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ART OF STAINED GLASS Soldering Simply solder all the joints as you would for any other lead came project (this skill is assumed to be mastered prior to tackling this large project). Be sure to solder the mitered fins of the Y zinc came very flat, any bumpiness will interfere with the spacer bars in the thermopane installation. There are a lot of joints to solder in each panel, we counted 4 lbs of solder consumed. Turning the Panel Over Once one side of the panel is soldered, TURNING IT OVER is EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS and any excess tortional forces will result in cracked glass, and having to do repairs at this stage would be a unpleasant experience to say the least. To turn the glass over, and to ship it for thermopane installation, you will need some large sheets of insulating material. You could use 2" styrofoam, but it's now difficult to find in hardware store because there are more ecology-friendly alternatives. They do cost more. You need panels that are at least 2 feet wide, and these sheets are 10 feet tall. This may not fit in your car. When purchasing this material, some forethought is useful: bring with you a 1" box cutter and a measuring tape. After paying, you can simply "score and break" with your box cutter like you would do with glass, in the parking lot, and impress everyone. The reduced length of 66" fit comfortably in our little Honda Fit with the backseats, and the front passenger seat down. To turn it over, remove one long side of the jig, then slip the insulating foam panel under the stained glass panel gradually. You can do this alone, but it's better to have a helper, to further reduce the risk of tortion. Place another foam panel on top. While the stained glass panel is secure in this "sandwich," lift it on its side perpendicular to the table, then lay it flat on the other side. You don't have to remove the foam underneath, but it's better to do so and keep it neat and clean so that you can use it later for transporting your panels to the thermopane installer without getting them full of flux. Solder the other side, then putty. Puttying and Cleaning A 1" putty knife is useful for the dodecagons, but the squares and triangles are tight enough that you will need to finger putty them. We used up some 0.187" heart came that we had in the studio, so there was a lot of room for putty and we used 3 half-pints, about 3 cups. There are no special consideration for cleaning/polishing with whiting, expect that with a project this size, you MUST wear a dust mask, there will be abundant creation of calcium carbonate dust. Once this is done, let your project settle for a while as the putty cures and hardens, which takes a few weeks. Scrape off oozing putty about a week after completion, clean with some whiting on a moist rag, and with an ammonia-based window cleaner like Windex. By the time the putty has settled in and cured, you may be able to lift up your panel and view it against the light for a few seconds! The panel is still flexible and will only be truly rigid and stable when installed in the thermopane. Thermopane Most window makers should be able to make a thermopane for you. Here in Montreal, Danco Verre is where most of these stained glass thermopanes are sub-contracted; you might as well go to them directly, save the middle man and reduce transport. The insulation panels are ideal for transport, in the picture below, both panels are sandwiched between them and the whole assembly is held together with straps.  |