Question on window install

[twiggi]

I have made two panels for a friend to go into a basement bedroom that has no windows.  Her carpenter father is making a wooden window frame to be recessed into the wall with a flourescent light behind to give it the look of a real window.  We are trying to decide the best way to make the light fixture accessible to change bulbs in the future.  We are thinking of soldering a hinge on the panels with a latch in the middle to hold them stationery at all other times.  Any suggestions?  The panels are 12 1/2" x 30".

Any other ideas to keep the stained glass panels secure while still allowing access to change bulbs on occasion would be greatly appreciated.

[Richard Gross]

The Sisters of Saint Francis have a convent here in the KC metro area with stained glass Stations of the Cross that are slightly larger than the panels you're building and that are mounted in light boxes recessed into walls in the perpetual adoration chapel. In addition to the light boxes, the carpenters built wooden frames for each panel. The wooden frames are attached to the light boxes with piano hinges and are held closed with magnetic latches; both the hinges and the latches are completely invisible.

When viewing the Stations, it looks like the wooden frames that carry the panels are mounted directly to the wall since they are flush to the wall and there is no light leaking from the box around the edges of the frame.

If you incorporate similar frames into your design, it should help bear the stress of opening the light boxes to access the bulbs plus give a more finished look to the installation.

[twiggi]

Thanks very much for the info.  I had planned to solder a piano hinge as you mentioned, but was undecided about a latch.  The magnetic type sounds like the perfect solution so it will be hidden.  Thanks again for your help.

twiggi

[hiloguy]

Here's a neat trick for light boxes that go behind art-glass panels.  I do a lot of free-standing pieces that are essentially light boxes crafted of fine woods, and then fitted with an art-glass panel.  On all of them, to scatter the light and give an even-as-possible reflection, I use heavy-duty aluminum foil as the reflecting surface.  I cut a piece about 20% bigger than the panel to be covered, then softly crinkle it up into a loose ball.  Then carefully open the foil again and gently flatten it onto the back panel until it is smooth but don't "iron out" the crinkles!  Then I spray the panel and the back of the foil with spray contact adhesive, let it dry and then smooth the foil onto the panel. Trim off the overhanging foil with a razor blade and you have a prefect back reflector to enhance your art glass.  For my lighting, I use well-placed standard compact fluorescent light bulbs, as they last a long time, produce any kind of light you need and produce very little heat.  Some of my backlighted pieces can be seen here:  http://www.glassandwood.net