| This article outlines how to fix a really severely | | | | put new black patina on the window.Preparation is |
| damaged panel, so shattered that the only other | | | | key. I once did the same repair to a panel and |
| choice is to rebuild the entire panel. It is an | | | | accidentally glued the piece to the work bench. I now |
| unconventional repair method, but it's a good | | | | recommend covering the bench with wax paper and |
| alternative to tossing your window in the trash.Ed | | | | don't leave any gaps in the glass where the resin can |
| Sibbet is one of the very few book designers who | | | | run through.Then I mixed up the epoxy based resin, I |
| creates designs which can be built as drawn and has | | | | used EnviroTex Lite, a pour on high gloss finish sold |
| great perspective.The Gemini Girl was the first design | | | | at craft stores. It was important to mix it vigorously |
| that I ever built. I built a second copy of it after the | | | | for two minutes.Then it was poured in place. I tipped |
| first was damaged in a house fire. I spent 2 or 3 | | | | the panel to run the mixture over the whole surface. |
| months building a custom oak frame in college. So it | | | | Last, I blew on it to cause the small bubbles that |
| was very painful when the panel was knocked from | | | | formed to pop by reacting to carbon dioxide in my |
| it's hook and shattered into many pieces. Rebuilding it | | | | breath. A day or two later, I came back and coated |
| was out of the question, nearly every piece was | | | | the other side of the window.As you can see on the |
| damaged. It would have been easier to build a new | | | | left and on the picture below, the cracks are still |
| one rather than using traditional repair | | | | visible. But the panel is strong and clean and still looks |
| techniques.Even the oak frame was broken, but | | | | great. So this might not be the perfect way to fix a |
| fortunately it had only broken at the original glue | | | | panel, but it is great for old pieces and valuable |
| joints.So, first I had to fix the frame by gluing and | | | | pieces and is especially good for pieces which are |
| clamping it.Then I had to tap in a broken piece under | | | | viewed from a distance, like skylights and |
| her eye and adjust several broken pieces to be as | | | | architectural glass.Photos to go with the article are at |
| flat as possible. I used a small hammer and a piece of | | | | Gomm started building stained glass windows |
| wood to coax pieces back in place. If there had been | | | | professionally back in 1983 and has become an |
| a piece missing I would have taped a piece of paper | | | | expert at many aspects of stained glass building, |
| on the back of the panel and then soaked it off with | | | | design and repair. He writes a monthly newsletter at |
| water a few days later.I then cleaned it carefully and | | | | his better stained glass website. |