So What Is Glue Chipped Glass

Glue Chipped Glass.

So, what is it, well it was invented in the late 1800s and used extensively in the US around Chicago and in the UK, and used primarily for the decoration of shop windows to advertise for passing trade, and for the decoration of furniture such as bureaux’s, cupboards and the like.

Being Victorian the process is quite detailed and hand crafted.

The initial designs are hand drawn back to front as the work is created on the reverse of the glass.

From this design a stencil is then cut, which is adhered to the glass leaving an area of glass uncovered for sand blasting.

This area is then sand blasted and cleaned. All of the blasting medium must be removed before the next stage, which is where the fun starts.

A special glue is mixed, heated to the correct temperature and added to the sand blasted glass, and allowed to dry to a spongy consistency.

Once at this stage of drying the glue is then cut through following the stencil, which is removed as you go.

And this is then where the alchemy takes place.

The glue is left to fully dry out for an extended period of time, usually a couple of days. Once full dry and very hard, the whole piece is put through a heat cycle.

By this stage the edges of the glue have usually receded slightly but still cling tightly to the glass as though its whole existence depended on it.

Whilst the glass is heated the glue expands at a different rate to the glass and the tension contained in the glue actually pulls the glue off the glass, with it very thin shards of glass attached to it, around 0.2mm thick.

As the glue peels off the glass, it makes popping noises as the individual shards of glass break away, the released tension sending pieces of glue and glass everywhere, which is why this part of the process is done in a sealed container or “oven”

Peeling the glue off the glass takes anything from 30 – 40 hours, depending on the size of the glass and the area being chipped.

Once all of the glue has peeled off the glass it is then soaked in water to remove all of the remnants of glue that just refuse to come off, and the glass is then polished.

We are now ready for the gold leaf to be applied to the chipped area. I usually gild two layers of 24 carat gold leaf, and then apply gold paint to the dried leaf to fill in all the small cracks that the leaf just can’t get in.

Once this is completed then the sight line needs to be added, this is a perimeter line painted over the edge of the gold leaf in black paint.

Once this is done then the whole of the gold can be painted with the back up paint and left to dry, usually overnight.

Its then time to remove the excess gold and this is simply done with a sponge and water. The sponge is dipped in the water, and rubbed over the excess gold to lift it from the glass, when complete you will have a fully gilded, glue chipped design on the glass and all you then have to do is to paint the surrounding area with enamel paint for the piece to be ready for framing.