Category Archives: recycling

The exciting part of finding a big cache of old glass is that there is bound to be some old glass-making technique that I haven’t yet seen: 120 years old, and brand-new to me.  Cheap thrills, but also a valuable addition to the range of possibilities!  Here are three panels, each about a square foot in size;  they each have strong elements in surface texture, surface decoration, or amazing color density which is just not found in present-day production glass. Bigger colors, bolder texture, more density.  Thanks for saving this lovely material from the landfill, Bill and Carol!  Years of stashing have paid off! Continue reading →

I ran into an ad for “Old art glass” on Craig’sList…It was posted by a guy who had recently bought an old commercial building in Franklintown…the building had been the home of Oxford Art Glass, a stained glass production shop, which closed in the 70’s.  The original owner likely died while he was in the middle of several secular and sacred window projects.  There was half-finished work all over the shop.  I  came late to the party, so the pile was pretty well picked-over by the time I got there. I managed to score a small pile (large scraps mostly with over 50 different shades of blue, a good pile of painted scrap, and some bigger pieces of old clear art glass), along with some  (finished) damaged panels.  Here is an example of the swag: it is a damaged pair of patinated glass panels, about 6×18″. Pretty useless in their current state. Luckily, there was enough undamaged glass in the pair to allow for one good piece to emerge.

Here is the damaged pair. The ‘dirt’ covering the glass is an oil paint aging patina, applied with a fairly heavy hand.

All of the lead came holding the panel together is oxidized , and lacks integrity…sort of the Newt Gingrich of Stained Glass…

There was enough in both to make up one good panel

Using some of the salvaged blue glass, the picture was made whole. I will leave the patina off; there is no real need to hide the repair. Close enough!With a simple wood frame to give support and stability, this sweet little panel is again ready to let the light in!

Plenty of students live in our neighborhood. They stay until their program at Penn or Drexel is completed, then they leave. Often, they put the entire contents of their apartment out on the curb. PennChristmas ensues.

The pile often includes well made 19th and early 20th century solid wood (oak, walnut and maple)furniture, which is likely in need of some repair, or needing a coat of paint, but free for the taking. It is often simply a matter of cleaning and glueing….free tables, chairs, bookcases…all courtesy of the departing students. Lots of this furniture has been in the neighborhood for a long time, and was likely made nearby. Lots of it is in our house.