Stained Glass Vision Autumn 2008
Hi and welcome to the first issue of Stained Glass Vision, for all the news, comments and fun about stained glass from Classical Glass Ltd. Take a few moments to look through these interesting, educational and amusing articles written by the Classical Glass Team.
In This Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Simply scroll down to read each article.
Pictured is Emily Seddon helping her dad Andrew, Managing Director of Classical Glass Ltd, to create a new stained glass window for her School
Stained Glass Heroes : Charles Rennie Mackintosh by Andrew Seddon, Director of Classical Glass
I would like to tell you about one of my all time stained glass heroes, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He was born in Glasgow on 7 June 1868. Mackintosh’s career was a relatively short one, but of significant quality and impact. All his major commissions were between 1896 and 1906, where he designed private homes, commercial buildings, interior renovations, churches, stained glass and furniture. He died on December 10, 1928 of throat cancer.
There are many artists who are famous for their beautiful stained glass designs but what is it about Charles Rennie Mackintosh that stands him head and shoulders above the rest in my eyes? What has always amazed me about him is the fact that not only did he design amazing and original stained glass but he was an architect and designed the whole of the building from the foundations to the top of the chimney pot. Every part of the buildings he designed was an original peice of work. Every part was designed new and made to Charles' specifications and drawings. To think of the enormous amount of original work involved in a complete building project is incredible.
I visited Mackintosh's famous Willow Tea rooms in Glasgow some years ago and was surprised to find that it was still operating as a tea shop. I had a lovely cup of tea and a scone in the opulent surroundings. You can see Mackintosh's Janpanese influences when you look at the shapes and styles he used in his designs in the tea rooms. Mackintosh had designed the entire interior of the shop with its beautiful stained glass doors and mirrors. He also deigned high backed chairs with glass inserts and the unusual tables. What struck me most was the originality of the designs, much copied but never bettered. It was a real treat to spend time surrounded by Mackintosh's work.
When you look at his life you find an eccentric individual who didn't get the recognition he deserved in his life time. It seems to be a trend with genius that it is not understood at the time.
I have found some interesting web sites about Charles Rennie Mackintosh that you might find interesting.
There is a wonderful video tour around Queen's Cross Church in Glasgow with Stuart Robinson the director of the Mackintosh Society on 'Scotland on TV' Click here!
Kidz Zone : Melted Wax Stained Glass
by Andrew Seddon age 44 and Emily Seddon age 5.
This is a really easy yet very effective way to make a sun-catcher and add a little colour to your windows.
All you will need is :
Some black card or thick paper.
white paper
Aluminium foil
Several different colours of wax crayons, broken ones will do fine
PVA or paper glue
Scissors
A hot iron so children will need supervising!
Decide on your frame design, I have chosen a heart shape because I'm going to give the finished window to my wife, she'll love it! Cut out two identical shapes from the black card.
Next shave the crayons with a pencil sharpener to get a small pile of all the colours you want to mix together to get the stained glass effect.
Place the wax shavings between two pieces of white paper big enough to fit into the cut out shape in the black card. Then put the white paper between two pieces of aluminium foil and an old tea towel to protect the iron. Then using a hot iron, melt the wax and mix it until the desired effect is created then let the wax cool.
Finally, cut the waxed stained glass to the size of the black frame and stick it in between the two piece of black card.
You have made your first wax Stained Glass Window.
I tried this project with Emily, my 5 years old daughter and she loved it. 
I did learn a few things that I would like to share with you. . . .
First is that the wax shavings tend to stick to every thing. They take on a life of their own and had trouble with trying to get them off my hands. I looked like I had very colourful but hairy hands by the time I had finished and the wax doesn't wash off very easily and it tends to stick to the sink.
Second be very careful not to get the wax on to the iron because it can smoke rather alot!! You can imagine I learnt this the hard way and filled my house with smoke, we had to open the windows and doors.
Thirdly, make sure you clean the iron after you have finished and before you start to iron your best shirts.
Finally, Don't let me put you off, we had great fun making wax crayon stained glass.
Here are some pictures of the windows we made in just one hour.
Have fun with this project!
Do you know any great craft ways to make stained glass effect window hangings?
Email me with your ideas and I will share them with everyone in future issues of Stained Glass Vision.
Email me : Andrew@classicalglass.co.uk
TOP TIPS from the craftsmans toolbox : Glass cutting
by Stephen Evans, Production and Training Manager at Classical Glass Ltd
The Secrets to good glass cutting
The old saying "You get what you pay for!" has never been more true than when you are choosing a glass cutter. I would advise you to buy the best you can afford, after all, a good glass cutter will last you for many years of continuous use. I have found that my glass cutter has worn into the shape of my hand and it feels like an extension of my arm. I like to use a Toyo TC17 oil filled cutter with a brass body. This is a great all round cutter that will cut intricate curves but also you can use it against a T- square to cut straight lines.
The Toyo super cutter with a brightly coloured plastic oil filled body and a narrow head is the popular choice for many hobbiests but the narrow end is not so good against a straight edge.Some people find the shape of a pistol grip cutter easier to hold so try other peoples cutters before you commit yourself.
All the Toyo cutters have a tungsten carbide cutting wheel which is the business end of the cutter and will score a lovely smooth line into the face of the glass.
The oil which is in the cutter is very important and is the secret to successful glass cutting. We use a special light grade of oil that is formulated for the purpose and is also easy to remove. Even if your cutter does not have oil inside it you can dip the end into a light oil or parafin and this will do just fine.
Before you start to cut consider how many and what size the pieces are for each colour and type of glass. It is important to make sure you have enough glass to complete the window before you start because you can guarantee that if you need some more it will be out of stock or even not made any more which is what has happened 
to us in the past. Next, it is always good practise to cut your big pieces first because you can cut the small bits from what you have left over. Consider how you are going to cut each shape. I look for the most difficult internal corners to start my cutting because if the glass doesn't break as I would like then there is little wasted and I can simply move the glass over the pattern and try again. If you leave the hard cuts until last and then it breaks wrong you can waste alot of glass and may not have enough to finish off.
When I am cutting shapes I always start the cut near to me and work away from my body , pushing the cutter and following the line carefully. I continue the line to the edge of the glass and then use the ball end of the cutter to tap the score line under the glass until the crack starts. I then continue to tap the crack right to the end then the glass will usually break just I wanted. If it is still attached I grip either side of the crack and gently twist the glass at which point the should break.
I think glass cutting is like learning to play a musical instrument, the more you practise the better you will get, so practise on old glass and cut it into a thousand pieces. Never learn to cut glass by using your expensive colours, cut your clear cheap glass first.
Happy Cutting!!
Andrew's Blog : Follow the day to day thoughts of Classical Glass's Artist and Manager
How to triple glaze stained glass By Phil Worsley, Stained Glass Craftsman at Classical Glass
Stained Glass can be triple glazed or encapsulated into double glazed unit. This not only protects the stained glass from damage and dirt but also improves the insulation and security of your window.
So how is it done? The first thing we do if it is an old stained glass window is give it a really good clean up. Its surprising how well the glass will come up with abit of our special glass cleaner and alot of care. The glass will sparkle like new after a good buff up. Next we clean around the leads to remove the old lead cement and finaly polish up the leads with carbon black polish. We usualy have to replace the border leads because they can be corroded also it may be necessary to resize the stained glass to suit new window frames. Before the stained glass is sealed between the clear glass we blow off any dust with compressed air. The stained glass is then ready the go into the unit which is made from clear toughened glass and Pilkington K glass. This has a heat reflective coating and so keeps the heat in the house.
We have been triple glazing stained glass for over 15 years and in that time have had only one unit fail so it is a great way to preserve your old windows and keep the character of your home. Here's a video of me explaining the process. Enjoy!
Free Stained Glass Design : Mackintosh Roses.
Feel free to copy this design and have fun making it. I would use a mixture of textured glasses for this project with 6mm leads for the shapes and 8 or 10mm leads for the straights. You could use some hand made antique glass for the roses to add sparkle and movement to the finished window.