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Repairing old stained glass in my house
I have 2 stained glass windows in my house and although they seem
sturdy and in fair to good shape I've noticed the metal work (came?) is turning white and/or corroding in spots. A closer look revealed that there is a coating (lead solder?) which is in good shape at all joints but the rest of the frame seems to be bare metal. What would this metal frame normally be made of? It looks like it may be zinc? Can this be easily repaired (sanded and painted) or is lead solder somehow melted over entire frame? Thanks! |
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#2
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"noticed the metal work (came?)
is turning white and/or corroding in spots." If the metal is lead came and it's turning white it is "decaying". The white powder stuff is lead oxide. DO NOT SAND IT! It is VERY toxic. If this is your problem, there is no way to "fix" it, short of releading the window. |
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"Rodent" wrote in message . .. I have 2 stained glass windows in my house and although they seem sturdy and in fair to good shape I've noticed the metal work (came?) is turning white and/or corroding in spots. A closer look revealed that there is a coating (lead solder?) which is in good shape at all joints but the rest of the frame seems to be bare metal. What would this metal frame normally be made of? It looks like it may be zinc? Can this be easily repaired (sanded and painted) or is lead solder somehow melted over entire frame? Thanks! What city are you in? |
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#6
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"Rodent" wrote in message . .. In article , says... "noticed the metal work (came?) is turning white and/or corroding in spots." If the metal is lead came and it's turning white it is "decaying". The white powder stuff is lead oxide. DO NOT SAND IT! It is VERY toxic. If this is your problem, there is no way to "fix" it, short of releading the window. Any idea why the outside looks fine but the *inside* is decaying? (Maybe I'll wet it before I sand it....like removing asbestos) It probably is lead oxide as suggested. I wouldn't have used the word "decaying", although in the strictest sense of the word, it is decay. It's not like it's gonna fall apart like a rotten tree, though. Oxidation "is" decay, but not in the sense that your came is going to dissapear overnight. That oxide is very toxic and you don't want to be inhaling any of it, or ingesting it in any way. Were it mine...I think I'd wash them down really well with soap and water and a very fine3M scratchy pad. (Don't use steel wool.) Gently. Very Gently. Once I got them clean and dry, I'd be tempted to liberally spray some Pledge (or similar) wax on the window and try to "seal" the lead. If you undertake this, use rubber gloves, a dust mask, use paper towels and throw them away. If you use any cotton towels, I'd toss them, too, along with the scratchy pad. If you have small kids or pets that could touch the window, do this sooner rather than later to abate this. Don't let them lick the window, or touch it and then eat something. Lead is ingested into the body by inhalation of dust, and fumes, smoking while handling lead, and by eating while working with it. Just touching it isn't poisionous, unless it is ingested by eating or inhalation. Lead is not absorbed through the skin, according to the CDC. It's a bit curious to me why the oxide is forming on the inside of the windows rather than the outside, as is usual. Nethertheless, you need to take some actions. |
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"Moonraker" wrote in message news "Rodent" wrote in message . .. In article , says... "noticed the metal work (came?) is turning white and/or corroding in spots." If the metal is lead came and it's turning white it is "decaying". The white powder stuff is lead oxide. DO NOT SAND IT! It is VERY toxic. If this is your problem, there is no way to "fix" it, short of releading the window. Any idea why the outside looks fine but the *inside* is decaying? (Maybe I'll wet it before I sand it....like removing asbestos) It probably is lead oxide as suggested. I wouldn't have used the word "decaying", although in the strictest sense of the word, it is decay. It's not like it's gonna fall apart like a rotten tree, though. Oxidation "is" decay, but not in the sense that your came is going to dissapear overnight. That oxide is very toxic and you don't want to be inhaling any of it, or ingesting it in any way. Were it mine...I think I'd wash them down really well with soap and water and a very fine3M scratchy pad. (Don't use steel wool.) Gently. Very Gently. Once I got them clean and dry, I'd be tempted to liberally spray some Pledge (or similar) wax on the window and try to "seal" the lead. If you undertake this, use rubber gloves, a dust mask, use paper towels and throw them away. If you use any cotton towels, I'd toss them, too, along with the scratchy pad. If you have small kids or pets that could touch the window, do this sooner rather than later to abate this. Don't let them lick the window, or touch it and then eat something. Lead is ingested into the body by inhalation of dust, and fumes, smoking while handling lead, and by eating while working with it. Just touching it isn't poisionous, unless it is ingested by eating or inhalation. Lead is not absorbed through the skin, according to the CDC. It's a bit curious to me why the oxide is forming on the inside of the windows rather than the outside, as is usual. Nethertheless, you need to take some actions. is someone cleaning the inside with acidic solutions (vinegar)? |
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#10
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Rodent wrote:
In article , says... snip "Rodent" wrote in message . .. Any idea why the outside looks fine but the *inside* is decaying? (Maybe I'll wet it before I sand it....like removing asbestos) snip No, my wife says she only uses a clean cloth/towel to occasionally wipe them off (might wet it with water once in a great while). We do however run a humidifier in the winter (hot air heat) and the unit is in the same room as the windows. Could humidity cause this? Yes. Do you get condensation on the pane during cold weather? -- http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling. ---------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------- "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornfull tone, "It means Just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -- Lewis Carrol |
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