Packaging Guide

We recommend the UPS guide to double-boxing glass for shipment. This is good practice and is necessary to validate insurance claims.

Glass held in with clips- a guide

Are you installing glass into a lamp with clips? Here are some tips...
While this guide is for installing newly-made panels, follow the guide in reverse to remove glass panels from your lamp.

Value of These Lamps

I'm no expert in valuing these lamps, but this link to Collector's Weekly offers an extract of recently completed eBay offerings. Note that you can also sort by ending soonest, most watched and other qualifiers, and there are links to other styles and eras of lamps.

Collectors Weekly and eBay commonly use the term slag glass lamps, with some listed on eBay as bent glass lamps.

Metal banding and other items

Whittemore-Durgin Stained Glass offers some specialty metal and banding that may help you with your repairs.

Vaguely Related Information

Visit my stained glass and mosaics site

 

Please note: I no longer take on lamp repair projects.

Living in Oregon, there is no nearby supplier for the range of glasses found in the old lamps. Ordering from suppliers sight unseen does not work well for this type of work. I will leave the site up as you may find some of the information and links useful. I don't have first-hand knowledge of other glass-benders and metal frame repairers, but I do follow the websites of others who offer a similar service. I note the obvious skills and clear communication of Curran Glass located in Berwyn, Illinois. Another artisan who contacted me via this site and displays an array of repairs on his site is Steven Karnowski of Pleasant View Glass Works in Fenton, MIchigan. Thier information is below.

A reliable source for bent glass work is Curran Glass of Berwyn, Illinois:

Here is the Curran Glass page for bent lamp panels- the one company I recommend.

On that same page, and linked to here, is their price list for lamp panels.

Also on the original page, and linked to here, are their General Info and Tips for ordering.

And they also offer an order form.

Steven Karnowski offers glass bending, metal lamp parts, and books.

Here is Steven's slag and bent glass lamp repair page.

This page has his price list and some deals on a limited number of already-made panels.

Here is his contact info and here is the page of books he has for sale, including books on lamps.

What follows is my original lamp repair website...

These lamps are called by many names— slag glass, bent glass, Tiffany style, and Tiffany lamp. Our specialty is the replacement of the glass panels and overall repair of the lamps. We repair metal filigree, structural parts, and other broken metal parts of the shade. We reinforce weak areas and make the lamp whole.

Sometimes the panels are easy to remove and replace, and you need only send an intact panel. More often, some damage has been done to the metal part of the lamp or it is out of shape, and it is better to send the whole lamp.

Compare your lamp to the samples below. Each example differs in the way the glass is held in place.

To email me, click the email address at the top right of this page. Information on pricing, completion of work and payment follows these 5 examples.

 

Five methods of lamp construction: Click on any lamp to see a larger version

Glass is held in place by metal tabs

Right: Metal tabs hold the glass in place at the bottom and along the sides. These are soldered onto the metal lamp structure and bent to hold the glass in place. The tabs may come loose from the lamp or break from fatigue. Old tabs can be re-attached and new tabs can be made.

 

 

 

Panels sit in a metal channel with tabs along the side

Left: A metal channel receives the glass near the base of the shade, and metal tabs along the sides of the glass hold it in place.

To remove a piece of glass held in with tabs, bend the tabs so that the glass can be lifted out. Be careful when doing this. Get under the metal with a putty knife or other thin blade. Bend the metal, but do pry against the glass. Sometimes glue has been applied to the glass, and this should be cut away. Basic rule: Never force the glass.

 

Panels are wrapped in metal channel and soldered in place

Right: A common method of construction. There is a brass channel wrapped around each piece of glass and soldered in place. The brass channels are soldered one to another in several spots to give the lamp its form. Typically, extra decorative strips and filigree are added.

Skill with a soldering iron is required to disassemble a lamp of this type. Here's the process: soldered areas are un-soldered, and an intact glass panel with the surrounding brass channel is sent. If you don't want to send the whole lamp, consider taking it to your local stained glass store or someone they recommend. Such a person could remove and re-install the replacement panels that we make. If you put us in contact, I can communicate directly with your local crafter about your project. Note: I can guarantee only my own work.

 

Metal strips hold the glass in place

Left: This example has metal strips that hold the glass in place and hide the glass edges. Screws attach the strips to the lamp frame—remove these and the glass can be removed.

Sometimes metal strips are held in with tabs, with the tabs holding the strips rather than the glass itself as in example #1.

 

 

The glass is wrapped with copper foil and soldered in place

Right: A lamp composed of many pieces of curved glass. Each piece is wrapped with copper foil and soldered, a typical method for making lamps, ornaments and small windows. This type requires a skilled stained glass worker to disassemble and put back together.

 

Matching glass

When matching glass, we consider how the glass looks with the light on, with the light off, the color, density and translucency of the glass, and any texture that is part of the glass. If there is any special difficulty matching your glass, we will discuss the problems and possibilities with you.

Even if all your panels are missing, we can make glass to fit. Maybe you have pictures or some glass chips to indicate the original look of the lamp.

Estimating your repair costs

For a typical lamp, prices are as follows:

To make one replacement panel- $95. This includes the cost of making the needed mold.

Additional panels- $55 each.

Metal work- the standard charge is $50 per hour. This may include repair of filigree and other metal features and all-around strengthening of areas where the metal part of the lamp is weakened or coming apart, and also disassembly and reassembly of glass held in soldered brass channels.

Shipping and Handling: glass panels only- $25; typical lamp- $50; large lamp- $75.

Add to this the cost of shipping the glass panels or lamp to me for your full cost.

Large or especially complex glass panels are priced at $125 for the first panel and $67.50 for each additional panel.

 

In fact, every project is different. When you send me photos of your lamp and your description of what is needed, I prepare a final and comprehensive bid for you that details the costs for glass panel replacement, any metal work that may be needed and the shipping and handling cost.

Completed work and method of payment

Work takes 2-6 weeks, the longer time required for hard-to-match glass. Upon completion, I email you pictures that document the work in detail. A separate email is an invoice with a convenient PayPal button for simple online payment (you do not need your own PayPal account). When the payment is made, I ship and send the tracking number.