Monday, March 6, 2017

A small barn for the summer house 9, painting the windows.

After preparing all the individual pieces for the windows, they were assembled. I used a plane for adjusting the size to a pleasing reveal all around each one of them.
The flat parts of each window were also smoothed with a plane, to ease any small differences from the manufacturing.

I consulted Olav for some advice, and he suggested that the traditional way to go would be to coat the rabbet for the glass twice with shellac prior to painting and adding glaziers putty. The reason behind this approach should be that the shellac keeps the putty "soft" longer, because it prevents the linseed oil from migrating from the chalk and into the wood. 

While I am not be someone who dives into testing new stuff, I am normally ready to try out something old and tested straight away. So I took Olavs advice and used up the remaining shellac mixture I had left over from the travelling bookcases.
While I was at it, I also coated all the knots with shellac.

The hardware for the windows look good in my opinion, but it is the most traditional way to cover it in paint as well, that actually made painting a bit easier, since I shouldn't try to avoid getting paint anywhere.
For the painting itself I have strapped a frame to the workbench and mounted the windows on it. That way I didn't have to invent any work holding for the painted windows. The outside of each frame will not be painted since it will be hidden inside the wall. So it seems to be a fairly efficient way of doing it.

The biggest obstacle was Bertha who found it incredible interesting that I was mowing a small paint brush up and down, so she came close to have a look. I managed to get her ushered away with only a few white parts on her coat of fur.

Complete window.

one large and two small windows painted.

Inside corner with shellac applied.

10 comments:

  1. Cool! I think you'll be happy with those. It will make a nice detail on your hand-made shed.

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    1. Thanks.
      They look better in person than in pictures.
      Sadly the professional in-house photographer has not granted me the honor of visiting the shop with the family's camera, so it is my own pictures (I guess you could tell straight away :-))
      Cheers
      Jonas

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  2. Hi Jonas,

    I can't look at your in Kiel, otherwise Mareike will allways ask me: Why can't you make some windows. Great! I really like the traditionell windows!

    Cheers
    Pedder

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    1. Hi Pedder.

      Making windows is actually quite fun, but painting them is not nearly as interesting.
      I think that you should make one for Mareike. You could make a really small test window, that she could use as a decoration.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  3. Shellacing glazing bars before putty is common practice here. When I painted with my father, doing windows was my job because he didn't like doing the putty work

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    1. Hi Ralph

      Glazing bars. Now I have learned another correct expression :-)
      I had never heard of the shellac "trick" before, but according to Olav it was a an old practice. I think it has fallen into oblivion over here because for many years the mantra has been to install low energy glass which is not set in putty.
      But being old fashioned I didn't want to do that.

      I think the best part about the putty work is that you get such nice soft hands because of all the kneading of the linseed oil based putty. But I might look different on the subject after I have had to tackle 22 individual pieces of glass.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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  4. Looks great Jonas! And from what I've seen everything really ties together. Once again you continue to impress!
    Bill

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    1. Hi Bill.

      Thanks for the nice comment.
      Yesterday I got a buddy of mine to dig a trench for a cable with a small excavator.
      Tomorrow I have arranged with an electrician that he can lay a cable and connect it, so I can have electricity in the barn.
      That also means that I can continue with the floor. But the weather is really crappy at the moment, and I need some dry weather to move the floor boards outside while I install the insulation. But technically I could cover them with some tarpulin.
      Brgds
      Jonas

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  5. Good progress, truly a completely built by your own hands barn, very cool.
    Never seen such window hardware, looks very distinct to your area ??

    Bob, with Rudy wanting to play

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    1. Hi Bob

      Sorry for the late reply.
      I have been busy with splitting some fire wood and moving further along in the window process.
      The hardware is from a local factory, but I have never given much thought to if it is special for this area.
      My parents house' original windows from 1924 had some very similar hardware too, but so does their cottage in Sweden.
      I think the idea of the corner reinforcements was that if the glue stopped working (if any glue was used), the steel square would keep the window together.
      Overall I am very pleased with the quality of the hardware. they are hot zinc dipped, so they should last for a long time.
      Brgds
      Jonas with Bertha taking a morning nap.

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