May 14 2010
Repair Of Glass Light Shades
It is not unusual to find glass light shade with high value of craftsmanship or antique heritage. Even a functional one such as a bankers lamp shade can have ornamental value. Such shades, when they become old, should be restored or repaired rather than thrown away. The owner should refrain from trying to fix it him or herself, as amateur attempts to piece together the parts results in abrasion of the cracks, or application of glue results in extra work for the restorer. Not all glass lamp shades need to be restored: some can be replaced completely if a glassmaker is willing to undertake the task.
If the glass light shades do not contain many other components such as beads (in beaded lamp shades), mica flakes, brass or iron, and has a relatively simple shape such as a cone or cylinder, it can be made anew by a glass blower or glass maker. The key is to find the right kind of glass that matches or approximates the color of the original. Glass blowing is an ancient art and many people continue to do it today as a hobby. It should not be difficult to find a skilled artisan willing to make a replacement shade for the right price.
On the other hand, a glass light shade cannot be simply replaced especially if it contains parts that are not glass. Some lamps have cemented beads on the outer surface, or individually colored pieces of glass. In case of such complex jobs, it is customary to find a restorer who can spend several weeks working on the piece. Years of experience in the slow, demanding process are needed for restoring delicate art pieces.
The restoration process can be as simple as removing one damaged pane of glass and replacing it with an identical one. This is made difficult by the fact that it is hard to find exactly matching glass and is one reason for the expense. The glass has to match in both color, texture and thickness. In fact, it may be that the replacement looks too good and the restorer in fact has to replace all of the glass panes at once to maintain a uniform look.
The metallic parts of the light shade will require some basic metal working. Metallic foil such as brass or gold are often used to line the edges of glass panes in Tiffany shades which enhances their visual aesthetics. All of these new additions need to match the old in terms of color, texture, thickness, which no doubt is a long-term, lengthy process.
The reason for restoring such shades is that they have value beyond the raw materials of the object itself. For collectors’ pieces, the engraved name of the manufacturer, designer or artist can be worth much more than the functional or material benefits of the shade. Restoration therefore has a strong monetary if not emotional component for most people who own glass light shades.
Some of these ideas were graciously granted by a site on glass light shade. This and other topics on bankers lamp shade replacement are available to all.
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