maandag 29 oktober 2012

First repair job.

Recently somebody asked to repair an old window from the 1930s. Never did something like that before and I like a challenge.

This is what it looked like when the person brought it in.



One of the pieces was broken. A glass-friend had an almost similar glass panel I could buy from her and the owner and I decided to replace all the pieces of the same colour.



Most challenging I found was removing the lead. Very easy to break the glass you see :-)  But nothing happened and after a while the glass was free of broken, and dirty lead and pulverised plaster which was used for making the window water tight. Dusty job as you can see here!



Before starting this I did read about the safety conditions working with (old) lead. For instance the dust from the old lead is very unhealthy and to prevent this dust flying around the lead cames and strips should be made wet before you start working on it.



Second challenge was cleaning the glass. I tried a few methods like rubbing with steel wool, soaking the glass in a water and soap solution, and in water with a dishwasher tablet in it, in water hydrochloric acid (mixed with water).
The hydrochloric aced worked best (with the worst smell....) but the glass was clean. 
New lead was used to put the window together again and this is the result:












New life, regeneration, growth, strength and peace.

Found inspiration in a picture I saw on a site of a Maori symbols and specially liked the KORU symbol. This is the website: http://www.squidoo.com/koru-maori-design : The Maori Koru design is scroll/ spiral shaped and is derived from the frond of the New Zealand fern plant. 'Koru' is the Maori word for the new unfurling fern frond. The pattern is used in many Maori and New Zealand art forms and symbolizes 

new life, regeneration, growth, strength and peace. 


For many this design is the symbol for renewal, hope for the future. Because everything continues and is reborn. Or as the ancient Greeks said: 'Panta Rhei': everything flows.


My life going as it does I can relate to these wise words. 

Hope you like the panel I made.





dinsdag 2 oktober 2012

The new window in it's place!

Finally the Tiffany window is finished. As the sun shines so beautiful in our kitchen I had a first look at it in the kitchen window and I'm really pleased with it.
Scroll down to see the photo's of where this window was made for.



A look from the outside.


And here from the inside. 
(So difficult to make a good photo!)