If you have some experienced in stained glass handi-crafts repairing your old or damaged stained glass window pane is a project you may think about doing yourself. This article assumes you have at least some experienced in this craft. If your window is very valuable, if you do not have any practiced in stained glass window pane making or if you lack trust in yourself this is a task you may wish to leave to the experts. Otherwise, the process is very much like creating a new stained glass window pane and even somewhat easier in the sense that you don't have to do much, if any, glass cutting.
Problem #1: The leaded stained glass window cames are about seventy years old (or older) and have grown brittle causing bulging or breaking.
Iron Solder
This typically begins to happen in a stained glass window over seventy years old. Lead does not rot or rust, but it does lose its elasticity and become brittle over the course of time. If left unattended it might result in the stained glass pieces to fall out or break as well.
The Answer:
Re-leading the window pane. This is of a problem, but very worthwhile to regenerate your stained glass window to its original beauty and integrity. The following steps have to be taken:
1. Take a photograph of the window pane and measure lead cames to aid with reconstructing it later.
2. Take the board out of the window pane frame and remove board framing.
3. Next, you will require to take the whole panel apart using the soldering iron to loosen solder and gently pry the old cames from the glass pieces.
4. Dispose of old lead in an safe for the environment way, you should probably take it to a metal recycling facility.
5. Next each piece of glass should be thoroughly cleaned and dried. Lay the pieces in place so as not to grow confused later.
6. Reassemble panel using with new lead cames in the same width as the original.
7. Broken stained glass pieces should be traced and matched as closely as feasible to a new piece of glass cut with the pattern you create. Another option if you will be able to have as much broken pieces and either cannot match the stained glass closely sufficient or don't need to put new pieces in, is to use thin lead cames to hold the broken pieces together. This option will likely make it obvious that the window pane has been repaired, so use with care.
8. New cement should be applied to both sides
9. New reinforcement bars should now be attached.
10. The stained glass plank is now ready to be re-framed and re-hung.
This action should be done when the window is nearing seventy years of age. Following the steps above should lead to a complete restoration of your stained glass window and it should be as structurally good as a new one.
Problem #2: One stained glass board in a window pane under 70-years-old is broken.
The Answer:
This will depend on the location of the broken piece. If it is near the fringes, you can be in a position to get away with carefully breaking the damaged piece out of the frame and using the soldering iron to loosen the lead cames and then re-soldering the new piece in place as in #7 above. If the broken piece is in a challenging location or if there are several broken pieces, you may like to re-lead the complete window pane following the above directions. If there is a small crack, you could think about using a glass repair kit from the automotive shop. These are employed to set small chips and crevices in windshields and if the harm is slight, may well be a fitting way to repair the crack and stop further damage.
There are many other small repairs that you can do yourself such as painting areas that have flaked off, but these will ought to be removed and re-kilned and you may wish to confer with an expert for help with that. Restoring your glass window pane may be a painstaking process, but it is worthwhile to preserve its original beauty and make it last for future generations.