Revising Obsessively

Our tip this week is simple but oh so important.   When you mark a piece of glass with a sharpie marker you should give the marker at least 30 seconds to dry on the glass to help prevent the water in the grinder from washing it away.   What I do is mark a piece and then grind the line off of the next piece I plan on working on.  Once that next piece is ground I know the line has set on my first piece and that it will stay on the glass longer as I work it into shape.

Well now, Patrice's 4H Clover Window certainly turned out to be something that really catches your eye doesn't it?.   The intricate three layer border system is almost an optical illusion.  Patrice is really catching onto this whole stained glass thing, don't you think?

 

Betty's Diamond Beveled Window is stunning indeed and that's because of the unique way that it hangs.  Sometimes you have to put a new slant on old things to make people turn their heads, and that's exactly what Betty did with this piece.

  

Beth completed this Celtic Knot Cross and has decided that she likes them so much that she has two more in the works.  This one turned out lovely indeed and I can't wait to see what color crosses she brings in with her next week.

 

Cindy actually completed her Medicine Cabinet Insert but there's not much to see.   Because it will be mounted into an opening with a finite amount of space we've forgone the channel which would make this sturdy enough to lift and photograph nicely.  Thus we have the picture below.  It still looks great though!  

And Jan was back with us this week and she's been busy wrapping the pieces to this deceptively tiny Jesus Window.  With just a few pieces left to go I think we'll see this get a border cut for it when Jan returns.

 

Becky's back and she's getting her Seahorses fitting together perfectly.   She's got a great portion of this ground already and the pieces are complex indeed.  Becky certainly enjoys a challenge though and that's probably why this is looking as good as it does already.

 

 

Beth was upset with how this Iris Window was turning out and was all set to put it aside indefinitely, but after a little coaxing we were able to fix the problem areas and get this ready to be soldered.  I think it's rather nice!

 

Betty's got all of her Cross Window cut out and learned a valuable lesson while making it.  She used cathedral glasses in this project and wanted all of the textured sides to be on the front of the window.  To do this she reversed all of her pattern pieces before tracing them out on the smooth side of the glass she used, but there was really no reason to have to go through all of that trouble when she could have easily just make the window as normal and then hang it with the back side forward!

 

 

Tracey is working fast and furious on her Address Window and she's already grinding all of her pieces.  She's decided to go with a double border on this and at the rate she's moving we'll see those borders get attacked quickly.

  

Lara's Flower Of Life Window is also moving right along as she now has all but 4 pieces ground on the toughest part of this design.  Once these are wrapped and tacked together she'll work on the bottom sections and after than there will only be background to go.

 

Carol has her Humming Bird Window all tacked together and she even has the front side soldered. I love the fancy bevels in the opposing corners-- they really add a quality to the window that makes it stand out.  If you ask me, there's no doubt that this will be completed upon her return.

 

Roy started working on his Crab Window and he's got the majority of it cut out already in just one class.  There are only a few pieces left to go and then he'll be grinding this.  He's working fast and efficiently, that's for sure and I think this is going to be spectacular.

Susan R's Scissors Suncatcher was started today in class and she's about to solder them already.  In just one class she was able to cut the glass, grind it and then wrap each of her pieces.   And speaking of wrapping things up, Susan will surely finish these when we see her again.

 

Myrt has made some solid progress on her Dog Window and she's thankfully decided to use the third pattern that she traced out rather than the first two.   Myrt will be responsible for our tip next week when we explain the importance of taping your pattern to the poster board that you are transferring it to rather than the carbon paper.  More on that next week though.

 

 
With just 8 pieces left to go, Rowena's Victorian Design Window is almost ready to be soldered.   She'd surely have the border attached already had it been a straightforward border but the center section on this window has curved edges which means that we can't just zip out those border pieces with the strip cutter. Each of the corner borders have to be cut by hand.

 

Terry's Geometric Window is now officially all cut and ground.  She began wrapping all of her pieces this week and although she has wiggle room between those pieces she's still having to grind key pieces slightly smaller since the foil is making things increase in size.  It's looking great though and I won't be surprised to see her working on something else shortly.

  

 

I fell in love with this Rose When I first saw it on the internet and now Linda F has gone and made one for herself.   All the glass has been cut and I hope we get to see this completed when she comes back in because it looks fantastic and I really want to see it hanging with some light behind it to REALLY show it off.

 

Then Linda L got her border cut, ground, and attached to her Mickey Mouse Window.  When she comes back in we'll get a large Zinc Channel bent around the outer edge to finish this off.   With just a little soldering left to go I suspect that this will be among our completed projects when we return next week.

 

Can you guess what these Suncatchers are that Susan D is working on?  Hopefully you won't need a hint and if you do well shame on you because Mickey Mouse will haunt you forever!

 

 

Shelley's Cat Window now officially looks like a cat!  I'm not sure what's happening around the nose but we'll surely work that out when Shelley returns.  In just two short weeks Shelley's almost ready to begin wrapping this cat!

 

 

Mary Grace has begun wrapping her pieces and although it's hard to see, she's making good progress on this.   With so many pieces missing the easiest way to wrestle this window into submission is to tack what we have and then start filling in the remaining pieces.  Not only does it make things easier-- it also helps to booster confidence by allowing her to see some serious progress her window.

  

Next we have a look at Brenda's last Beveled Transom Window Insert which is finished save for a wash and then some color.   She'll be coloring the lead black on this window so she'll have a 45 minute wait once the patina is applied.

Then there's Martha's Deer head which is at the same point that Brenda's window is-- all it needs is a bath and then some patina to color the lead.  I think that Martha will be coloring this in copper so the process will go a little quicker for her than for Brenda.
 

Finally we take a look at the new window that Melissa has begun work on.  She liked the circular shape of her last window so much that she's making this in a circle as well.   These Sacred and Immaculate Hearts are each made up of some tiny pieces but I know that Melissa is more than up to the task.  And the pattern REALLY looks good don't you think?

 

 There you have it! All that happened that was fit to print.  We'll see you all again next week when we return with a SLEW of finished windows!!!

Paul

Bayou Salé GlassWorks

Stray Men

Proper Grinding is important for numerous reasons.   The two most notable being 1) to allow the foil to adhere to the glass better, and 2) to prevent your piece from cracking when solder is applied.

Below is a piece of glass that has not been ground.   The edge is shiny and the corners are sharp enough to easily cut through any foil the you might try to use on it.

Here you can see the front edge has been ground but not nearly enough.  Although there are sections that have been touched by the grinding wheel (they appear white) it isn't a thorough job.  You will still have problems getting the foil to lay flat along the glass and there's still a possibility that the glass will crack when the lead is applied.  If your glass looks like this you might want to try reversing your piece by putting the top side down on the grinder and going over it again.  Sometimes that makes a big difference especially when skimming borders.

Lastly we have a properly ground piece of glass.   The edge is completely white, the foil will stick to it easily, and the odds are far better that the piece won't crack due to heat.  If all of your pieces look like this before you foil your window I can guarantee that your finished window will be sturdier than if the pieces were just lightly skimmed.

So with that out of the way lets move along to the work that our students have done during the past week.

Although Melissa believes that this window is long overdue, I have to repeat that I ALWAYS stress quality over quantity.   It may have taken about 4 months to make this but look at the level of detail in it.   Also, almost everything she did on this was done in a new (and exciting?) manner.    Repeating patterns are very tricky so this was worked on from the inside out and as each section was completed it was tacked together so nothing could shift.  The end result is this perfect window that looks so much better than the window that Melissa originally saw online.   Melissa should be very proud of it because I certainly am of her.  I couldn't have made this any better myself.

 

Susan D's Peacock is beautiful and even more importantly, it's a milestone for her.   She's designed this window from start to finish on her own and then constructed it by herself as well.   I cut the lengths of zinc channel for her but that was it.   This window is a stunning victory for Susan all around.

 

Roy is moving faster and faster on his windows and he completed this one on his own as well.   He's only into his second set of classes with us but he achieves the majority of his work while at home.   This window is smaller than you may assume which means that Roy now has experience with any window makers greatest bane-- tiny pieces.   Alas, everything is perfect here and the fact that Roy is always challenging himself means that his stained glass skills are growing quickly.

  

Susan R's Owl Of Many Colors Lawn Ornament was made almost entirely of cathedral glasses (save for the eyes) and as a result it really sparkles in the sunlight.  In fact it sparkles so much that the pictures I took of it out in the sunlight had too many 'hot spots' (places where the reflected sun would create white spots) for me to use.  Susan certainly did wonderful work on this as you can plainly see.

 

Rowena completed this stunning Single Sunflower and had no problem dealing with the irregular border that the curved corners created.     This was also made out of all Cathedral glass and the end result, like Susan's Owl, is vibrantly stunning.

Our second Sunflower this week was made by Barbara H and it's more of a panel rather than a window.  What's the difference?  Well, it is basically about size.  Once a window is smaller than 1 square foot we tend to refer to them as panels.   Please don't think that means they are easier to make though-- the contrary is usually the fact because smaller pieces are always more challenging to work with.  Also, it seems that once someone uses a double border they just can't stop using them and Barbara appears to be no exception to that rule.

Carol texted me a day or two before class and asked if I would be offended if she used a different hummingbird in the Flower and Hummingbird pattern I had drawn for her.   I said, "Certainly not," and when Carol showed up she had a new (and far superior) hummingbird all cut and ground.   While she was in class she cut out her background glass and she's now grinding it to fit within her beveled border.

 

Lara has begun working om her 'Flower of Life' Window and has the first of three flower panels all cut out and ground.   This will be a fairly large window but most of the cuts will be straight lines which will be cut from one sheet of glass so that everything fits together perfectly.  We'll see that happen in the weeks to come.

 

MiMi has the flowers and the leaves all cut out in her second Rose Window.   She's deciding on what background glass to use but once that's done she'll make quick work of this window.  Alas, Mimi has cut her finger and will be taking a short break from this project until it heals.   Mark my words though-- this is going to be beautiful.

  

Shelley has begun grinding her Cat Window and she's already got the lower pieces fitting together nicely.  When she returns she'll get to the face which is the most important part of any window featuring an animal.   All she's going to need to do is take her time and then the face will balanced out easily.

 

Linda L has all of her Rose Heart ground and has started wrapping it.   She's also working on a Stylized Cross of her own using the remains of some Fractures And Streamers glass that she had leftover from a previous window.   I think the use of that glass will make this cross really stand out.

 

Betty has each if her three arms working on a different project.   She's got a large Cross Window just about ready to be soldered (once the border is attached), a Fleur De Lis Window that will be hung as a diamond rather than a square, and a Stylized Cross Suncatcher of her own done in a monochromatic 'color' scheme.

  

 

Rowena was also hard at work on her Victorian Themed Window and it looks to be as elegant as any window could ever be.  After wrapping and tacking the center piece Rowena cut out her background.  Once she has that tacked into placer she'll only need a border and some solder to finish this off.

  

 

Each week Mary Grace's Iris Window gets closer and closer to being ground.   I know she thinks this is taking forever but when you tackle a window that's 3 foot by three foot it's going to take a little time to get it done.  Still, with each passing week we see major progress.  Next week I think MG will take a bit of a break and start wrapping her pieces to help ease her weary mind.

 

Ok then, Linda L's Mickey Mouse is looking MUCH better this week.   You can see that he has a smile on his face which helps, but it's the addition of the nose (which she ground into the center of a solid piece of glass) that really make him look 'human' (for lack of a better word).

Martha is officially tacked together (well, her Deer Head is) and she even has her channel in place.  She's begun soldering so it shouldn't be long now before she hangs this and moves on to her Beveled Lighthouse and Sailboat Window.

 

Trace has just begun a large Address Window and that means that this week she traced  and cut out her paper pattern pieces.   She's also got  a lot of those paper patterns traced onto sheets of glass so she'll  be cutting actual glass when she comes back in to class next week.

Lastly we take a look at the Crab pattern that Roy is starting to work on.  He has his glass all picked out and I suspect we'll see this well under way when we next see Roy.

And that about wraps things up for this first week of May!   Where IS this year going??

Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks

Some Assembly Required

Although we've covered this once before it's a very important tip so we're repeating it again.  While grinding it is important to trace a line using another piece of glass as a template.  When doing this make sure that the point of your marker is angled inward towards the piece you are tracing.  If you angle it the other direction the line will be off and you'll cut your piece short which results in gaps throughout your window.

Below is the correct way to angle your marker to get a line that not only matches the piece you are tracing from but also allows you to get a perfect fit on the first pass without gaps.

Moving along to our students I will say that technically this is MiMi's third window with us but it's the first window where she did all of the wrapping, grinding and soldering herself with no teacher intervention while she was working on any of those processes.  This window is all about curves and MiMi did a fantastic job making everything fit together perfectly and curve elegantly.

 

Jeannette wrapped up work on her latest Beveled Window that was made from two different shade of solid gray glass--  A lighter gray for the background and a darker gray for the final border.  You have to admit that the end result is striking.  Further on down you'll see that Jeannette is working on another one of these beautiful windows.

 

Beth has been a very busy woman!   She came into class this week with a second Iris Window all cut and ground and then spend the night fixing a few minor issues, wrapping her pieces, and getting border cut out.  She's hoping to finish these next week and I say "Let's go for it!"

 

Shelley came in and started work on one of the nicest Cat Windows I've seen.  This is a tribute piece because Shelley lost one of her cats last week and she wanted to do something to memorialize him.  She's made a few adjustments to the pattern to allow it to match her cat better and I have to say that this already looks great.

Roy has the stained glass fever and I know this because he's printing out his own patterns, cutting all of the glass and grinding it all while at home!   This Heron Window has only about 8 pieces left to wrap before he starts soldering it and he told me that he'll get that accomplished before he comes back in.

 

Terry's latest window is anther Geometric design that she's cut from glass using only one quarter of the pattern.  I love that so many students are recognizing repeats within their windows!  With the center piece all cut and ground Terry will be able to wrap and tack this if she wants.

 

Cindy was all set to start working on a small circular Shark Logo but then a relative called and requested a window for their bathroom vanity.   The window is all cut, ground and wrapped so Cindy will be finishing it when we see her again in two weeks.  Although it's hard to see Cindy does have the paper pattern to her Shark Logo all cut out and ready to go as well.

 

Rowena is making a Victorian Window design that incorporates rules from geometric Windows.  She also recognized almost instantly that she could just trace out just a quarter of this pattern and then cut 4 pieces of glass from each paper pattern piece-- two on one side and two reversed.

 

Susan R is in the middle of making her own Owl Of Many Colors and she's using techniques that I've posted here in the blog.  Give that woman a gold star!   Now that she's almost finished wrapping it, there's a chance it will be finished when she comes back in.

  

Lara is in the midst of making what I think is going to be a very interesting window.   It will consist of three long sections repeated three times (similar to Frank Lloyd Wright's Tree Of Life Design.)  Since the majority of this is background glass all Lara has to cut out initially are the top and bottom panels.  We'll see how this all works out as her work progresses.

 

I have to say that Mickey Mouse looks downright terrifying without a nose.  Needless to say, Linda L will get that nose cut into her Mickey Mouse when she returns to class because I don't want to look at him like this any more for fear of nightmares!  He's like Mickey Voldemort (only happier).

 

Patrice's 4H Clover Window is all cut, ground, wrapped and tacked!   Before class ended Patrice was able to get channel on it as well which means that she's going to be putting a final bead on this when she comes back to class.   And since this is mostly straight lines I think she'll move quickly on it.

Mary Grace is making steady progress on her Iris Window and will soon get to the wrapping phase of this large window.  There are still more than a few pieces left to grind but she knows what she's doing so it won't be long now.  She's not thrilled with how long this is taking her but I know she'll be thrilled when she hangs this.

 

Martha has all of the borders cut for her Deer Head Window and even got the first one attached before she left class.  With all the pieces now in place she'll begin soldering this when we see her again.

 

Melissa is so very close to having her Geometric Window completed!   With the final border attached and the front side soldered the only thing left to do is to affix the round zinc channel (which we curved before she went home).   She plans on having the back side soldered when she comes back in and I have full faith in the fact that she will walk out the door with this as a completed project when she comes back in next week.

 

Although we only had two windows completed this week it looks as though next week will be a busy week when it comes to completing windows.  Susan D's Peacock will likely be among the finished windows because she accomplished a lot on it while she was in class.   The front side is soldered and she has the majority of the back side completed as you can see in the picture below. 

Jeannette had all of her bevels wrapped for her second bevel window and made short work of tacking the bevels together and getting the background cut and ground.   There's only one border left to go on this and then she can begin soldering it.   The interesting thing about this window is that it was made from the same colors as the one she completed last week (see the beginning of this post).   It's a perfect example of how different a window will look when it actually has some light behind it.

 

Barbara H made the most of her night with us as she ground her Sunflower, tacked it together and then got the first border attached as well.  She's going to add a second (final) border to this when she comes back in and it will be cut from the same glass that she used for her background.

Lastly we take a look at the Hummingbird Window that Carol has started.   This will have a beveled inner border featuring two bevel clusters in opposing corners.  Because we've been having difficulties with beveled borders fitting, Carol has her border already tacked together. The pattern itself was drawn within the perimeter of the bevels assuring a perfect fit.  It just makes things so much easier down the road.
  

Even though we didn't see many completed projects this week we had VERY busy classes since everyone was trying to get to a point where they could continue working at home of to just come into their next class for a relaxing few hours of soldering.   Come back next week and see what happens next with each of these projects and a few new ones as well.

Paul
Bayou Salé GlassWorks