Best way to re-glaze leaded glass windows

[Dave Solly]

I have leaded glass windows that need to be re-glazed. These windows have about 45 3X3 inch pieces of glass. That's 180 sides for each window!! I picked out as much of the old glazing from the windows using a dental pick. The remaining cavity around the glass is about 1/16" wide and about 1/32" deep. So far, I've spent about an hour shoving the glaze into 6 pieces of glass. I am using DAP 1012 glazing compound ("for use with metal framed windows") and a narrow putty knife. I tried forming a "string" of glazing compond, but it sticks to my hand, and even if I could get a good string, it would probably break apart because it would be too thin.

There has to be an easier way. Can anyone give me some hints?

Thanks.

Dave email doesn't work.

[Dave Solly]

Dave Solly wrote in news:Xns9430584D99BEDnone@206.66.12.209:

Opps, almost forgot, that's just in inside. Another 180 sides per window for the outside.

Dave

[John McGaw]

Taking it to mean that you are writing about sealing the voids between the lead came and the glass, you will be forever doing it using regular glazing compound if you are trying to neatly stuff it in the cracks one-by-one. Take a look at

and see if this looks more practical. There are several different brands of cement available from your friendly local "stained glass" studio but the method is similar for any of them. This is roughly the method I learned in a leaded glass class I took: manually smear regular glazing compound over the panel's seams and use a stiff brush to force it into the cracks and then use the whiting and another brush to scrub everything clean.

[Dave Solly]

"John McGaw" wrote in news:Jk7sb.14$iB2.9 @bignews3.bellsouth.net:

Thanks for the reply John. That sounds interesting, except it might not be practacial for my situation. The windows are about 5 feet tall, and about 2

1/2 feet wide. I can't take the windows out of the wall, so I would think the cement would run all over the place. I'll have to see if there's a less messy way of doing this.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Dave

[cyber]

I installed a home-made stained glass window in an exterior door. And to make it stronger and weather tight, I put a sheet of clear glass on either side. adds some R-value too. good luck! g "If I can not dance, I want no part in your revolution." Emma Goldman

[norminn]

You want sympathy? Because you're unlucky enough to have leaded windows in your house? :o) I dabbled in stained glass, but never got to the finish stage. Sewing machines are faster :o) You have lead came? Straight or curved joints? How many windows? One story, accessible inside and outside?

I did a quick search, and found a lot of places selling AmChem Stained Glass Putty. Found one selling DAP 33 for stained glass, others selling DAP 1012 for stained glass. DAP's website has tech data; says not to use 1012 for "channel glazing", and 33 not recommended for stained glass. Off the top of my head, I'd recommend AmChem. Never used it. :o)

[Dave Solly]

" [e-mail]" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Hummm, thanks Norminn. Maybe I need to visit DAP's website.

Dave

[John McGaw]

All I can suggest is that, since the windows were certainly not created in place they must have previously been installed. And what can be installed can be de-installed (but not always easily of course). Given the size of the windows though, it might be safer for mind and body to call in a professional glass company and have them do the task. Especially if the glass has some serious monetary value. The normal method of cementing/sealing leaded glass pretty much demands that the panel be flat so that the whiting can be put on and then scrubbed off -- this seems to carry across all the commercial cements and glazing compounds.

[Joseph Meehan]

Fix it right and it will be good for 50-100 years. Try to get by with a quick easy fix and you will be back at it in a year or three.

Best bet on a window that size is to have a pro do it. It may mean disassembly and rebuilding it. Check the yellow pages for stain glass.

[Dave Solly]

"John McGaw" wrote in news:Jk7sb.14$ [e-mail]:

John, after re-reading the web page above, and looking at the window again, it is clear to me that cement was used initially. Unfortunately, the windows were installed by nailing in a nail flange (I hope I used the right term for the sheet metal that goes around a window and then nailed to the wood), then the nail flange was covered with brick. The only way I can see to remove the windows is to remove the brick around the window and pull the nails out, or cut the window out with a saws-all. Neither of these options is going to happen .

A question for you though, can I use the stained glass cement in a very thick mixture to brush it into the cracks? After it dries, what would you suggest I use to clean the windows to get the cement residue off, and make the joints look clean.

Thanks.

Dave

[John McGaw]

The only methods I know of are variations on the age-old method which uses whiting as both a drying and cleaning material. Of course I don't claim to be any sort of expert in leaded glass having taken a sum total of one course in it and having made a total of one panels myself. But I have read quite a bit about it and every book and article has used only minor variations of the cementing/sealing and cleaning routine. Good luck.

[norminn]

May be hardened putty. Here is a good "how-to":

Supplier info gives good clues, here:

[*Casey*]

Hi, You need to get some dap 33 in gray color. Then, thin it with more oil until it's the consistency of pudding. You pour the mess onto the panel laying flat and work it in with a scrub brush. Clean off the gross waste and let dry over night. Then, use wood shavings (coarse saw dust) to clean the excess oil and putty from the glass. To finish, use a small wooden pick to clean next to the cames and corners. Repeat process for the opposite side. You can add "japan drier" to the putty for a more rapid cure. This is how I used to do it, there may be a better method. There are special glazing compounds sold by stained glass suppliers, but AFAIK, the dap 33 is okay if thinned. Casey

[George E. Cawthon]

I know nothing about glazing leaded glass, but I bet what you want to do is about the same as grouting tile. Just think about trying to put grout around each little piece of tile. In actual practice, you can grout a 3 foot square of

1" tiles in about 20 minutes, if you are slow.

[Charles Spitzer]

best way? remove it and do it flat like it was built originally.

possible way, since you can't remove it? try posting in rec.crafts.glass. there's some pro's in there who do this for a living, and whilst it can be done vertically, it's a lot harder and be expected to pay somewhat more for it. the process is to take a lot of putty into a stiff natural bristle brush, and work it into the came. you then wait a bit for it to harden, and then use whiting in a different, new, scrub brush to remove the excess. repeat on the other side.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

[norminn]

clipped

Have you actually applied putty with a brush? This isn't rocket science

- putty can be put in with a knife or finger. The online catalogs almost tell one enough. The fact that the window is set in brick is kind of unfortunate, but.......if it crumbles with age, a new one can be made. Get the putty nice and warm, smush it in.

[Charles Spitzer]

rec.crafts.glass.

yes. it's LOTS easier with a brush, and you can do a larger area in a shorter time. i use a small handbrush that i steal from my kitchen, used for scrubbing potatoes.

it's not good practice to use a knife. the lead cames are soft and that will scratch them up. that may work on a regular window quite well; it won't on stained glass. furthermore, the natural bristle brush used to cleanup the excess putty will tend to darken the lead cames, a desirable outcome. another hint is to use old dental picks to make a clean edge on the putty and clean the corners after it sets up for a day or two.

i've been doing stained glass for over 15 years.

it's hard to do this well vertically. it'll be really messy too.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

[Heathcliff Bambino]

Let me second the remark about brushing the stuff on. It's been a few years since I did any stained glass, but I remember basically it went like this:

1. you mix up this gook out of linseed oil and some kind of powder. After mixing it's kind of like toothpaste.
2. you shmear it all around.
3. you dust it with another powder, or maybe its the same powder (whiting)
4. you go over it repeatedly with a stiff bristle brush to force it into all the joints and get rid of the excess. yes, it's messy, but effective: seals the window, stops rattles, never gets brittle, and lasts a very long time.

I would recommend a visit to your nearest stained glass supply store. They will have what you need and more than likely will give you some good advice about how to use it, maybe even do a demo if they are a studio as well.