Does Old Glass Sag At The Bottom?

Or: “The Tale of the Stained Glass Designer and the Naked Scientist”

"Not the BBC again!?!"

“Not the BBC again!?!”

Here’s what happened …

David and I were working away, minding our own business, and finishing off the fourth set of brand-new windows that we’ve been making for a mansion on the shores of Lake Geneva, when the phone rang.

It was the BBC.

A radio producer wanted to know if old glass was thicker at the bottom.

The reason is, glass has a name for being a “super-cooled liquid” (just as Williams & Byrne has a reputation for being a super-cool stained glass design studio.)

Silver Stain – Memories and Confessions

When anyone’s always been told to do something in a particular way, and then suddenly they think:

“But wait a moment, this doesn’t make sense!”

And they head off in a new direction and things work out for them there – well, the story’s interesting.

It’s interesting because it shows how all of us can think for ourselves, and also work together with like-minded souls, to do the kinds of things we’re meant to do …

Oil Vs. Propylene Glycol

The pros and cons of each:

As you’ll know from our studio manual, Glass Painting Techniques & Secrets from an English Stained Glass Studio (you can get a sample chapter here): once you’ve finished all the tracing, shading and highlighting you want to do with glass paint and water (and gum Arabic), then it’s often a good idea to carry on with glass paint mixed with oil (and no gum Arabic).

And then – you fire your glass just once.

OK, so the advantages of oil are … ?