Fabricating
“Baptism”
By Karen Whitesell
February 7, l999
The
fabrication of the new stained glass window for the Christian church of
Lockwood, MO, began in my head even before it was designed.
The last step, installation, had to be planned first, for you cannot
whittle on glass.
Since
the new church was already completed before
the old was torn down, a clear insulated window was installed.
Stained glass in front of an existing window needs breathing room
to prevent excess heat and moisture build up , I chose a ledge 1-5/8 in
from the inside surface of the glass.
I would plan a vent space at the top and bottom.
The
stops at this ledge were only 1/4 inch wide.
On each side, and not to hide any clearing, I would add another spacing
block wide enough to attach my frame and rest the rebar into slits and still be
hidden. The weight of the entire
panel is evenly distributed between the three re-bars and along the sides, not
any at the bottom. I chose brass
framing for strength and corrosion resistance.
This
is confusing to explain but not near as confusing as figuring was.
After many trips to measure, take
contour measurements of the ledges, and
measure again, the panel would be 31and5/8 by 66 and 15/16.
The
original drawing was not to scale with these dimensions, so then I enlarged it
to size, pattern changes had to be made. ( I need a computer aided design
program and a plotter to do this easier, but relied instead on the copy machine
and tape together method).
After
dimensions were corrected, the design was worked and reworked, changed and
unchanged. It always looks
different when you see it life-size. Again, I should of had it in the computer.
But, I’ll have to say, the eversharp and the pink eraser are my
favorite tools.
Color
selection came next, and I had to be sure there was enough of one color before
choosing it. I was given leeway to
get new glass if needed, but I put
self-imposed restrictions on myself to just use the old glass.
This allowed me the excuse to do some plating.
Louis
Comfort Tiffany, my hero, used this plating, or stacking, technique to create
beautiful masterpieces at the turn of the century when he didn’t have the
colors he needed. At the turn of
this century even with the vast array of glass available, the technique of
plating to achieve a certain shading, or depth is still being used.
The
final drawing became my cartoon to lay out the glass pieces.
The cartoon was traced onto pattern paper and cut with pattern shears.
A total of 209 pieces were to be cut, and additional 61 pieces were used
again for plating on the back...270 pieces of glass.
It’s
a good thing I had a whole church full of window panes to work with for I tried
many combinations to get the colors just right. It was all cathedral glass (transparent) and easy to cut.
My color choices were blue and a lighter blue, dark and light violet,
green, yellow, dark amber, and a textured yellow and clear. This textured glass,
dubbed sparkly fireworks glass, proved perfect for the Spirit’s descent like a
“blaze of glory.”
The
plating combinations opened up a whole new pallet of colors that were especially
challenging. The light violet and
green made the dark hills, the green and amber made the tree line.
The violets and blue combined to achieve the rich purples and dark grape.
Some of the shards of sin were plated to looked like they were
overlapping, and to make interesting colors.
The face was plated yellow and violet on the looking up side, and amber
and dark violet on the looking down side. The
drippy water from the face is blue and light violet.
The
Body in violet stretching from the depths of sin to the heavens seemed rather
plain as it reached for the Spirit. I
place two blue pieces at the top and eureka!
I had recreated Michelangelo’s “Creation”
where the hand of God is reaching for the hand of Adam.
In my picture, God’s “hand” is reaching to pull from sin.
This is an example that the designing process is continuous as you work.
After
the glass was cut and ground to fit even better, it was ready to be leaded
together. I choose a lead came that
was flat on the surface to allow for the plates to fit flat.
The lead is stretched, cut to fit the sections and soldered at the
meeting joints. I added a copper
reinforcing strip on the inside of the arch for added support.
Between
the glass and the lead will be a space. Putty
must be applied to seal this for weatherproofing for outside, or in this case
for looks and keep glass from rattling around.
Glass glazing will harden but should “give” for expansion and
contraction of heat and cold. I used whiting, mixed with boiled linseed oil and turpentine,
plaster of Paris and black mortar coloring.
It is forced into the cracks, allowed to set and then scraped sharp to
the edge. In the middle of this,
the electricity goes out from the ice storm.
I am working with a flashlight to clean before it gets too hard.
I managed to clean the glass before my feet froze and I sought heated
shelter. By the time power
was restored, the putty had set like concrete.
I had forgotten to clean it off the lead.
Days of elbow grease later, I was ready to clean and wax the front.
Glass wax helps inhibit
oxidation of the lead.
Before
I started, I made sure I could turn the piece in this fragile state by placing a
sheet of plywood under the cartoon. I
could slide it and the board to the floor, with help, turn it while upright. put
it back on the board, and slide it
back to the worktable.
On
the back side, I soldered the joints, soldered the rebar on, and tinned the lead
surrounding the plated section. I
wrapped the pieces to be plated with copper foil and tinned them.
Each
piece and under it was cleaned and waxed, vacuumed for dust, and sweat soldered
onto the top of the lead. I left
tiny gaps in the top and bottom so pieces wouldn’t fog.
The
back is not a pretty site. A smooth
solder seam requires flux to keep the solder clean and flowing.
You cannot use flux for it will seep into your cleaned plated pieces.
You just make sure the solder adheres to the lower solder and you move
on, globs and all.
Care
to clean between each piece of plating is of utmost importance.
I should have removed the board and exposed the light table underneath to
see through the plated pieces. I
had let undetected smudges of wax be forever entombed.
A
final cleaning and waxing on the back side, cutting the backing board to fit
with slots that matched the rebar, drilling eight hold-your-breath-pilot holes
into the brass frame, a slow trip to town on its board in Steve’s van, handy
hands of Steve, Danny, and Lennis to drill and run the screwdriver, and it was
done.
Although
it was started in l997 and finished and installed on February 4, l999, it is
l998 that shares my signature.
How
many hours did it take? Don’t
ask. I have left laundry piled
high, I have left dishes growing in
the sink, and sometimes, I have just left.
But, I always came back ready to fix some troubling spot. During the drawing-taped to the wall-and looking stage, I
made a prayer to God to help me to make this the best that I could.
And he did, and I did.
How
many hours did you say? Making
stained glass is like birthing babies. When
you see the finished product, you forget all about the labor.
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