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Join us on this pictorial study of the process. "The Making of Sidelights"

We start out with a design selected by our customer for the commission of a pair of Sidellights.The design is plotted into patterns through CAD systems and a large document plotter (printer).

Our patterns are original themes created by "The Oak Tree Stained Glass Studio". The customer must feel good with design because ultimately they will have to look at almost every day.

The pattern is then cut apart and placed onto a tacky surfaced cardboard or wood sheeting, we will then spray the back of the individual pattern pieces with an adhesive glue-spray. This process will insure overall size and aid in maintaining close tolerances.

After the patterns have all been sprayed the paper is removed and placed onto a large sheet of glass where it is cut in small workable pieces. The pieces are trimmed as close as possible with either a glass cutter or the use of a cutting system jig.

Each piece of glass is cut by hand so as to pay important detail to the "Old World Craftsmanship", much like the leaded glass windows were created by the Monks and Artisans from the 11th century.

Detail, 13thC, Canterbury Cathedral, showing St Thomas a Becket, by taking a snapshot of the past and looking at the Art Glass of today we can put the process into perspective.

When the glass has been cut the next step is shape each piece with the use of glass grinders and shapers. These tools are very important to craftsman in that they help to insure a perfect fit.

Curved pieces are generally shaped on a revolving wheel or bit grinder. The use of water flowing over the wheel keep the wheel from getting hot and allows the equipment to perform at its intended capacity.

As we forge onward you may notice that each piece of glass once cut and shaped must be laid out to reflect and inspect for flaws or uneven flowing lines within the panel.

The cleaned glass laid out is a prelude to the birth of a new creation. As one gets the sense that this is truly a hand made work of art, one can appreciate the time and workmanship that is unique to this craft.

Moving on to the soldering which also must maintain an even and uniform appearance on both the front and also on the back side of each panel. Panels are inspected at each and every step to comply with our high standards.

Upon a closer inspection you may notice the black surface of the lead beading. This is achieved with the use of a saline solution or in stained glass terms "Black Patina". Patina is a surface film caused by oxidation over a long period of time.

In the fianal steps we will affix a piece of safety glass to the outer portion of the vinyl frame and then adhere the art glass panel onto the safety glass. There should not be any room between the two pieces of safety glass and art glass, as this may create an oven effect and cause potential buckling to the panel.

Each panel is cleaned and inspected prior to the silicone treatment that holds the safety glass and panel to the frame. The frames are screwed together to ensure a proper fit. We are now ready to send the panels mounted in the frames across country to west coast.

Shipping is done through the UPS interface. Care is taken to package the sidelights with the proper cushioning and wrapping so their journey will be a safe one. All packages are insured by "The Oak Tree" so the consumer does not have to worry

Sidelight Preview The finished product.