Vintage antique lighting repairs and restoration.
Grand entryways for, theaters, hotels, city halls, courthouses and other municipal buildings required and often had massive lighting fixtures. In some cases the design and theme for "vintage lighting" fixtures contained unique design elements from the building. Often elegant detailed metal casting embellished the vintage antique fixtures adding to the architecture of the buildings. Over the past 30 years Nickates has restored hundreds of genuine antique lighting fixtures for restoration companies and building owners. Small and large restoration jobs are welcome. We really enjoy unique challenges and often impossible situations. Nickates is able to complete restoration from removal to installation. Please contact Nickates for more information. If your interested in purchasing Genuine Antique Lighting or your in the Boston area you really need to check out Light Power home of "Genuine Antique Lighting".
Vintage Lamp Restorations
by Leonard Daley
Repairing bent glass panels for antique lamps can be started by just e-mailing a photo of your damaged bent glass panel. If your serious about a restoration project please contact me via email by clicking here. I can also be reached at Nickates Art Glass by calling (508)-580-1220
The process of bending glass for vintage antique lamps.
Bent glass panels require a custom mold to be made from an original panel or from a broken glass panel. If an original or broken bent panel is not available I can still create a mold using the frame work of the shade. Basically after the glass mold is fired in a kiln at 900 degree’s and sanded. I then need to find a matching glass using a sample of the existing glass. Much of the glass that was used for bent glass lamp shades, filigree antique lamp shades and white metal lamp shades during the early 1900’s is very hard to find. My in stock glass resources over the past 30 years has grown so I'm able to match most antique glass colors and textures.
In most cases vintage bent lamp restoration is completed with in a few weeks.
By using some of the 600 colors from our stock. In rare cases or historical preservation, custom colors can be ordered from outside sources. After the custom glass mold is made and the glass is selected. A custom paper template is cut and used as a guide for the new piece of glass. The new flat piece of glass is then placed on the mold and bent between 1000 - 1200 degree’s.
Antique vintage lighting "Cherub chandelier"
The scope of restoration work for this projects was restricted to minor metal work and rebuilding the lower scalloped glass skirt. This antique lighting fixture didn't require wiring or installation.
Custom cast glass was required and ordered to match the existing bent glass. One custom made mold required for bending and matching one of the existing panels. Six new bent glass panels needed to be fabricated. New brass caming to hold the new glass.
One brass cherub was missing. To cast a new cherub we removed one cherub and used it as a male mold to make a casting mold. The new cast cherub was cast with a lead tin mixture. The new cherub was applied to the missing area and patina to blend in.
The new lower skirt was then required to open and close to remove light bulbs. A new hinge system using the existing brass knobs was retained.
Antique lighting dealers and vintage lamp specialty companies requiring bent glass panels should know I stress perfection.
Retaining and matching original glass. I have restored many decorative filigree white metal shades for hundreds of antique dealers since 1978.
My portfolio is broad, from a lighting fixture in Korea to the Christian Science Center in Boston Ma. Brows and enjoy some the my past lighting projects.