28" Magnolia, Part 3

Work continued steadily on the 28" Magnolia this past week. Soldering the exterior of the shade takes time and patience. Our custom made shade holder was designed specifically to accommodate shades ranging in size from 10" to 28". Hot solder runs downhill, so it is important to be able to position and reposition the shade continuously so that the area being soldered is as level as possible with a three dimensional shade.

Beginning at the top and steadily working around and down the sides of the shade, each line between the pieces of glass is carefully filled in and the solder line is beaded.

Once the exterior is completely soldered, the form is heated to melt the wax used to hold the pieces in place. The form is then carefully removed from the inside of the shade. Using a heat gun, the excess wax is melted and blotted from the interior of the shade. Here is a short video showing the soldering, heating the form, and mold removal.