Repairing Chipped Bevel Before Cementing the Panel

Hi... Ugh!! I am making a sidelight and just finished the whole leading process and soldering it too. I noticed a chip in the 4x4 gluechip bevel that's right in the middle of the sidelight!! I haven't cemented this yet... any help would be appreciated! Also, is there any way to keep the lead more silver than the darker color it gets after the cementing?

Answer

Unfortunately, chips aren't repairable. A quick, but not professional, fix would be to use a dab of etching creme on the chip. It might disguise it enough to look like part of the glue chip. I can't guarantee the quality of the appearance, but it just might do the job.

Being the perfectionist that I am, I would replace the bevel. A repair should be pretty easy if you haven't puttied the panel yet.

Find the straightest path to the bevel and cut through those solder joints with a very sharp lead knife, on both sides of the panel. You should be able to pull the panel apart enough to remove and replace the bevel.

Once the new bevel is in place, push the panel back together. Tap the perimeter lead by placing a piece of wood against the lead and tapping the wood with a hammer until the joints are back where they belong with no visible spaces.

Measure the panel to make sure it's back to the correct size, and square. Then solder the joints that you cut. It really doesn't take very long to do (well, it probably will the first time you try it!).

Keeping the lead more silver is not something I have ever tried to accomplish. I like dark/black lead to outline the glass. However, i spent some time in my studio this afternoon trying different ways to get the lead silver again.

I tried rubbing it with bronze wool...the result was a dulling of the lead. No shine at all.

Next I tried Armorall...there was no discernable difference at all.

Finally I tried Mother's Carnauba Cleaner Wax. It gave the lead a beautiful, very shiney, pewter look. Mother's is what I use on my copper foil projects.

If you use black putty, you can brush the lead with a natural bristle brush, after you putty. The natural bristle brush (Tampico is one brand) will turn the lead black and shiney.

Perhaps someone reading this has a way to get the lead silver again, after it has been puttied. If so, please tell us what you do. Use the comments section below. Thanks!