Ken R. - Massachusetts
 
Commission: Create an 24" octagonal stained glass window to go above a wall of glass windows in a sunroom.
 

Ken contacted me initially on October 3. He and I began frequently e-mailing to nail down details. The project was completed around the 26th of October when the window was sent to Massachusetts.

His only requirements were the red bands and the use of bevels. Excessive use of bevels can be distracting from the overall design, so I limited their use to the center section of the window. The two sets of bevels were to be separated by a red stripe, with an outside border of red, as well.

Click on any photograph to enlarge it.

Once the general positioning of the bevels was set, the final full-size layout was created. There is some variation as construction proceeds, but the final window matches closely.

I took a few photos for Ken during construction, but the final assembly is better to get an idea of the process involved. Originally, the window was going to be clear bevels, clear glue chip glass, and the red rings, but Ken decided he wanted to also include some blue.

We conversed via e-mail while he sent several possible design variations. I gave feedback on each and we eventually agreed on the design shown. Looking at the photo, you can tell how closely the window follows the layout.

Another view of the window after final cleaning. The silver solder joints were also blackened, adding depth to the window. The true colors of the red and blue are also seen a little better on this photo and the next.
 
Initial packing began with a layer of large bubble wrap, entirely covering the window as seen in these two photos.
 
The large bubble wrap was followed by another layer of small bubble wrap. These two layers encased the window in over an inch of air space on each side, almost as if the glass was "floating" in the bubble wrap.
The bubble-wrapped window was now placed between two layers of dense 1" foam insulation panel. The insulation provided the first degree of stiffness to the window, preventing it from flexing during shipment.
The "sandwich" was edged in additional insulation, forming a sort of foam box around the window.
This photo shows how the window and foam packing looked upon completion. This unit was then packed between two layers of MDF fiberboard, with a pine frame around it. Total weight came out to about 45 lbs. and was shipped Parcel Post.
Here is the final installation. Ken has received nothing but complements about the window, and has now requested a second window the same size so they can be swapped out to vary with the seasons.