Hanging your Piece Question

[Brook]

I just made a Stained Glass panel that has a 2lb cast piece in the center. The panel is round (4 sq ft) framed in 1/2" came. I know when adding the rings to hang with, I need to run the wire into the seams for a stronger hold. Well the panel was hanging about 4 hours when I noticed the solder joint on one of the rings was breaking away. The wire was soldered into the seam about 1.5" in length. Any additional guidance or suggestions? This piece is for a competion due on Friday (March 28).

[Carol]

I just made a Stained Glass panel that has a 2lb cast piece in the center. The panel is round (4 sq ft) framed in 1/2" came. I know when adding the rings to hang with, I need to run the wire into the seams for a stronger hold. Well the panel was hanging about 4 hours when I noticed the solder joint on one of the rings was breaking away. The wire was soldered into the seam about 1.5" in length. Any additional guidance or suggestions? This piece is for a competion due on Friday (March 28).

If you're soldering hangers into seams I presume that this is copper foil with came around it? I would not rely on hangers supporting a panel this size, particularly with a heavy inclusion. If you have used zinc came as the frame you could drill small holes through that (being careful to avoid the glass channel) and attach the chain. If it's lead came and if you used an H profile you can run wire in the outer channel of the came and tighten that by twisting, using that wire to support the entire panel and running the hangers off it. Otherwise I would recommend framing in wood and screwing hangers into the wood.

Carol

[Bert Weiss]

I just made a Stained Glass panel that has a 2lb cast piece in the center. The panel is round (4 sq ft) framed in 1/2" came. I know when adding the rings to hang with, I need to run the wire into the seams for a stronger hold. Well the panel was hanging about 4 hours when I noticed the solder joint on one of the rings was breaking away. The wire was soldered into the seam about 1.5" in length. Any additional guidance or suggestions? This piece is for a competion due on Friday (March 28).

Sorry Brook, but in my opinion, leaded glass is not structurally sound enough to support a 2 lb inclusion for much time at all. It has a hard enough time supporting the weight if thin glass pieces. I'm talking about inside a panel. Expecting the weight of the whole thing to hang on soldered lead came is no where near acceptable. Lead stretches remember?? I would think that if the panel will last for more than a few weeks with the casting in it , it would need a heavy wooden frame with plenty of steel rebar going vertically and horizontally to begin to work. I don't like to be negative, but this sounds too far out of the ballpark to avoid it. I have fixed many leaded glass windows with far fewer design challenges that didn't make it for 15 years without bowing and breaking. I switched to fused glass to avoid such headaches, now I have a different source of tsouris.

[Brook]

The panel is copper foiled with strongline in the seams, the calculations come out at 4sqft but it reallyonly measures just over 2' accross the circle.

[Dani]

I wouldn't be inclined to use zinc on a heavy piece with hangers attached.... zinc corner join(t)s fail before any other metal cames, historically and by personal experience. Are you using h-channel lead? Can you run your wire around the piece through that outside channel for underneath support, then just use some kind of anchoring catch at the top to stabilize the wire for hanging. Was that clear as mudd??

Dani

[ernest porcelli]

what would work is a steel frame ,3/4 angle and tin fins soldered on the back. lead would have been better to use for assembling. good luck with your competition ep

[Lia Howe]

One way to maybe solve this problem would be to spend a little money and get it framed. A wooden frame would help to stabilize everything. I have used heavy fused pieces in a panel before and I have found a wooden frame has elimimated the need to figure out where the strongest solder joints would be. any framing place should be able to help you, even Micheals can frame for you. I know that some people feel that putting a frame around would thinken the outside edge but better that then a fallen and broken work of art.Lia