Saturday, December 29, 2012

Finishing the Shade up

Thank you for coming back, we will finish up this post.

this is an UGLY stage!
all fluxy greasy numbers still on sight ...it isn't finished being soldered on the outside, but
lets try it on the base for size...
perfect!

scrub scrub and scrub again...using steel wool, dawn..scrub brush...sanding paper if needed
get it clean and smooth...then patina, rinse...and wax...
lots of elbow grease...or if you HAVE a fancy smancy buffer...fine go that route...

the lamp finished and lit!

here is a close up of the shade...

thank you for following along..

happy new year!


Friday, December 28, 2012

Lamp Making Continued

Welcome back!

All the pieces are cut, ground, and foiled...the mold needs to be prepared.  A tacky wax is melted (little fry pan) brushed onto the polyurethane mold so the glass will stick to it.


They are placed on the mold and can be moved accordingly to adjust the space between the solder fills up.

This is a curved mold, more than the original pattern called for so to accommodate the curve, keep a pleasing look for whole flower petals instead of broken petals with soldered lines...I sagged the petals in the kiln.

This produced a curved piece for the mold...larger seams but i preferred the larger seam over a line keeping the beautiful full flower.

Which you will see at the end...



Actually you can kind of get a feel for the whole flower with the large petals curved here
The shade is tack soldered and now ready to remove from the mold
and soldered inside and smoothed over on the out...


I heated under the mold with a hair dryer which got the wax all melty...then flipped it over and slid the mold off..slick as can be

Now to get as much of the wax off as possible and begin to solder it up...

Next posting...

Thanks for visiting..

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Lets Review the Lampmaking Process




In the beginning we set out the glass needed, tools, and the pattern. 
After cutting the pieces out and separating them, as per the individuals method, I separate according to the glass that the pieces are cut from. 

In the picture are the branches of this pattern, The Magnolia Shade, designed in Louis Comfort Tiffany's Studio, back in the 1800's.  It is a HUGE pattern designed for a 28 inch lamps diameter, from which I am to re size to a 24 inch diameter.

The process has begun and as I cut the pieces of glass then, I am placing them onto the pattern, which lays flat on the table...


This is how I had the workroom set up for cutting, grinding the edges, then laying the pieces onto the pattern,  layed out on the 2 small tables.


 
 
I have this picture titled 1/2 done, but actually it is 1/3 done...and the bottom band didn't get used...
 
 
after all the pieces are ground and fitted to the pattern...we will prepare the mold...
 
 
next post
 
thanks for coming by.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Wine Walk in Platte SD

Last night Weds the 5th of December the town of Platte SD had a new event for the first time.
A wine walk...where participating stores set up for wine tasting...we went a bit further.

You went to the participating store listed on a card got a signature and will turn it in filled, for a grand drawing prize of 50 dollars.

My store went a bit further and we are having our own drawing as well on the 19th when we have the second walk.  We will draw for an beautiful centerpiece for the holidays a sleigh full of greenery.


Here was our table for the wine event...


Deb Foxley supplied some awesome wine she is harvesting, Chris Cernetisch supplied Chevery (not sure how to spell that, goat milk smooth cheese), we had some veggie cups and a few hor'derves, and some small bites of cheesecake...

Most of all we had a LOT of participants...the town rallied out for our first annual wine walk event...

I think it was a hit
and a LOT of the ppl who cruised through had never been inside the gallery, so we brought in new lookers.

Have a great day!