Matching slag glass colors
I custom bend curved glass lamp replacement panels for Tiffany and slag glass lamp shades. I restore antique lamps by bending a best matched flat glass color to repair heirloom table and swag slag glass lamps. My stock of over 600 colors comes in various textures and densities. Some of the rarest colors made over 100 years ago for Handel, Bradley & Hubbard, Wilkinson,Miller and others.
Please review the pictures above as they represent my professional reputation to bring the closest color match available for your slag glass lamp restoration. The pictures show how I often send clients pictures of the replacement glass before starting a project.
MATCHING 110 year old glass colors: The day your lamp was made was the last day to get a perfect match. Besides being blended by hand there are many many reasons why old glass can’t be perfectly matched. View the picture to the left as they show how every bent glass lamp panel is unique. Also the glass made 100 years ago used deadly metals and chemicals. As a result glass manufacturers can’t use the same ingredients they did 100 years ago for safety regulations. Many of the glass manufactures are long gone with the lack of demand for colored glass products. Some colors require ingredients like gold that haven’t been made in the past 15 years because of the cost of expensive raw materials like gold and silver. Even the methods of how glass is made has changed in the last 100 years.
As the years go by there are fewer people that perform slag glass lamp repairs and our resources are becoming limited. In some cases depending on the number of replacement slag glass panels you need, its best to change them all.
Metal Restoration
Slag glass lamp frame repairs | Brass – Zinc – White Metal – Pot Metal – Copper – Bronze
Whether you just found the slag glass table lamp of the century in the back barn or at an estate sale. Maybe inherited a Tiffany stained glass lamp or Handel lamp that needs a little love. My old world craftsmanship and skills can help you. My knowledge of lighting , materials and contacts will be at your service.
White metal with filigree work was known for its ability to retain detail when removed from its master mold. It formed at a very low temperature which made it faster and cheaper to use. Most lamp frames consisted of 3-8 sections of metal that had to be alloy soldered together. Separations, cracks or breaks between these sections are easily repaired and can retain the same strength as when manufactured.
Other times when tears or breaks occur in the middle of a section the repair will be performed on the interior. On the interior of the break in most cases I create a bridge with copper that will give the break extra support. Depending on the original metal finish the repair may be less noticeable. In most cases it will be like a hair line. Table lamps with missing white metal parts presents an extensive restoration process where I remove an existing part and cast it to make a duplicate.
Need your base rewired for safety
Safety is very important and over the past 110 years most lamps have been upgraded to the national electrical code standards. Replacing worn cords, insulators and plug ends are common. Most lamps have been rewired two or three times before they arrive on my work bench. I often express upgrading the safety issues but also replacing non conforming past repairs that may jeopardize the value of an antique lamp. “Nothing bothers me more than to see an anodized brass Chinese socket on a 110 year old lamp”. While I like to retain all working porcelain sockets. Especially older socket shells having a slightly thicker wall with a beautiful aged patina look. I also inspect all socket shells and interior parts for minor heat or stress cracks if re using them. Click here for some lamp socket history.
Glass Mold Making
I first learned about mold making in 1977 while at Connick stained glass studio Boston Mass. Back then I learned quickly that using gravity, heat and tools I could manipulate glass and the glass would always rest on the mold. Little did I know I would master the skill and base my life around the process. I love the challenge of making difficult bends or the extra tooling to reach the bend. There are several mold methods I use each is unique to the type of bends I have to create.
Sometimes depending on the factors like the size of the mold and the number of slag glass pieces the method will change. An example would be using a chemical mold for a one time use. Most slag glass repairs are completed using the chemical mold technique and disposed of after the bend is completed. In some cases the mold can be used 2-3 times with repairs.
Metal mold making offers advantages when using clear or cathedral glass in that you have fewer distortions on the back side of the glass. They can also be used many times but are labor intense and created for the use of production work.