Stained glass

At the ReSource customers often ask for stained glass windows. Our stock is somewhat limited to some smaller pieces, mostly leaded glass as opposed to stained glass proper, and usually with some damage.

Leaded and Stained Glass

The most common type of windows in Buffalo are leaded glass windows rather than stained glass. Leaded glass windows are generally composed of clear glass, although it may be rippled, seedy, beveled, etc… commonly floral and geometric designs are created by the came (the leading) around the glass. I believe these windows were so ubiquitous because they were produced cheaply by mass production techniques. The designs were simpler and clear glass parts were mass produced and needed little cutting. The windows could also be assembled by unskilled labor. I believe that people were emulating the stained glass displayed by the wealthiest households with the means they had. To me it is a testament to the aesthetic sense that Buffalonians had. I’ve never seen more leaded and stained glass in any other city.

By contrast, true stained glass windows are usually unique masterworks. They are/were very expensive – hence the reason they reside in mansions and churches. Strictly speaking stained glass is a mosaic of colored glass. The glasses form the design and the leading is generally not the focus. The cost is born out in the originality, the intricacy, the glass quality, the scale, and labor for these windows. Colored glass was expensive with pink and reddish glasses often containing gold! When unique sheets of grained and swirled glasses such as Youghiogheny glass were used it was customary to have grain patterns continuous across the piece. For example the petals of a flower might all be cut from the same sheet, even though this wastes a lot of glass. Each piece of glass in the mosaic had to be roughly cut and then shaped by a process called grozing – essentially nipping away the sharp points until the glass is the shape desired. Assembly was the same as for leaded windows, except where fancier leading was desired.

Some windows also have drawings on them, e.g. the faces in church windows. This process involves painting the image onto the glasses with “trace paint” mixed in vinegar or gum Arabic depending on the effect needed. The glass then had to be fired at 1100^oF for many hours to evaporate the gum Arabic or other base and let the paint fuse into the glass.

I have included a copy of a page from a favorite book of mine, “Cathedral” by a favorite author/illustrator David Macaulay. From top to bottom it shows the process of making glass, smelting lead, spinning sheets from blown glass, designing, cutting and assembling stained glass windows in 1300 AD. The process has changed little since.

I should note that despite the definitions above there are also extremely intricate leaded windows, cheap unimpressive stained glass windows, and windows that combine both elements.

Care and Feeding of Stained and Leaded Glass

In my neighborhood of about 60 houses only one or two still retain all or part of their leaded glass windows. All had them at one time. This illustrates how rare they are and why the ones we get at the ReSource are usually damaged. That’s the bad news. The good news is that they can be readily repaired. They can also be modified or made more fanciful with a little work. They can also find new life as wall decorations, room dividers, tables or whatever your mind can conceive. Depending on the repair or modification this may not be cheap though, as it requires entirely manual labor.

Damaged frames can be removed, replaced, or stripped as described in previous “how-to” posts. Lead and glass is inert to solvents and strippers, but I would caution against using a heat gun near glass as thermal shock may crack the glass and/or melt the lead. Either way be sure to lay your work flat on a table and support the actual window as fully as possible with a flat wooden support. Be cautious not to flex the window when out of the frame as this will cause pieces to crack.

Broken glass can easily be replaced. The caveat is if that glass can be matched, which is usually the case. Sunshine Glass Works has a large assortment of glass, supplies and expertise. Repairs basically involve cutting out one side of the H-shaped came and carefully removing the damaged glass. An identical piece is then cut. Sometimes glass from one part of the window can be re-cut and re-used in another area. This is especially useful because certain glasses fade or change color due to photochemical reactions with sunlight and from reactions with environmental pollutants and the new glass may not match exactly. This is most acutely seen in certain types of magnesium containing clear glass which acquires a pinkish tinge that is unnoticeable until you compare it to new glass. To re-insert the new glass, the new piece is lined with copper foil and reinserted back it into the came. The came is re-leaded with solder using a soldering iron and special 60/40 lead/tin solder. Lead-free solders available but I cannot say whether they work or not.

Leading is real art, which can be made more difficult if a piece has profiled leading, e.g. round, rhomboid, triangular profiles or others. It is very easy to make ugly leading, or worse, to melt the came out of the seam and damage the piece. I would suggest reading more about stained glass, consulting an expert and practicing if your results are critical. New lead will initially be shiny but oxidize to a gray patina after a few years.

When done use a good detergent (no abrasives or scrubbing pads) to remove the flux and clean your piece. Clean it with ammonia or other glass cleaners and a soft cloth for routine maintenance.

I need to mention Jim Sawyer, my mentor and dear friend who has taught me all I know about stained glass. He runs the Six Dimension Design on Lexington Ave in Buffalo. Jim designs, builds and repairs stained glass and leaded windows. His most interesting works are his own designs which are based on triangles and polyhedrons. His solar system models (really impressive!), nature based windows, windows and mirrors based on crystallographic X-ray images, molecular models, and snowflakes are also very cool. I guarantee you will be fascinated by this great local artist/guy and his work.

Protect Your Windows

Stained and leaded glass need physical protection. As these windows become rarer, even smaller modest and broken pieces have become black market commodities. They often appear in antique shops and especially on internet auction sites. With drug addiction and poverty issues in Buffalo stained glass windows are sources of quick cash and are at risk of being stolen. I recently heard that four 52x36in, rounded, stained glass turret windows were stolen from a second floor of a home. Each weighed about 50 lbs! Thus you may want to invest in “invisible” storm windows which are made by various companies. Not only does this help secure your windows but also protects them from pollution, vandalism and cuts down their draftiness.

At the ReSource all windows (and other merchandise) come from legitimate salvage operations, conducted by insured ReUse employees. Salvage operations require legal contracts and letters of approval and is not “scrapping”, i.e. driving around looking for abandoned houses to loot. The ReUse also does not buy or trade any architectural salvage but accepts donations, for which the donor receives a tax-donation form. See the 10 foot transom windows for example – they need a new loving home! One ReUse mission is to save and rebuild neighborhoods in Buffalo, and by these steps aims to thwart illegal theft of architecture which just aids in the destruction of neighborhoods.

We hope to see you soon whether you are looking for Stained glass or anything else.