Monday, March 26, 2007

...And Still Another Side Project

With windows on order for the downstairs and hopefully installed around May - I figured I might as well get started on the one remaining original window in the house. The stained glass window on the landing of the staircase certainly has seen better days, but with a little luck and lots of patience, it will once again be a focal point of the stairs.



Originally it swung out, hinged on the top, but this was long ago caulked and sealed shut. Getting it out proved to be not a big deal, and just by luck I had a piece of scrap plywood that fit the opening without cutting... with that kind of fortune I'm just bound to break a pane of glass! Once inside I could do a good inspection. No real structural issues, just a few coats of glazing (a few too many!) and paint that was already half off. Inside was originally stained, later painted white, then stripped poorly, and then some finish put on. No care was used in not getting any stain, stripper, etc. on the panes so these will need some work to clean up. The inside of the panes are textured making this even more of a pain.


Outside

Inside

I tried using a toy I bought a few years back to remove glazing. It attaches to a drill, and has a handle with a built in guide. You're supposed to walk it along after setting the depth on the tool and it should just cut out the glazing without damaging the window. Well maybe it was all the glazing but it just road on top and had no real control. So I gave up on that and just used patience, a 5-1 painters tool, and a light touch with a hammer. In the end I managed to get all the glass out intact. Next step, stripping everything down....


Closeup of paint and glazing condition

2 comments:

Ranty said...

Wow!

I had a painted-over stained-glass window that I recently scraped, but I never thought of removing the panes for ultimate cleaning. It sounds like a smart idea! (Though I'm kind of scared to do it myself, lest I not be able to get it all back together in the end...)

My panes are textured too, and you're right that they are super-difficult to clean.

Nathan said...

Wow, your window looks great! I just attempted my first re-glazing about a week ago. One sash down, 27 sashes and one windowed porch to go! I read your posting before I started, and it was great to see how you did it before I started. Thanks!