Blue Like Glass

A couple of years ago when I was in my first "let's learn to glaze windows" phase, I dry-fit* six glass panes into a sash and abruptly realized that one of them was blue.  I can't find that photo, so here is a new (less interesting) photo showing a "blue" pane (left) next to a "clear" pane (right).

Given my previously blogged mix and match glass storage strategy, glazing windows now requires an extra analysis step of "are all 6 panes the same color?"

And then on Tuesday, while glazing a sash, Dad and I cracked a clear pane.  I was able to replace it from the glass pile, but it means some future sash will be missing a pane.

In anticipation of this day, I have been collecting old windows from other people's houses (when I can get them for free), specifically for the antique glass.  Of course, it's unlikely that the glass panes from those windows will exactly match the size of glass panes that I need, and they will need to be cut down.

My previous attempts at glass cutting ended badly.  I watched all the YouTube videos and bought tools and tried the various techniques and couldn't get anything that resembled a straight line, so I went to Home Depot and bought new glass.  

But in the choice between learning to cut or spending money, (for once) Dad and I decided we would try again to learn.  We cleared a table in the shop and laid out some practice glass and got started breaking them.  

It only took a few curved breaks and some adjustment of the glass cutter, before Dad got some good clean lines.  I eventually did too, but not as consistently as Dad.  (Not pictured is the jar of shards and cast offs.)

Here is the video evidence that Dad figured it out.

So now when the inevitable breakage occurs, we have more replacement options!

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*I laid 6 panes of glass out in the sash without any glazing putty, just to make sure the glass would fit the openings.