Week 6

It ain't over till we say it's over!

It was installation day. Neil and I started the drive out to the site in the loaded truck. The rear view mirror wasn't quite adjusted right so I leaned out the window and gave it a good push. Over tightened as it was, the mirror cracked into three pieces with a loud snap. Neil looked at me and said " That better be the only piece of glass you break today."

It took me two days to repaint the head of John the Baptist. It of course took me no where near that much time originally but now I was trying to rectify all the things I felt were weak in the first version only to discover upon completing the painting process that I had simply exchanged those weaknesses for new ones. I must of done something right with the first head because three of my coworkers asked me if they could have it. "Some stripper name of Salami's got dibs on it." is the stock smart ass answer.

I use it all three times.


The second John

I wasn't angry that the head got broke. In Rita's words "It's glass, it breaks." sometimes you just gotta let it go. I did feel bad for Josh, he apologized several times a day until the window was installed. "Don't beat yourself up" I say, "That's my job."


All glazed and ready for it's close up

Once the window was completed Neil photographed the individual sections in a camera easel. We've learned the hard way that you can't always get a decent shot once the window is installed so we shoot the window in sections and then assemble the separate photos in the computer.


Detail, not photographed by Neil

Neil figured this out with trial and error over several years and has gotten really good at shooting stained glass. Neil's work blows away almost everything I see published. I say this because we periodically find his pictures on other peoples sites (and in a book) with out an attribution. I guess if your gonna steal, steal from the best.

We load up all the tools and the windows. Mike and Simon are going along as well to install a rose window we just completed for another part of the church. These are the last two windows of what has been a very substantial job. We adapted a huge altar window, two transept windows and 12 chapel windows for St. Mary Magdalene not to mention our new rose, a sandblasted rosette and the above mentioned baptism window. After more than a year this job was was almost over.

Neil rarely gets out of the studio, he's made the mistake of making himself indispensable. This may of been my window but is sure as heck was Neil's job so he got sprung for the day. So Mike starts busting his stones, "Hey when we finish installing this rose window we'll give you hand with your little, easy to get to window."

If you've ever been on a job site the week before deadline then you truly understand the meaning of chaos. This site was in no way the worst I've ever seen but we sure weren't working in there alone. Neil and I dropped into the rhythm of the site right away and blasted through the installation.


Yes, a typical installation finds me on my knees for a number of reasons

After we finished Neil crossed the Church to kindly offer Mike and Simon help finishing their window. "What, you guys aren't done yet?"

Everyone in the shop liked the window, but me being me I was still ruminating over the areas of the window that I just didn't get right. Father Chieffo came in to see the window installed and looked at it quizzically," Is that the old window?"

At this moment I am more proud than I have ever been in my entire career.


The finish line

I've really got no business putting my window up next to the Zettler, in the 22 years I've worked in this trade I've spent more time on scaffolding with chop out tools or writing bids than I have painting. The anonymous author of this window most likely painted everyday and well earned his skill.

That and my admiration.


The original Zettler at Saint Al's


My well meaning knock off


Next!