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Hand-crafted lead light

Thank you for considering us to purchase your new, beautiful, hand-crafted lead light windows and doors. Please be assured that we are not a mass production company and that we will give you the very best in design, craftsmanship and personal service. Many people think that the manufacturing process and quality of lead lights is the same from studio to studio. This is a misconception and you can be assured that we offer the highest possible quality lead lighting products at our studio. Please look at the “Why Choose us” page to see more technical information on our leadlighting supplies.

New Lead Light Windows

When most people think of  Stained Glass and lead light windows, they think of traditional homes such as Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco. What you might not realise is that lead lighting looks great in any home, from older homes to new designer homes. We are continuously in discussion with architects, interior designers, builders and home owners on how to fit lead light doors and windows into their spaces. We will also ensure that we comply with the new codes on heat efficiency and Australian standards for glass and glazing AS 1288.

You can place an order for a new window or door by email or phone, but in most cases it is best for us to visit your home. Designs are priced on the size of the window and the amount of detail in the window. For more information on quoting, please visit “The Quoting Process” on this website.

Match Existing

Much of the work at Wesley Vine Glass Craftsman is with clients, builders, interior designers or architects working with older homes to reproduce what was originally existing or to tie in with the lead lights that are already there. Lead lights are often used to tie in the old part of the house with the new, or to add authentic feature lead light windows to the new extension on an old home. To help us with this, we have a good selection of reproduction glasses, lead profiles and leadlighting supplies to match most panels almost exactly. We also collaborate with other glass artists to source old glass for repair and reproduction of old panels.

What Glass Should I Choose?

Leadlight

Leadlighting is the process of cutting coloured sheets of glass into small pieces and then placing lead in between the glass, soldering it together and then puttying it to create a particular design. There are many different styles of leadlight including:

victorian leadlights

Victorian Leadl ights & Stained Glass

edwardian stained glass

Edwardian Lead lights & Stained Glass

contemporary leadlights

Contemporary Lead lights & Stained Glass

stained glass windows

Stained Glass

Stained glass is produced in a similar way to leadlight; however it also has a coat of metal/ferrous oxide painted on the coloured glass to create dimension, depth and shading. Before the pieces of glass are leaded together, they are fired in a kiln up to 8 times for different layers of paint, to make the oxide semi permanent. After the firing process is complete, the glass is then leaded, soldered and puttied together.

enamels

Enamels

This is the process of painting finely crushed coloured glass pieces onto glass which is then fired to create colour. This can be used in the making of bowls, platters and in stained glass windows. The minimum life of enamels is around 40 years, but we have seen many examples of enamel paint that has lasted a much greater time.

sandblasted windows

Sandblasting

The process of sandblasting is where a resist tape is placed on glass and removed during sandblasting to create a specific design. The resist tape is removed in a particular sequence to create the required shading and depth.

Copper Foiling

Used instead of lead in intricate pieces where the glass is too small for lead or in three dimensional objects.

Slumping And Fusing

Slumping is the process of putting texture on glass by slumping it into a mould in a kiln at around 700 degrees Celsius.

Fusing is the process of joining glass of the same compatibility together by heating it up in a kiln at around 750 degree Celsius. These techniques can be used in the production of an interesting dish or to make textures in glass that can then be incorporated into lead light doors and windows.

Restoration And Repairs

Lead lights and stained glass need continual maintenance or repair performed on them every 20 -30 years to make sure they continue to be an asset to your home. We work on lead light repairs of all sizes, from very small lead light windows through to repairs on an entire church, drawing on our ready range of leadlighting supplies. There are many tell tail signs that work needs to be undertaken on your windows. Some of these sign are:

  • Water leaching from the leadlight windows
  • Putty falling out between the lead and the glass
  • Buckling- windows starting to bow or bend
  • Day light showing
  • Lead fatigue- where the lead expands and contracts over time and causes hairline fractures to appear near the solder joins
  • Rattling can occur when some of the leadlight putty has fallen out of the window

For further information on this please visit Domestic repair and restoration Or Restoration and conservation

leadlights