn managed to get all of her background cut and ground this week (which is a large accomplishment.) Once those background pieces are wrapped and tacked into place she'll only need to add a border and then some solder before she can call this window a job well done.
And lastly, Ann is ending the year by NOT working on any more Fleur De Lis Windows. After completing her Cross Suncatcher she started cutting out this Flower Hand Mirror using blue baroque as the background. As with her FDL windows, she's a real pro when it comes to making these because she's made so many of them in the past.
You may have noticed that this update is late, but that's only because we took some time off to take a quick cruise. The trip was fun but it's going to be nice to see all of our students smiling faces again. Christmas is a little over a week away and there's a lot left to accomplish so expect to see a slew of finished windows in our next update.
Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks
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