Not a lot happened in May and June, my last two weeks as a bona fide worker, with retirement comes a little more time. So here is the work so far on the light box.
I hope to finish this 1/5th this week then I can do the last adjustments before coppering. I think I will slightly increase the blue on the other faces and maybe change a few colours here.
Slowly but surely the first of 6 sectors is underway with roughly the first 125 pieces ready, somewhere around 1/3 of the pieces on this sector.
The Wisteria lamp is underway with the first of glass pieces cut, ground and placed on the pattern.
Only 1950 pieces to prepare before soldering.
Next step is to choose the Glass
I’ve chosed three Youghiogheny glass types to combine here,
The Cobalt blue amber and opaline
The Opale ambre jaune vert et rouge
The bleuviolet et rose à l’or & opaline
Shown above, from Stefatelier in 30cm by 30cm format and paid 85,84 euros for the three sheets, I also picked up the tacky wax and the pickling gel for a further 11,20 euros
Well, this year’s project is to be the 18¨ Wisteria lamp, here is an example from the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum
This will take a great deal of time and so the first task was to obtain a mold, seen opposite, ordered from Verrosaique, including transport for 278,45 Euros
Well everything is ready, just need to wax up.
But wait what is that tool for keeping the mould horizontal at different heights?
Yes! It’s a round broomstick sticking through the hole in a drawer. But how do I adjust the height?
Well you’ve hung brushes, brooms etc in a shed maybe? Well it’s the same one way grip on the inside of the drawer.
Rings and filigrees delivered by Verrosaique ready to assemble and solder, glass from GK Techniques cut to size, ground and the edges copper taped.
So I need to finish cutting Alix’s wings and set up my workshop to accurately place the mold in a different horizontal position for each piece of glass and I’ll be ready to wax the mold.
At Christmas first of all I gifted my parents the Daffodil lamp from 2022.
Then was asked by daughter number 2 if I could make her a lamp, number1 then threw in a request, I guess fame starts somewhere.
Told them to check out the Sotheby’s web site for ideas (they have sold a lot of originals. Well blow me down with a feather if they didn’t choose the same model, almost (different colour schemes), therefore only one mould to buy
Dragonfly in blue purple for number 2, all is in the colour nuance here, I’ll do this one second.
Dragonfly in more easily distinguished colour variations. So I’ll take on this one first.
But which size lamp to go for? Well I got Celia (number 1), to check out last years 22 inch lamp and we wisely went for a smaller lamp. Better for a smaller room.
For the mould, as for last year I ordered from Verrosaique, and I’m expecting a delivery towards the beginning of June. I’ll need to get in touch with them again to order the jewels and the rings.
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This was the lamp size chose, 14 inches, so I will look at how I can work the colours from the larger lamps into this smaller version. Will need to check with Alix (number 2) if this size is ok for her.
So, one year after the announcement and 11 months after the mould delivery here it is at last finished:
Top view
Close up
This was long and difficult, it required several tools to be manufactured and the final object is heavier than I had imagined.
As a last comment, 22 inches is a very big shade!
La lampe a été démoulée. Voici la partie supérieure posée sur un pied, il ne me reste que: souder cette partie supérieure à la partie inférieur, de souder en place les morceaux de verre qui transitent entre les deux partie, de souder tous les morceaux de verre depuis l’intérieur de la lampe, de retoucher les soudures à l’extérieur, de colorier les soudures avec une patine (noir), de choisir un pied de lampe et de monter la lampe sur le pied.
Presque fini!
Marqueterie et Tiffany 