FAQs, Links, Info. and Opinions
- How is stained glass applique different from mosaic?
- In applique the pieces are cut to the shape of the design. In mosaic the small pieces are used to fill the areas of the design. This results in quite different looks even though the basic materials may be the same.
Stained glass applique uses the same initial tools (glass cutter, breaker/grozzer, running pliers and grinder) and process as making a stained glass window. In fact it takes longer because I grind around every edge of every piece, something I don't do when I'm going to cover the edge with lead or copper foil. Mosaic starts with small cast tiles of glass (tesserae or smalti) or sometimes with bits of stained glass and uses nippers to break off pieces. This tends to cause the edges to be rough unless they are tumbled before use or grouted very carefully. Because of this breaking process, you don't see curved individual pieces in mosaic. Almost all the pieces in my applique designs are curved, which results more "waste" glass and therefore higher materials cost.
- How do I care for my table?
- Don't put a something hot off the fire directly on the glass. If it is hotter than you would hold in your hand, use a hot pad or trivet before setting it on the glass. Normal glass doesn't change temperature rapidly without breaking. Setting down a glass of ice water is fine but I suspect spraying the table with cold water on a very hot day might cause problems.
Apply grout sealer every year or two to keep your table stain resistant. See Grout for more.
Bring it in or keep it dry in freezing weather if you don't ever want to re-grout.
- Can I leave my table out in freezing weather?
- You are taking a chance on the grout crumbling due to freeze thaw cycles. So if you keep it dry it should be okay. I use frost resistant grout but no one makes guaranteed frost proof grout. My first table has been out in all weather for over 6 years (I have photos of it with 6 inches of snow). I've been okay so far but I expect I'll eventually have to re-grout.
- What if one of the glass pieces breaks?
- The two layers are laminated together like your car windshield so they are stronger than the original sheet of glass to begin with.
Cracking one of the upper pieces does not harm the table: the upper layer is already in pieces of glass anyway. If it really bothers you, it can be replaced by chipping out the surrounding grout with a small screwdriver. Then the broken piece is broken into smaller pieces with a glass cutter and removed with strong dental floss. A new piece of matching glass is cut and glued in. After two weeks it can be re-grouted and then re-sealed. Time consuming but it can be done. I can also use a UV curred glue to seal the crack and keep it from becoming more visable.
Shattering the tempered supporting glass is much harder to deal with (I've only had it happen to one client that I know of -- see the note on using a hot-pad above). The lamination prevents removing the design from the lower layer. Break the grout around the edge so the top can be removed whole. Put a new piece of glass in the frame (see below for sources). Glue the original two layer top to the new glass and regrout the now slightly higher edge.
- How long does it take to make a table top?
- Once I have the design worked out and the glass in hand, it takes me an average of 10 minutes per piece of glass A beginner should probably double that. The design process can take a couple of days or a couple of years till I'm satisfied. Picking out and buying the glass is another large variable.
The following rules of thumb may be helpful:
- You don't need to glue all the pieces at once but don't stop in the middle of a motif.
- 150 pieces a day is my limit on the grinder.
- Grouting only takes an hour or two but allow 4 to 6 hours because you will want to fuss with it to get a smooth finish.
- What do you charge for a table?
- See the example pricing page.
- What glue do you use?
- GE Silicone II see Glue for more.
- What grout do you use?
- Laticrete with the admixture see Grout for more
- Where do I get a table to use as a base?
- No matter where it comes from, choose a base table in which the glass does not flex.
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Tables are available year round in the Seattle area from Rich's, Summer House and Herban Patio but they are expensive in the off season. Between mid-February and July 4th you have a larger and less expensive selection available from department stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, KMart, Target, Sears, even RiteAid
- Garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops etc. are also worth checking
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- Spring 2007 table sources found
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- Contact me if you are having trouble -- preferably by phone (206-525-1577 between 9am & 9pm Pacific time) and I may be come up with other suggestions.
- I have a table to use as a base but the glass broke -- where do I go to get another piece?
- On tables up to a foot or so in maximum diameter, you can use 1/4 plate glass from your local glass supplier. The supporting glass on a large table usually needs to be tempered or very thick. Tempered glass is 5 times stronger than the untempered glass of the same thickness. Tempering requires a large furnace, which I don't have (by the way, you can't cut tempered glass, you have to cut the glass and then temper it).
http://www.glasstopsdirect.com/ gives example pricing
http://www.onedayglass.com/ is fairly local: Vancouver, Washington
Usually any place that sells automobile windshields can also do glass table tops.
One problem with tempered glass is that you really want a metal or other edge protecting it because if you hit it on the unprotected edge of the glass, it may shatter. If you just want thicker untempered glass, Pier One Imports has inexpensive glass rounds (well, inexpensive when you factor in the shipping you would otherwise have to pay).
The other thing to consider is that an inexpensive new table may be cheaper than a piece of glass (see table source question above). On most tables it is easy to swap the glass if you prefer your existing frame so measure carefully when buying a table with this in mind.
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