THREE LOTUS LAMP SHADES FINISHED at end of September

FINISHED: First of three on 10th June 2000
Last one completed end of September 2000
TIFFANY REPRODUCTION: LOTUS

We have completed a commission to make three Lotus shades. Each one has over 600 pieces of Glass. We are going to take you step by step through the production of these shades to encourage you to have a go. The first one is complete!

If you are already making things in stained glass, using the Tiffany Foil methods, you should be able to make a lamp like this. All it takes is more time, and lots of care. The glass cutting is rarely that awkward.

We'll talk you through the difficult bits on this web site. If you do not understand anything, sends me an e-mail and I'll explain in more detail here on this page. (So CTRL-D and make this page a favourite!)

STEP ONE: CHOOSE THE DESIGN

Now there is nothing to stop you designing your own Tiffany Style lamp, but that is not what this page is about. This is about using a commercially available pattern to make your own super Tiffany reproduction. My preferred patterns are those produced by Worden. There are others such as the Odyssey System.

I go through the Worden Catalogue with the client until they find the lamp where the size and shape both suit them. I do encourage them to see the pictures in the catalogue past the colours shown. Often the colours need to be changed, so you need to be a little broad minded about them. In any case, they should be sorted out later. First choose the design, and pay attention to size as well as shape.

STEP TWO: CHOOSE THE GLASS Once the customer has sorted out which design he/she wants, we repair to the work shop to sort out the glass. These days I insist on these large projects being made with good quality hand made glass. It is not worth all that effort being spent on machine made glass. The improvement in the result using the hand made glass more than compensated for the ten or twenty pounds extra the glass will cost.

STEP THREE: GET THE PATTERN AND FORM READY
The Worden pattern pack comes with the following items:

1. The Magic Strips printed on a thin card
2. The pattern pieces (templates) printed on a thin card
3. A colour picture of the shade showing the colour codes for the templates
4. An instruction sheet that you should read.

THE MAGIC STRIPS
Cut the magic strips out, removing the dotted outline. Pin the strips onto the mould where you can see the numbered rows to line up the strips. Avoid pinning where glass joins will go. If solder drops through you could find the pin soldered to the shade, and it makes it a devil of a job to remove the shade from the mould. The mould is now ready.

PATTERN TEMPLATES

Before you cut out the pattern pieces, take a photo copy of the sheet. You will need to lay out the glass as you cut it, onto the photocopy. This keeps all cut glass identified. You do not want to end up with a 600 piece glass jig saw. IMPORTANT.

Lay the templates in neat piles as shown in the photo on the right and you are ready to start. Also in the photograph are a spider (I always use them for hanging safety on big lamps), and a decorative vase cap. So, get cutting.

CUT THE GLASS
As you cut the glass, lay it out in neat piles of four on the photocopy that you took of all the piece patterns. This is very necessary if you do not want to get them mixed up.

ASSEMBLE THE LAMP
When the glass is ready you start the assembly. Star at the top of the mould, and secure the first piece in position with straight pins. Tack solder the next alongside, and secure that with straight pins. Work your way right around the top. Make sure that the top edge and the edge of the section are accurately located over the pattern on the mould. ESSENTIAL!

Try to be conservative about the amount of soldering you do at this stage. I tend to run a tack along the full length of each join between pieces, but no beading or beafing up at this stage.

When the section is tacked together, lift it off the mould with care and place it on another bench with some support. Repeat three times until you have the four sections of the lamp ready to tack together.

JOIN THE SECTIONS
Now, with some help if necessary, offer the first two up to each other. Keep a sharp eye on the shape, and make sure that the bottom edge of both sections is in contact with the bench. Tack in a few places.

Bring up the third piece and repeat. Again, make sure that the bottom edge of the pair already tacked, and the new piece, are all in contact with the bench. Tack.

Repeat fro the fourth piece. You will find by now that the shade is fairly rigid, but is not really strong. With the lamp shade standing on the bench run a bead where you can. Then place on a board, prop one end on a brick, and solder wherever the seams are level.

Continue until all outside seams are done. Turn the lamp over and stand upside down in a cardboard box. Use crumpled newspaper in the box to stop the lamp wobbling. Tack reinforcing wire wherever there is a not-too-winding seam from the top to the bottom edge. Also tack one around the bottom edge or the last seam but one from the bottom.

Now run a finishing bead along all the inside seams. Don't be lazy, its the finish that counts!

CLEAN and Polish. Clean with warm soapy water until you get every bit of chemical off the glass and solder. Do not use chemicals. Then allow the lamp to dry. Let it get bone dry. Then apply one of the proprietory patinas. I like the copper finishes, but the glass colour will dictate whether you use copper or black, or even leave the solder silver coloured.

With copper coloured patina it is necessary to polish the lead gently after about ten minutes to bring the copper up. I use Ken-O-Pro (very expensive), or you can use spit and polish (very hard work!). Copper finish is the best by far.

To keep the solder uncoloured but bright coast it with clear nail varnish. Long term this goes a little powdery and needs a wipe with a very rough cloth.

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