06/01/2026
I've always been drawn to the unusual projects that come through the shop doors. People aren't afraid of asking me "can you make.....?"
Over the years i have made copper cauldron covers, copper doors in chimneys (hollow core complete with jams). Dabbled in a few artistic endeavors...
So I couldn't help myself when I saw this window sitting on the floor. Severely deformed, broken glass everywhere, one corner that really you couldn't call a corner anymore.
A skylight built well before all of our time decided the third floor roof was no longer where it wanted to be.
Chicken wire glass, the cap held on by twisted copper wire, this thing has to be at least 100 years old.
I started poking around really just curious on how things were made and assembled. How did they do this and that. Which turned into, hmmm can I make that piece?
By the time Eric came back he said "you might as well keep on going". It's always fun working with Coastal Copper and Slate again. We still share knowledge and projects from time to time. I can say this one was a pleasure.
More like copper surgery, very time consuming. I built a wooden plug, then started putting the pieces around it. Keeping templates of the size of the glass handy to keep the openings honest. Slowly soldering, flipping, cleaning and polishing.
Setting the glass went well, they all fit without any extra "help" 😁
The top cap was tricky, went through a dry fit on the window with glass in place. To being tacked in place to keep the shape which was sketchy because one drop of solder on the glass or too much heat was making me nervous. Then a final time once removed from the window to get everything soldered.
I can't wait to see it in place, it will shine and be beautiful for a for weeks before starting it's color fazes of patina.
