Glassy Lady

I'm baaack!!!

2011-10-01T00:27:00.005-05:00

After a lengthy break which involved hunting for a new house, jumping through all the new hoops to get a mortgage, moving into said house, and trying to find some sort of part-time musical employment, life has settled down, and I actually put in a little work on the clavichord. I'll admit to procrasination and for good reason. Tiny parts involved, and I felt like all thumbs. But, a simple procedure, really. First, in order to make them true butt hinges, I had to whack the little brass darlings that hold the fallboard to the case with a hammer. Next, I located where to place the hinges by using the blueprint. Using an Exacto knife, I carved out a little niche on the case and the fallboard in which to nestle the hinges so they would be flush with the wood.

The manual said to use a sharp chisel which "demands care," but let's get real. I'm not a skilled woodworker. I have to work small and slow, and a chisel is just asking for trouble. The little knife did just fine, thank you very much. I then drilled pilot holes with my Dremel and the #57 bit and screwed four tiny little screws through the hinges and into the pilot holes. I did a couple of these very successfully, but what a test of patience! I called in my husband to help hold things steady, and while four hands and a flashlight directed under the hinge so I could see what I was doing did make it easier, it was still tricky. When I was certain everything lined up and looked just right, I removed the hinges and put them away. Can't slop Minwax all over the brass now can we... Anyway, here are a couple more shots of my work.

The Stand

2011-03-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to show the clavichord atop the stand. Ain't it purdy???

The next steps will lead to completion of the case as well as putting my artistic talents to work in creating some art work to identify me as the builder. I'm looking forward to that!

Stand Assembly

2011-03-14T23:21:00.001-05:00

Ah, yes. The stand for which I fought long and hard. It was a piece of cake to assemble! The legs, front and back aprons, and side aprons are held together with glue and mortise and tenon joinery. After sanding the legs and apron with a fine sanding sponge, I did a quick dry run, then applied glue into the mortises (slots carved into the legs and apron) and inserted the loose tenons (little blocks of grooved wood). When the legs and aprons are all joined up tight, those little tenons don't show. Not being a woodworker, I'm totally unfamiliar with all these terms and methods of joinery, so I found it all very fascinating and rather gratifying to end up with a neatly finished stand where the wood pieces that contribute to its solidity are completely hidden. Very cool. Although the manual didn't mention it, I pulled out the clamping blocks and rope that I used to make the case rim. This sucked all the pieces together very nicely. Here is a picture of the stand with clamping blocks and rope in "dead bug" position while the glue dries.

I ran out of the Titebond glue halfway through, so I pulled out Aleene's original (and trusty) Tacky Glue which I have found to be one of the best glues on the market. Why I ran out of the Titebond is a bit of a mystery because I had glue to spare when I built my harpsichords. Although this bottle is much smaller than that supplied with my harpsichord kits, I am theorizing that the winter atmosphere here in Nebraska is so dry, I used more glue because it was setting up so fast! Quite different from July in Chicago. Nevertheless, I am forging ahead with Aleene's. I am incredibly happy that Zuckermann came through and finally sent me a complete stand after four years of patient effort. Thank you, Steve. I am not mad at you anymore!

The Stand Arrived

2011-03-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update here. It only took four years, umpteen emails to Zuckermann, one anonymous phone call to see if their email was working, and about four months of effort from the Better Business Bureau, but I finally received a complete clavichord stand. I did an immediate dry run to see if everything was there (oh please, dear Lord, let it all be there because I can't take much more of this), and I am happy to report that I finally have everything I need to construct a very expensive clavichord stand. I am a happy camper.

A Good Shellacking!

2011-03-07T23:28:00.000-06:00

Since the shellac needed to dissolve for at least 12 hours in denatured alcohol, I decided to skip ahead while the alcohol did its thing. Sooo....

Now comes the case molding. I don't use miter boxes on a daily basis, nor am I handy with a saw. But considering my very limited skills, I think I did a decent enough job. Here's an example of how my mitered corners came out using my fine-toothed Exacut saw.

I plan to fill the tiny little crack with some Famowood #1 Professional Wood Filler in red oak. I've filled larger gaps and you couldn't tell. In fact, I've repaired huge chunks and then filed and sanded the molding lines to match perfectly. This was, of course, on a painted surface, but when the paint went on, not a soul knew, and I sure wasn't telling. The holes left by the nails I used to hold the molding to the case while the glue dried will be steamed shut when I can grab some time.

Then came the "dressing" of the soundboard. That's fancy talk for wiping on the shellac. After a quick sanding with a super fine sanding sponge block, I took a piece of cheese cloth, dipped it in the shellac, and quickly wiped it on the soundboard. It just glided on.

I let it dry for over two hours and then drilled for the hitchpins, slanting the holes against the eventual pull of the strings. The manual warns to not make the slant too severe so as to pop through the side, so of course I had to do the first one exactly like that. Oops. All the others went without a "hitch." (That's a little clavichord humor.) I didn't find that job nearly as boring as drilling the tuning pin holes, but of course, the bit was 1/16", and something that small zips through the wood easily. And I don't believe I was drilling into oak, either!

Then it was back to the soundboard which was given a second light sanding and a second coat of shellac. Here's where the clavichord stands as of tonight.

No Chorus Line Here!

2011-03-04T23:05:00.000-06:00

Tonight I finished drilling the tuning pin holes. All I can say is they are not lined up like the Rockettes. I'm telling myself that it lends "character" to my soundboard.

I spread this drilling out over three evenings because I found it to be the most boring job yet. Ugh. I did not force the bit into that rock-hard oak, but used the weight of my Dremel to sink the bit into the wood 1-5/16" deep. I went low tech and attached a little masking tape flag to my bit to tell me when I had reached the desired depth. The holes were drilled with an ever-so-slight lean toward the right case wall. I found I had to do a lot of vacuuming along the way as the drilling generated an unbelievable amount of sawdust. After finishing that ordeal, I pulled out my Swiss Exacut, attached the fine-toothed saw, got my husband's little plastic miter box out and measured and cut the thin soundboard molding. Easy peasy. The manual makes a big deal out of how to spread the glue, but I found that a small (craft size) paintbrush worked perfectly to apply the glue along the right angle where the bottom and back of the molding meet. I used just enough glue to spread out when I pressed the molding into place, holding them briefly while the glue set up. Voila! Done.

Gluing in the Ribs and Soundboard

2011-02-21T22:44:00.000-06:00

The ribs are glued to the underside of the soundboard and positioned by using the blueprint and carbon paper in various ways to eventually end up with rib outlines drawn on the bottom of the soundboard. At that point, it's a matter of gluing the ribs into position and placing some flat weight on top of them while the glue sets. I elected to use a square box of stained glass sample pieces and scraps as well as a couple kiln shelves and two five-pound weights. The box was almost the exact size of the soundboard, so this worked perfectly. The next evening, I scooped out the ends of all the ribs so they were down to approximately 1/16 of an inch. My trusty Dremel with a sanding barrel zipped through those ends and made beautiful chamfers - not that anyone is going to see them. But here are a couple of nice pictures of them.

My husband and I signed the underside of the soundboard and proceeded to glue it in place. There is a huge difference between gluing in a large harpsichord soundboard in hot and humid Chicago and a small clavichord soundboard in the dead of winter. Glue sets up fast when the board and the air are dry, so we had to work fast!

To shield the soundboard from being marred by the clamps, I took a wooden paint stick, cut it into four pieces, and used them to pad the surface. Glue was spread all over the wrestplank, around the liners, and across the bellyrail. I used spring/pinch clamps (newly purchased just for this application) in the mouse hole, and I used my c-clamps on the wrestplank.

Along the other edges, I used 1/2x20 nails every three inches or so to hold the soundboard down on the liners. These were placed close to the edge of the soundboard so that the decorative molding to come would cover them. I handled the pinch clamps, and my husband handled the c-clamps as well as the nails (I was just no good with them), using our handy-dandy nail set.

All is drying now, and I plan to give it a good 24 hours before attempting to drill the tuning pin holes.

An "Aha" Moment

2011-02-17T17:54:00.000-06:00

At 3:30 in the morning, as I lay in bed fretting about frets, it occurred to me that I might have misunderstood what the manual was trying to communicate. Tapping "toward the bass" could mean one of two things:

the bass of the instrument, which would be to the left/west
the bass of the bridge, which would be to the south.

As I was visualizing the strung instrument, I was trying to figure out how in the heck pins would prevent the strings from riding up if they were bent toward the bass end of the instrument. In addition, by tapping in that direction, I was tapping along the grain of the wood and encouraging that crack.

If my musings were correct, instead of left-leaning pins, I should have been trying to create southbound pins, thus tapping against the grain and not encouraging the cracking. After all, the instrument is strung east-west, not north-south like a harpsichord! Doh! I should realize that if I can't make sense of something, it's probably because it's wrong.

A response from the manual's author confirmed all my suspicions. So now I'll try tapping the pins again, this time in the correct direction and, hopefully, with better success.

The Bridge and Its Pins

2011-02-17T00:16:00.000-06:00

This morning I glued the bridge to the soundboard, and it couldn't have gone any more smoothly. That should have tipped me off on what was to come! Every winter, we experience the shock of static electricity in the dry air almost every day. But that's not enough to convince me that my soundboard is dry enough. Having built my first harpsichord in the humid summer air of Chicago and seeing what a dry winter in Albuquerque's desert climes could do to it, I was taking no chances. I parked my little soundboard in front of my oven door while I prepared to glue the bridge to it. I have to say, I got the perfect amount of glue on the bridge, and the little guide holes with their padded nails went right into position without a single slip or misstep. I nailed the bridge securely to the soundboard, using the bottom of the case as my sturdy work surface and observed the exact amount of glue squeeze I expected to see. After allowing it to dry to a gummy state, I neatly scraped up the squeeze. No problemo! Looks like a million bucks!

After allowing the bridge to dry about six hours, I tapped in the pins and ran my file across the tops of them to even them up a bit more. Then the fun began. The manual says to put a nail set or screwdriver against each pin and give it a tap toward the bass to create a 5-degree bend in each pin. Huh? Five degrees is barely a blip on the radar, so how on earth am I to know if I've been successful? Plus, when I got to the mid-range of the pins, I saw the bridge threatening a hairline crack. Well, crap. I took some glue and worked it over the bridge between the pins where I saw trouble brewing.

I set the board aside and proceeded to scour the Internet for a close-up shot of a clavichord bridge. Nothing helpful showed itself, so I googled the manual's author and dashed off a quick email to him. I asked for clarification on where and how this bend is supposed to be. I hope he answers.

On the next run, I would suggest a decent picture of the bridge with its pins bent appropriately instead of one of the distant shots of a finished instrument where little of any use is seen. Even a picture of a bridge pin all by itself with its little bend in it would be good. I am a visual person.

Tomorrow, I'll forge on ahead with the soundboard ribs.

Why be boring when you can have pizazz?

2011-02-14T23:56:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! After the obligatory evening celebrations, complete with flowers, wine, and a little Cherry Garcia, we settled into a comfortable evening at home. Such is the cozy life of two people who have loved each other for over 25 years. Since Harry's Law was the only thing I felt deserved my attention on the television, I concentrated on carving a little curve on the base end of the bridge in the hours leading up to the show. The little flourish on the bridge was accomplished with the aid of some diamond drill bits from Harbor Freight, my Dremel, and an X-Acto knife. First, I drew the intended shape with a pencil on the side of the bridge. Next, I whittled a little dip in the wood, and when I had removed a sufficient amount, I used various diamond drill bits to get down to the intended shape. Having never carved wood before, I approached this task with more than a little trepidation, but after thoughtfully gazing at the bridge from time to time throughout the day, I finally felt ready to give it the old college try. The nice thing about the diamond bits and the Dremel is that one does not have to worry about aggressive action from the tools. They are gentle. Nevertheless, in no time, the feat was accomplished.

I sanded the entire bridge with a fine sandpaper sponge and pronounced it finished. I won't earn any awards for creativity in design, but I'm a simple girl, and this simple curve suits me just fine.

The Bridge

2011-02-13T22:43:00.000-06:00

What a pain in the neck this is! Well, part of it. For starters, I positioned the soundboard under the blueprint, and made little cuts in the paper at the four corners so I could line everything up properly. I then positioned the bridge on top of the blueprint as accurately as possible and drilled five holes with my #57 drill bit in my Dremel. I drilled through the bridge, the blueprint, and the soundboard clear through to my work surface, taking care to avoid places where the future bridge pin holes would be drilled. I managed to do well with two of them. Three of them are pretty close to where bridge pins would go, so they will get filled later and then drilled to accommodate the bridge pins. I drove five 3/4x18 nails through the holes. This would allow me to reposition the bridge in the exact same place, sans blueprint, later on. I then took it all apart and, after placing a layer of Scotch tape across the blueprint where the bridge is drawn, placed the blueprint on top of the bridge and used the nail holes to hold the paper down. My husband and I smoothed the drawing down, creasing it along the sides of the bridge. Making a little tap with a nail, I marked the 56 places where I would drill holes for the bridge pins. This is the part of the task that's a pain. The marks on the blueprint are small, the paper is large and cumbersome and not three dimensional like the bridge, and the area being marked is very narrow. Tedious is a word that comes to mind. After that was done, we rigged up the Dremel's drill press so I could drill 56 perfectly straight holes into the bridge at the precise depth needed. I was doubly careful and also marked the bit with a little strip of masking tape.

Yeah, overkill. But I don't like to leave anything to chance. When that was done I called it a day.

Trimming the Soundboard

2011-02-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

Assuming "the soundboard will have to be trimmed" means "do it now," I set out to trim it down to size. The instruction manual does not offer any hints on how one might accomplish that, so, taking no chances, I elected to use a cardboard template, an X-Acto knife, an Exacut with the wheel cutter attachment, and sandpaper. The first thing I did was trace the shape of the soundboard onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out. At that point I was able to slowly trim the straight "north" and "east" sides of the cardboard until it fit the case perfectly. I then laid the cardboard template on the spruce soundboard and drew lines where the soundboard needed to be trimmed. Laying a long metal straightedge along the line on the right ("east") side of the board, I cut a scoring line with the X-Acto knife.

This cut went across the grain, so after cutting a good deep score, I switched to my Exacut with the wheel cutter attached to it and deepened the cut until it went through to the bottom. Perfect! I repeated the routine on the top, or "north" end of the board. Since I was cutting with the grain, this took a fraction of the time. The board was still (purposely) a hair too large, so I sanded the two edges until it fit perfectly.

Confession time. When I glued the long hitchpin rail, I didn't notice that it was a fraction too long. Two possible remedies: try to trim/sand it or cut a small notch in the soundboard to accommodate it. I chose the latter, and it looks fabulous!

The BBB rocks!

2011-02-09T18:04:00.000-06:00

You've got to wonder if the Better Business Bureau's suggestion that I seek legal counsel had an effect. Suddenly, three months after they were last contacted by me (four years since initial contact) and two months after they were first contacted by the BBB, Zuckermann decided to respond. They are claiming I never answered their emails and that their policy clearly states how missing or incorrect parts are handled. They apparently are awaiting return of the parts I do have for inspection and replacement. So, I merrily shipped them off today to Stonington, Connecticut.

Ya know what? I'm just so happy that I finally got some action on this, I'm not going to play the blame game. If they want to put the onus on me, I'll be magnanimous and let them. How did Phil Collins sing it? "I don't care anymore." Just send me my blasted stand! If it ever arrives, my whoop will be heard for miles!

The case is finished!

2011-02-08T21:21:00.000-06:00

Well, except for decorative molding. The final step was to mark the hitchpin rails and glue them into place. The manual describes a rather silly (to me, at least) way of marking these rails by placing the blueprint over the pieces and then "feeling" them into proper position. My word, not theirs. I simply cut out the rails from the blueprint, thus creating a template to lay neatly and cleanly over the wood. If Zuckermann were smart, they would include separate templates for this purpose. It would cost them less than 10 cents. I marked the rails with a pointed tool,

and then I taped the cutouts back into the blueprint. Actually, before I began the project, I went to our city hall and had them run a copy of the blueprint on one of their big machines designed to do just that. Eventually, I hope to have enough money to have it professionally framed or mounted because it would make a cool piece of wall art.

Following the manual's directions, I took my #57 drill bit, a skinny little hair of a bit, and drilled through three of the holes in the bass hitchpin rail and six of the holes in the longer hitchpin rail. I made up some padded 3/4" nails with the provided cardboard squares, two per nail, applied glue to the bass rail put it into place and used the padded nails to clamp the rail down. I did the same with the long rail. The manual didn't point out that one should not center the nails on the pads because the holes on the long rail are not centered. The cardboard will actually push the rail away from the spine, even if it hangs over as little as 1/64", so that little tidbit, as obvious as it may seem, is worth a mention. The holes in the long rail are so close to the spine, it's a real challenge to drive the nails in, even using a nail set to get your hammer above the rim of the case. Nevertheless, I gave it my best. Here is the result.

When the glue is dry, I'll cut off the cardboard, remove the nails and move to the next task which will be fitting the soundboard.

Promised Pictures

2011-02-05T21:45:00.000-06:00

The majority of the case joinery is done. All that is left is marking the hitchpin rails (made from cherry wood) and then gluing them down. The following pictures may resemble several of my dry run pictures (as you would expect), but the difference is that all of the "guts" are now glued permanently into place. Here's the whole magilla:

This is the pesky middle belly rail that had me a bit concerned. Further down the road, we'll see if my worries were for naught. This picture is shot from the bass end toward the treble.

This picture shows the right cheek with its liner and the middle bellyrail, this time shot from the treble end and looking toward the bass end. That little piece of wood to the right of the bellyrail is the back bellyrail. If you look closely, you can see the chamfer I carved in the rear liner.

Below is a shot of the tool box. The lid fits very snugly indeed, so I may end up sanding it a tiny bit. For now, it is sitting off to the side.

And finally, here is a picture of a bead of glue I ran down the seam between the belly rail and the cheek - just because. It will dry nearly invisible.

So there you have it. Dare I think I could have the entire instrument finished by summer?

Progress!

2011-02-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

This evening involved a lot of gluing and clamping. The back soundboard liner and rear bellyrail were glued into place as well as the front soundboard liner (although the manual neglects to tell you to do this) and the right cheek liner. The only glitch, which is mildly concerning at the moment, is an ill-fitting middle bellyrail. I had to sand the rear bellyrail down a bit (where it meets the spine) to get the middle bellyrail to fit at the correct angle. I did not want to mess with sanding an angled surface. It is entirely possible that the balance rail shifted a 16th of an inch when we were gluing and drilling, thus throwing the fit of the middle bellyrail off just enough to not fit properly. It is the only piece that is not yet glued into place due to the fact that everything else needs to set up and dry before I tackle that. I am hoping that a few taps with the rubber-tipped side of my stained glass hammer will be enough to bring it into line. If not, I dunno... At any rate, the light at the end of the tunnel known as Building the Case is within sight. As soon as I get the middle bellyrail in place, I'll post a picture.

My Ever-Expanding Vocabulary

2011-02-02T17:07:00.000-06:00

The next step in my clavichord project is to glue the cheeks into place. In reading the manual, I ran across a few words in this section that are not in this musician's everyday vocabulary. Hemidemisemiquaver I understand; arris, not so much. I offer definitions here in the event anyone reading might also benefit from a little enlightenment.

Dado: a slot or trench cut into wood.

Lap joint: This is formed when you overlap pieces of wood and fasten them together so they are flush and the surface is smooth and continuous. This assumes, I would think, the presence of a dado matching the width of the second piece of wood. I may be incorrect, but I'm trying to make practical sense of the new words (practical, as in, use it in a sentence). If you google lap joint, you will see many images that I believe confirm my assumption.

Arris: This is an architectural term that describes the sharp edge formed by the intersection of two surfaces. I actually have an entertainment center constructed in Arts and Crafts style. The side panel and front panel are joined by a solid leg of oak. The 90-degree corner of that leg forms an arris, a sharp edge, into which a chamfer is carved, much like what I carved into the rear liner a while back, albeit a bit fancier. And wouldn't you know it? The manual suggests a chamfer be made on the inside arris of the rack to eliminate any glue bumps so as to ensure a tight fit when everything is glued into place. I've been pretty darn neat with my gluing, so this additional chamfer may not be necessary. We'll see. I'm off to glue my cheeks. That didn't come out right, but it is what I'm about to do.

Zuckermann and the Better Business Bureau

2011-02-01T12:09:00.000-06:00

I received an email from the Better Business Bureau updating me on my complaint against Zuckermann. They report contacting the company on multiple occasions, but, to date still have not received a reply. As a result, have closed my complaint as a "no response," which will be reported to the public for the next three years. They have suggested I consider filing an online complaint with the Connecticut Attorney General's Office or with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. They also suggest I consider legal means.

My immediate response is to once again warn people about Zuckermann's business practices. They cater to a niche market, so if one is inclined to build an early instrument, their designs are certainly going to need your consideration. My only advice is to pounce on the kit as soon as it arrives and do a dry run immediately. As soon as you know what is missing, you'll need to contact them ASAP and hound them for the missing parts. They don't whine about little things that need to be supplied, but in my experience, they don't hurry to correct the problem. In my case, it took them 10 months to send a small envelope of bridge pins that were not included. If anything big is missing, be prepared for a battle.

I'll be back to the building fun in a day or two! Stay tuned.

Attaching the Balance Rail

2010-12-17T15:37:00.005-06:00

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Today I was able to snag a few minutes to attach the balance rail. When I did the last dry run, I drew a pencil line on the inside of the case bottom along both sides of the balance rail to mark its permanent home. The rail was a hair short - too slight to need a shim - so I inserted some shiny cardstock I had handy. After removing all the pieces from the dry run, I marked five screw holes (being careful to avoid any balance pin holes) and drilled through the bottom of the case to accommodate the 1-1/4" screws provided. I used the countersink on the bottom exterior of the case so the screws would go in flush. I squeezed three dots of glue on the bottom of the balance rail, set it in place inside the lines, added my little cardboard shim, and allowed the glue to set for 30 minutes. At that point, I took a smaller drill bit and drilled up through the previously-drilled holes and into the rail. The trick here is to keep the drill bit perpendicular so that when you screw the rail down, it doesn't shift off position because your pilot holes are off. I did my best. I knocked the rail off the case, scraped off the glue, and then reapplied a layer of glue to the bottom of the rail and the two ends that would attach to the hitchpin rail and wrestplank, set the rail in, and drove the screws home. It's drying as I type.

As If I Don't Have Enough to Do

2010-12-15T23:23:00.003-06:00

Since I'm baking a lot of cookies for the holidays, I decided to start a cookie recipe blog at http://www.yummycookierecipes.blogspot.com/ and share the results of my baking adventures - good, bad, and otherwise. Many (but not all) of the recipes are from my grandmother's collection. She gathered recipes from friends, her sisters, and The Chicago Tribune. Since she died in 1972, many of the recipes I'll be sharing may qualify as "vintage." Give it a look now and again if you like cookie recipes. I promise to post more about my progress on the clavichord construction soon.

Why am I not surprised?

2010-12-14T00:21:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update on my little battle with Zuckermann. I opened a case with the Better Business Bureau on Nov. 24, 2010. After review, they assigned a case number and sent a copy of the complaint to Zuckermann with a request for a response by Dec. 9. On Monday, Dec. 13, the BBB contacted me and asked if I had heard from Zuckermann since they have heard nothing from them. Of course, the silence has been deafening. Lends credence to my complaint. A reminder of the dispute has been sent by the BBB.

It is a pity that a company which caters to a niche market has so little regard for its customers. I guess this third instrument kit will be my last one because I can't afford to be "taken" like this again.

But do stay tuned (sic) for updates on my progress with the building of the clavichord. While I can't recommend the company, I can still enjoy the journey with the instrument.

Moving right along...

2010-11-19T18:08:00.002-06:00

Located in Roca, Nebraska (which is more of a broad geographic area rather than a town), along Highway 77 between Beatrice, Nebraska, and Lincoln, Nebraska, is Hinrich's Fine Woods. http://hinrichsfinewoods.com/ They specialize in custom cabinetry, recreation of missing parts, and antique furniture restoration. They have been accredited by the Better Business Bureau and have a rating of A+. I stopped in with the clavichord's rack, and the gentleman in charge quickly and easily zipped off 1/16". The cost was $5.00. I spoke with him about my stand dilemma, and he seemed quite interested in helping me recreate the missing pieces. As long as he has a picture to go by, he should be able to come up with replacement parts.

And on the subject of the BBB, the branch that handles businesses in Stonington, Connecticut, received my official complaint today. Unlike Hinrichs in Roca, Nebraska, Zuckermann is not accredited by the BBB. The site states, "BBB has requested basic information from this company but has not received a response." Ha. Get in line. Zuckermann has had 10 business days to respond to my last email, and once again, they have failed to do so.

Stayed tuned...

Dry Run

2010-11-10T00:47:00.006-06:00

Today was filled with stained glass work in preparation for an upcoming show, so I could only spare a little time for the clavichord. However, I still made good progress. I needed to set everything in place as it will eventually be so I could check the keyboard clearance. After sanding the front liner, everything fit into place very nicely. I put a balance pin in the bass and treble ends of the balance rail and placed the lowest and highest keys from the keyboard onto those pins.

I inserted a folded piece of thin cardboard into both the kerfs in the tails of the keys and their corresponding kerfs in the rack.

There is supposed to be a 1/16" space between the key tail and the rack. As you might be able to see in the pictures, I don't have that much clearance, so the rack needs to be planed or sanded down. And not by me, I suspect. I'm no good with a plane, and I lack the type of sanding equipment needed to do this correctly. Being new in town, I don't have local friends to call upon, so I will most likely seek out a local professional woodworker. Since the gap is virtually nonexistent, I suppose all I have to do is tell him (or, less likely, her) I want 1/16" taken off - and not a hair more. I'll let you know how that goes, but there's no telling how long this will take. Stay tuned...

Chamfers and Kerfs and Other Weird Words

2010-11-08T16:30:00.008-06:00

Last evening, I spread glue on the back, bottom, and wide end of the backrail. In my picture, you might be able to see how the wide end is to the left, and how the backrail tapers on the right side.

I love clamps. Actually, I love a tight instrument, so I use a lot of clamps to make sure everything is as snug as a bug in a rug. I swear I took a picture of the clamps on the backrail, but for some reason, it isn't in the camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I used four clamps - two to hold the backrail to the spine and two to hold it tight to the bottom of the instrument. After the glue dried, and I removed the clamps, I did a quick dry run, just to make sure parts hadn't magically disappeared.

Since Zuckermann has accused me of throwing away large pieces of finely finished and rather expensive walnut designed for a stand (the entire apron, actually), I thought I'd check my sanity and make sure more parts hadn't disappeared into the ether. As you can see, the guts of the clavichord are still in my possession, just as they were when I first opened the box upon delivery. The parts that were missing when I opened the box are still missing. Nice try, Zuckermann! Perhaps the ghost of the King of Sweden sneaked in when I wasn't looking and took them. See earlier posts for additional rants on that subject. And be sure to tune in for future rants because I blessed the company with one more email last night in an attempt to get them to make good on my purchase. They made a veiled promise of resolution when they asked me to "be patient." That was three years ago. I've been plenty patient. But, I digress...

In this picture of my second (and partial) dry run, you can better see that the treble hitchpin rail is placed atop the backrail. The kerfs, which in everyday common language are also called notches or slits, cut in the wood are facing outward rather than upward, which is logical since they will be used in tandem with the kerfs in the back end of the keys to line up the keyboard properly.

I also checked the treble hitchpin rail against the blueprint, and the piece matches up nicely, although a hair too long, so it was treated to a little sanding on the bass end. To the right and along the back of the instrument is the little rear belly rail which sits at a right angle to the treble hitchpin rail. Then, to the right of that is the rear liner which, as you can see in the first dry run photo, is a tad bit too long, so today I sanded it as well. In the picture above, it fits nicely along the spine. On the left front of the rear liner, I cut a chamfer. For the uninitiated (such as myself), a chamfer is a flat surface that you create when you cut off the edge of a block of wood. In other words, a bevel edge. Thank you, Merriam-Webster. The manual suggested I use a knife or a chisel. I once had an ex-husband who cut off a chunk of his index finger with an exacto knife while trying to replace a bathroom window, so I didn't care to risk that particular sharp object. And I prefer to use chisels on chunkier pieces of wood, simply because I don't use chisels with any frequency and therefore lack the control or skill I think I should possess. The rear liner is only 1/2" thick and doesn't need anything huge to create that bevel, so I pulled out my favorite tool - my handy dandy Dremel. In mere minutes, a nice little sanding barrel of an attachment safely created my chamfer, the purpose of which is to allow a little more vibrating area in the treble end of the soundboard. The manual said the chamfer didn't have to be fancy, which I took to mean pretty, but mine is. It won't ever show, but I'll secretly know it's nice.

The next step will be to do another full dry run much like the first, only this time with the addition of balance pins, a couple of keys, and a few other parts to make sure everything is lining up properly and the keys are going to fit. I'll be sure to report my findings.

Slowly Progressing

2010-11-05T21:21:00.003-05:00

With the holiday season heating up, I've been busy building stained glass stock for my upcoming shows. The clavichord has been on a back burner for a while. However, I devoted some time this evening to a little instrument building.

What you are looking at here is a nicely planed and sanded bottom where it joins the spine. I'm not an expert with the tool, and I had to have my husband hold on to the case while I worked, but I got the job done. I then went over it with sandpaper to get a perfect finish on the back. I'm happy with it. Hopefully, I'll be able to work on it some more in the near future. Keep checking back for updates.

Back at it again

2010-09-20T22:46:00.005-05:00

After taking a short break due to a minor snafu with my Black and Decker cordless drill, I'm back to work. I didn't get as much accomplished as I had hoped, but I did get the ball rolling again. Having previously clamped the bottom to the case rim and marked the places to drill for the bottom screws, I managed this evening to drill all the screw holes in the bottom. I then unclamped the bottom to backdrill the holes.

The manual does not specifically state what size drill bit to use for the backdrilling, but with a little Yankee ingenuity, I decided on an 11/64" bit. Perfect! When I removed the bottom, I happily discovered that my placement of the bottom and insistence on using a little muscle (yes, my husband thinks I'm being a royal pain when I insist on having it my way) to square the case rim resulted in all the pilot holes in the rim being perfectly centered. What more could I ask for? Damn, I'm good.

One picture is worth a thousand words

2010-09-08T23:14:00.004-05:00

If memory serves, when I built my two harpsichords, the first thing I built was called the "horse." It was the business end of the instrument just above where the keyboard sat. Its centerpiece was the oak wrestplank (also sometimes referred to as the pinblock), which was the heaviest piece of wood in the entire harpsichord. Of course, the instrument was strung north/south, so it made sense that it would be up front. It was into that very solid piece of wood that I drilled holes for the tuning pins. With the clavichord, the rim of the instrument (its framework, so to speak) comes first with the small, lightweight (by comparison) wrestplank and hitchpin block being inserted on the sides for an east/west stringing. When the rim is done, it comes time to attach the bottom of the instrument.

On my old harpsichord, the bottom was an unattractive piece of plywood. On the fretted clavichord, it is a lovely piece of wood that is constructed, it would appear, from long pieces of spruce or fir, 13/16" x 3/4", that are glued together in a northwest by southeast pattern. It is the heaviest piece of wood in the clavichord simply by virtue of its size and thickness.

Again, the instructions are a bit confusing: set it up, flip it over, it should go in this direction, etc. All right..... Is that direction before or after you flip it? Not too clear, but fortunately, the writer explains that the "slanted" construction follows the direction the strings will take in order to counteract their pull. Consulting the photos included with the manual was helpful, although I did need to look closely because the various "strips" of wood do not vary in color nearly as much as mine below does.

The picture says it all.

Once I had this clear in my mind, I flipped the rim and bottom over and marked the spots where I will drill for the screws.

And then America's Got Talent came on, and it was time to stop. So I did.

Fretted Clavichord Construction for Dummies

2010-09-06T22:20:00.017-05:00

Moving to a new town coupled with a sudden influx of stained glass wedding invitation orders temporarily sidelined clavichord construction for a while, but today, Labor Day 2010, I ran out of excuses.

This project is from a Zuckermann King of Sweden kit. My plan is to document the progress as well as the problems I encounter. Should any fellow builders happen to find this blog, I hope you'll share any insights or comments.

Let me begin by saying that I really miss David J. Way, or D. Jacque Way as he later came to call himself. He was the designer of the two Flemish instruments I built and the person who purchased Zuckermann Harpsichords from Wolfgang Joachim Zuckermann in 1969. David was a real character and a pottie-mouth who didn't care who was within earshot, but all in all, he was a decent enough guy with a passion for the instruments. He also knew how to write a great instruction manual. He was also pretty fair-minded, and if something was wrong as a result of the company's failure, he made it right. The current owners charged me full price for a clavichord stand, but only sent half of it. They have refused to make good on it, so this will definitely be the last kit I ever buy from them.

Although I have built two Flemish harpsichords, I am a rank amateur when it comes to clavichords; hence the title of this post. My husband is helping out with this kit, so I want to take a moment to publicly thank him for putting up with me. Mainly he's a sounding board because glue is involved with this very expensive kit, and I need him to keep me thinking clearly.

The first thing we did was sand the case front cutouts.

A tack cloth was really handy at this stage. We sanded the insides of the case parts and laid the bottom of the case on the table, assembled the four sides and placed the four included clamping blocks at each of the corners.

We added the rope to the corners as directed, checking frequently for square.

You'll notice in the above pix that there is a piece of wood inside the case rim. How did I know to add that? Well, it certainly wasn't because the manual told me to do it! It came about as the result of a lot of head-scratching. The manual says, "Spread glue on the sides only of the blocks..." Well, that's dumb because the only blocks mentioned so far are the corner clamping blocks, and they are not a part of the kit; they're just tools to help the case stay together during this early stage of construction. After some time, I went back to the beginning of the section which is entitled, Building the Case. The subtitle reads, The case rim, the wrestplank, the hitchpin block, and the bottom. Hmmm.... What the writer neglected to mention is that one must take the wrestplank and the hitchpin block and place them inside the rim. In fact, those parts aren't mentioned at all until several paragraphs later following the instruction to remove the "clamping blocks." (Well, if you've just glued them to the rim, how are you going to do that? Don't worry. I knew something was missing in the instructions and I didn't even unwrap the bottle of glue until I had it figured out.) It is well past this part of the construction that the writer begins to actually refer to the wrestplank and the hitchpin block. Ah. Light bulb moment. Suddenly, "the blocks" now refers to the hitchpin block and the wrestplank, not the clamping blocks. Normally, I'd just chalk it up to inexperience, but the writer goes to great lengths at the beginning to tell the reader that he has written the manual at a level intended for the "handy but inexperienced woodworker." Hah. Apparently, he's never met the likes of me, the person for whom the whole series of Dummies books was written.

I think that part of the manual could use a revision because I really hate it when terms for various parts are used interchangeably, but I digress...

We applied the glue to the ends of "the blocks," which in reality are the sides of the wrestplank and hitchpin block that attach to the sides of the rim. We then clamped them to their respective sides.

After they had set up sufficiently, we disassembled, cleaned up the squeezed out glue and added glue on the corners of the entire rim. We reassembled, added the clamping blocks, ran the rope around the entire rim and tightened it up using barnwood scraps at the corners and screwdrivers to twist the rope tighter.

With that, we called it a day. It was only mildly stressful for a brief time.

I keep reminding myself that this day's task was huge for a couple of reasons. First, this is the framework for the rest of the instrument; it's important to get it right. Second, it's been a while, and I've got to get my mind wrapped around the whole process again.

I'm optimistic.

Americans for Prosperity? NOT!!!!

2009-12-21T16:57:00.000-06:00

Omaha, NE - The "Huckabee" rally in Omaha on Sunday was really a "Huckleberry Rally." It was organized and paid for by out of state money from tobacco and big oil. Nebraskans were duped. Just follow the money.

Who is "Americans for Prosperity?" "Americans for Prosperity" is a Washington based lobbying organization with NO ties to Nebraska. It paid for the TV ads and it organized the rally.

"Americans for Prosperity" is best known for the pro tobacco industry lobbying effort which has fought clean air acts and cigarette tax increases since 2004. It is a tool for money from big oil, retailers, the tobacco industry, and developers who want to cripple government for their own excessive profits.

"Americans for Prosperity" is controlled by Art Pope. Art Pope is the North Carolina businessman who runs Variety Wholesalers, Inc. in the Southeast United States, competing with the likes of Wal-Mart and Dollar Stores. Variety Wholesalers just had a product recall for putting lead painted toy trucks on its shelves just in time for Christmas. That is the kind of company Art runs.

Art is credited with the systematic elimination of moderate Republicans from the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is one man with a twisted mind and a lot of money. He does not represent Nebraska and he does not agree with our honest hardworking values. And he is playing Nebraska Republicans like a fiddle.

Get it straight: "Americans for Prosperity" does not care about health care. "Americans for Prosperity" does not really care about abortion. They are the problem, not the solution. How can they support tobacco and claim to be "pro-life" in any real sense of the word?

By being on the stage Sunday, Lee Terry and Jeff Fortenberry revealed that they are either dupes or they have sold out to the tobacco industry and big oil.

Vic Covalt - State Chair
Nebraska Democratic Party

King of Sweden Double-fretted Clavichord

2009-03-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

After a 30-year hiatus, I'm diving into instrument construction once again. The last two instruments back in the day were Flemish harpsichords. They are now in the hands of other owners. My newest venture is a King of Sweden double-fretted clavichord. Due to its compact size and the ease of moving it around, I'll be keeping this instrument for my own personal enjoyment. I wish I could recommend the company which manufactures this kit, but I'm afraid that since the departure of David J. Way (who later called himself D. Jacques Way), the Zuckerman Harpsichord Company has gone downhill in the area of customer service and satisfaction. With this clavichord, I also ordered a stand but only received part of it. I didn't do the parts inventory within their time frame (you know, folks, sometimes life intervenes) and came to learn that half the stand was missing. They refused to make good on it, so I will be paying a custom woodworker to construct the balance of the stand for me using what wood Zuckerman generously gave me for the big wad of cash I laid on them. The kit was also missing the bridge pins, and it took two e-mails and a little arguing to get them to send me some. So if you're interested in buying an early instrument kit, I suggest you try Hubbard Harpsichords. While I have no personal experience with Hubbard, they can't be any worse than Zuckerman. Yes, I'm being a little whiney, but at the price I paid for this kit and that stand, I think I'm more than entitled. If you do decide to try Zuckerman, inspect the kit immediately. Print out the parts list and go through everything to make sure it's all there. At least Zuckerman won't be able to pull the old "it's too late" routine on you. My plan is to give you a blow-by-blow description of the building process. Stay tuned.

Fahrvergnuegen!

2009-03-10T23:25:00.005-05:00

The official color is charcoal blue pearlescent. It's a 2004 diesel Golf, and I plan to run it on fast food restaurant oil. So eat them French fries and help the effort!

I purchased the car from a dealer in Gainesville, Florida, so to pick it up, a road trip was in order. Any excuse to thaw out, right? We picked up the car and drove along the southern coast, then spent a day in "Nawlins," eating etouffee, touring the French Quarter, and walking the river walk. Later we pigged out on beignets at Cafe du Monde (but of course). Then it was on to Ft. Worth to visit family.

When we got within 4 hours of home, the weather turned sour, and Old Man Winter reminded us he wasn't through with us yet. We've been freezing ever since.

Anyone out there from Tallahassee? I love that town and may need to retire there, although I've heard the heat and humidity are awful. I'll have to return during the summer months to see how well I like it then. As for March, it was perfect!

The deed is done!

2009-02-10T00:12:00.004-06:00

The auction is over, and the Audi is soon to have a new home in Ohio. The winning bidder has 15 other diesel vehicles in his possession, so Old Blue is going to a good owner, I believe.

Now that I've sold three of our four existing vehicles out from under us and the remaining car is 300 miles away from us in our son's possession, I guess we better start looking for a couple cars.

My son wants a Rabbit. I could go for that, but a Jetta wagon would also work. Manual transmission is a must. Diesel is not a requirement, but it would be nice. If you have one for sale, drop me an email!

Farewell to an Era

2009-02-02T00:50:00.006-06:00

I am not a car person. At least I didn't think I was until now.

For a variety of reasons, we have decided to clear the decks and sell our three oldest vehicles. As I write this, the heart-breaking realization has come to me that the oldest of the three - my beloved 1982 Audi 4000 diesel - has been with me half my life! But more on it a little later.

The first to go is a 1987 Dodge Ram Van. This was given to us by my mother-in-law. I've never cared for it because it's a behemoth. It has a high profile, and I've always been a nervous wreck when driving it. So when it got a bid at eBay Motors, I cheered.

The next car we listed was my husband's 1987 Volkswagen Fox wagon. When we married, my husband became a co-owner of a house I already owned, so the car became our first major purchase together. Our son, who is now a university sophomore, became the car's primary driver/owner about three years ago, but it has a fussy 4th gear, so we listed it on eBay Motors as well. Warts and all, it got a bid almost immediately. While my husband and son really enjoy the car, they realize it is time for it to go to someone who can tinker endlessly with it as it ages further.

The third and final car we listed is my Audi.

This is a gem of a car which I bought new back in early 1982. That makes it 27 years old. That car has been with me for half my life, and I still love it. Sure, the driver's seat needs to be restuffed. But the upholstery is still in great condition.

The odometer doesn't advance with consistency. It tends to lock up in warmer weather. It advances more readily in cold temperatures, which makes it a remarkable car. Imagine! A diesel that likes cold weather!

I have had the left front fender totally replaced to arrest some rust.

The car has been in three fender benders - one of which totaled the little Ford that hit me. The offending driver was an insurance salesman, so everything was fixed by his company to my satisfaction. He hit the right front fender, closest to where my infant son was asleep in his car seat. But my little baby didn't even wake up from the impact. Old Blue (and the car seat and seat belts) got between us and the other car and protected us.

The 1982 Audi 4000 diesel was, and still is, a solid car. My husband affectionately refers to it at times as The Tank. It currently has seven bids with a few days to go, and I'm using the remaining time to come to peace about the sale. I'll probably replace it with something lame while I patiently wait for Audi's release of their 2010 clean diesel vehicle.

Fond memories of this car. I do love it.

Another organ excursion

2008-10-14T15:43:00.008-05:00

This morning, I was off to Episcopal Church of Our Savior, again in North Platte, Nebraska, to play a cute little German Baroque Snyder-Neuman of 9 ranks. It is serviced by Darrow Pipe Organ of Onawa, Iowa. The church's organist is Naomi Getty.

Here's the stop list:

Pedal:
Sub Bass 16'
Flute 8'
Brustwerk to Pedal 8'
Brustwerk to Pedal 4'
Hauptwerk to Pedal 8'

Brustwerk:
Koppelfloete 8'
Salicional 8'
Prestant 4'
Hohlfloete 4'
Nazard 2-2/3'
Siffloete 2'
Haubois 8'
Tremelo

Hauptwerk:
Prinzipal 8'
Rohrfloete 8'
Halb Principal 4'
Grave Mixture II
Hauptwerk to Hauptwerk 4'
Brustwerk to Hauptwerk 8'

The organ has 6 generals, chimes, and a delightful 11-bell Cymbelstern. The pipes were made in Holland.

This church burned in the late 1950's or early 1960's and was rebuilt and ready before the pipes for the new organ were completed. Installation was in 1964-1965.

The tower bells are named after the evangelists:
The largest is St. Mark (D). It is the big one because "Mark was the first evangelist." Next is St. Matthew (F), St. Luke (G), and St. John (A). The bells ring at 8:30 a.m., 12 noon, and 5:00 p.m. daily.

Eine kleine Orgelmusik

2008-10-01T16:33:00.013-05:00

Today, I visited Our Redeemer Lutheran Church here in North Platte, Nebraska, and played their marvelous Bedient tracker organ. This bright little instrument is Opus 6 and was their first tracker. Built in 1973-74, it was recently rebuilt/refurbished in 2006.

Here is the stop list:

Great, 56 notes
Principal 8
Rohrflote 8
Praestant 4
Octave 2
Sesquialtera II
Mixture III-V
Trompet 8

Pedal, 30 notes
Subbass 16
Octave 8
Octave 4
Nachthorn 2
Fagott 16
Trompet 8

Swell, 56 notes
Gedeckt 8
Spitzflote 4
Principal 2
Quinte 1 1/3
Cymbal III
Regal 8

Couplers
Great/Pedal
Swell/Pedal
Swell/Great
Tremulant

This organ cost $24,000 when it was installed in 1974. I hate to think what it would cost today.

I decided to play a little Buxtehude, Ach Herr, mich armen Suender (always good to focus on how sinful you are when you are in a Missouri Synod Lutheran church) and his Passacaglia, which I just love to play! I also played a couple selections from Frescobaldi's Fiori Musicali, namely Per la Messa <> (Cum Jubilo), Toccata avanti la Messa della Madonna, a kyrie or two, and , Toccata per l'Elevatione.

Rumor has it the organists at this church are not paid. My guess is the organists pay the church for the privilege of playing this delightful instrument.

Flowers Ancient and Modern

2008-09-29T00:13:00.005-05:00

These Gerbera daisies bloomed all summer long in my garden and continue to bloom through the autumn.

Daisies are the friendliest flower, or so says Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail.

They're also an ancient flower, judging from the fact that Chaucer wrote of them back in the 14th century:

Of all the floures in the mede,
Than love I most these floures white and rede,
Soch that men callen daisies in our toun.

Here's a gorgeous yellow Gerbera, equally prolific this past summer:

An American Hutong

2008-09-28T23:45:00.003-05:00

This little lovely was found in my alley, poking out from the logs along my neighbor's fence. Reminded me of Tennyson. (Fear not; I did not pluck it.)

Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower -but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.

Mums Galore!

2008-09-28T23:33:00.004-05:00

Thought it was time to share pictures of some of my garden's flowers. I use a Kodak EasyShare CX7430. I'm not a photographer and I don't need or want a fancy camera. The Kodak suits me just fine. I will try to add more pictures in the coming days.

A Word About Mini Stepping Stones and Trivets

2008-04-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

Eight-inch molds are available to make smaller versions of stepping stones. But these mini stones also make a distinctive trivet for your table. Just add some protective felt pads or plastic bumpons to the bottom of your mini stone. Even an apartment dweller can enjoy the beauty of a stained glass stepping stone!

Protective pads are readily available at most home improvement centers or craft stores. Bumpons can be purchased from picture framing companies.

That's pretty much it. Hope you have fun!

Installing Your Stepping Stone

2008-03-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

By following a few simple instructions, your stepping stone will give you years of pleasure in your garden.

After you’ve treated your stone with a concrete sealer, it is ready to be installed in your garden. Dig your space deep enough to allow your stepping stone to sit flush with the ground. Put in a 1/2 inch bed of sand to provide a level surface, even weight distribution and good drainage. Set the stone in, fill in around the sides with soil, and you’re done!

It is recommended that you store your stepping stone indoors during extreme winter.

Waterproofing Your Stained Glass Stepping Stone

2008-03-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

While DiamondCRETE makes a waterproofing substance, I’ve never used it, so I can’t say how well it works.

I can say, however, that I have used Ducksback Waterproofer by Masterchem and love it. It’s available at any home improvement center or hardware store. It is a water-based product specifically for heavy duty concrete and masonry. It penetrates the stone, it doesn’t turn yellow, and it works. When brushing it on your stone, try not to get too much on the glass. And just be sure to wipe the glass immediately after getting it on there. It doesn’t really hurt it, but it makes it a little filmy and then you’ll have to scrub it off later. Catch it early and save yourself some work. Your brushes will clean up with soap and water.

Treat your stepping stones to this waterproofing once a year.

Removing Your Stone from the Mold

2008-03-17T19:31:00.001-05:00

When the stone is ready to pop out of the mold, find a surface to place it where it won’t be disturbed. Lay some pencils down where the stone will cure. You’ll place your stone on those pencils which will allow air to flow under the stone and help it in its final stage of curing and drying.

Carefully turn the mold over and set it on the pencils. Then lift the mold. Your mold will probably come right off with little trouble. If it needs a little coaxing, press on the center very gently.

Immediately peel off the resist and wipe the glass. Sometimes the DiamondCRETE will seep under the edges of the resist a little bit, but this is not a problem. Just take a rag and wipe it away. Get the glass cleaned off real well. Then inspect the surface, especially between the pieces. You may notice a few little holes where air got trapped. Simply take a teaspoon full of dry mix, add a few drops of water to get a good consistency, and fill the hole. Wipe the stone smooth. That should do it!

Let the stone continue to cure undisturbed for a full month. After that time, it will have reached its full strength and will be ready for waterproofing.

Cleaning Up While the Stone Cures

2008-03-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

While the stone is curing, you can clean up your mixing bucket. Don’t clean and then pour into your plumbing system because it is, after all, a form of cement, and it can really gum up the works. You can allow it to set up and then break it out of the bucket later, but I always found this to be difficult. My favorite way to clean my buckets is to fill them with water and let them soak for a good long time. The concrete will settle to the bottom but won’t harden, you’ll be able to pour off the water, and you can wipe the sand and grit out of the bottom with rags or paper towels. Works like a charm!

Pouring the Concrete

2008-03-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

Pour the mix slowly into your mold, making sure it flows in between all the pieces of glass in your mold but doesn’t cause the glass and resist to shift around. Then tap all around the mold to release any air bubbles that might have become trapped. These will rise to the surface and pop. You can also gently exhale on the bubbles to help them burst.

At this point, do not touch or move your mold. You need to let it sit and cure anywhere from one to three hours, depending on size and thickness. After you’ve worked with this for a while, you’ll get a sense of when it’s ready. But generally speaking, the stone will turn warm as it is curing. You’ll be able to feel the heat it puts out by just letting your hand hover close to the stone. When the stone is no longer putting out heat but starts to feel a bit cold, it’s getting close to ready to pop out.

Mixing the Concrete

2008-02-23T22:07:00.002-06:00

Let me say right off the bat, I don’t use traditional concrete mix and chicken wire to make my stepping stones. There are several reasons:

• I’m into instant gratification, and concrete just takes too long to suit me.
• You have to buy two different grades of concrete: a nice, super fine grade for the top third or so of the stone, and a coarser grade for the bottom two thirds.
• Mixing concrete is like rocket science to me; you have to add just the right amounts of everything to get it right. Forget it! Life is short. Remember the instant gratification thing.
• You need to embed chicken wire between the two grades of concrete.
• Concrete comes in one color. You can add colorants, but it’s a mess and inconvenient.

Another product available, but which I’ve never used personally is FlashCrete. You can check it out at http://www.anythinginstainedglass.com/mosaics/mosaics7.htm
It doesn’t require a sealant, but if you want colors, you have to add powdered colorant.

My experience is with a product called DiamondCRETE. While I can’t seem to find written verification of this, I was told that DiamondCRETE withstands 600 pounds per square inch (600 psi). Here’s why I like it:

• It requires and comes in one grade
• You add approximately 2 ounces of water to every cup of DiamondCRETE to get a thick milkshake consistency
• It’s pre-colored and comes in a wide variety of shades
• You can thoroughly mix the colors to get additional shades, or you can mix less thoroughly and produce swirled effects.
It sets up quickly. Very quickly. In anywhere from one to three hours, you can pop your stone out of the mold and let it continue to dry.

DiamondCRETE comes in 10 and 25 pound boxes as well as 60 pound buckets or boxes. You can purchase it at various craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, although they normally only carry the 10 pound size. It is also available through mail order.

The DiamondCRETE web site is located at http://www.diamondcrete.net/
and contains a wealth of information including mixing instructions and tips, troubleshooting, etc.

The total amount of water and DiamondCRETE you use will be dependent on the size and shape of your mold. Amounts needed for various sizes and shapes are listed on the DiamondCRETE boxes. Expect to use anywhere from 10 to 18 cups of DiamondCRETE per average project.

Put on your rubber gloves and dust mask, and measure out the water you need in one bucket. Using a different (dry) measuring cup, measure the DiamondCRETE into another bucket. Then pour about 1/3 of the water into a third, smaller container. Hold this back to add as needed, and bear in mind that you may not need all of it.

Gradually add the DiamondCRETE into the remaining 2/3 of the water and mix thoroughly using a paint stick or your gloved hand. I prefer to use my hand because the mixture will be thick and maybe clumpy. You’ll be able to feel those clumps and break them up with your fingers. Keep adding the DiamondCRETE until it’s very dry and hard to mix. Then gradually begin to add that last third of the water that you set aside in the small container and continue mixing. Keep adding water until you reach that thick milkshake consistency. There is some variation in how each of the colors mixes. Some colors will take less liquid than you’ve saved back. Don’t worry. You don’t have to use all the water because once you get to that milkshake consistency, it’s adequate. Too much water will make the mix too runny, and that will produce a weak stone.

When you’ve got it just right, then mix it like crazy for several minutes – but no more than five. This causes some sort of magical chemical reaction in the DiamondCRETE that will make it work right. That’s about as scientific as I’ll get on the subject. You’ll actually start to feel some heat from this reaction, and when you do, it’s time to pour.

Preparing the Mold

2008-02-19T18:55:00.003-06:00

You now need to prepare the mold for pouring. Spread a very thin, smooth coat of petroleum jelly on the bottom and sides of the mold. Again, the shape of any lines or globs of jelly will transfer to the concrete. So you want to get the jelly as smooth as possible. It is not necessary to use a thick coat. As they say, “a little dab’ll do ya.” You can then place your glass and resist into the mold resist side down. When you look into the mold, the wrong side of the glass should be looking up at you, and the resist should be under the glass (between the glass and the mold). Place your mold where you plan to have it when pouring the concrete mixture. Use your level to make sure the surface is good and flat. Make adjustments as necessary so your stone will be an equal thickness on all sides.

The various layers of your stepping stone assembly from the bottom up are:
*Mold
*Petroleum jelly
*Resist (sticky side up)
Glass pieces (with the "right side down on the sticky stuff)
DiamondCRETE stepping stone cement

Laying Your Glass on the Stepping Stone Pattern

2007-01-18T11:28:00.000-06:00

Take the pattern/template which you trimmed to fit the mold. Lay it on a flat surface and begin to place your glass pieces on the design with the right side up and facing you as you work. Make sure all your numbers match. Again, you can use a touch of glue stick to hold the pieces in place.

You can now clean the numbers off the glass if you’d like. This is not super critical at this point because you can always clean them up later after the stone is poured.

When you have everything in place, cut a piece of resist or contact paper that is slightly larger than the size of the mold. Peel off the back to expose the sticky side and press it down smoothly and very firmly on top of the glass. Then trim away the excess resist so that it is the same size and shape as the template/frame. At this point, you can remove your paper template and put it aside. You can double check the fit of the resist and glass by picking up the resist, with the glass firmly adhered and flip it over, resist side down into the mold. Try to make the edges of the resist conform as closely as possible to the shape of the mold. Even though the resist or contact paper is very thin, it will leave a line in your concrete. The idea is to get that line as close to the edge of the stone as possible so it is virtually unnoticeable. If your glass pattern fits right up to the edge of the mold, you’ll never see the line. You can use your Exacto knife to trim the resist right along the edge of the glass. If you choose a pattern that has open concrete work as a part of the design, it is more important to match the shape of the mold as closely as possible.

Remove the glass with resist from the mold. Clean the wrong side of the glass (which is still exposed) very thoroughly, and then set it aside.

Cutting the Glass for Your Stained Glass Stepping Stone

2006-11-23T17:35:00.000-06:00

Precut glass shapes are available for use in creating designs. I'll post some sources for that later in the series. At this point, however, I’ll assume you’re cutting your own glass for your stepping stones.

Lay your individual pattern pieces on your stained glass. Either keep the pattern and glass with the right side up and facing you – or – put the pattern and the glass with the wrong side up and facing you. Be consistent. What you do with one, do with all. You might want to pay particular attention to any pattern or wave in the glass and lay your pieces out to capture that perfect swirl. For example, if you’re cutting out a flower, you may want the pattern in the petals to compliment each other or flow from one petal to another. The same goes for leaves. Don’t cut one piece with the pattern in the glass flowing across the leaf in an east-west direction and another with the flow of the glass going north-south. Of course, you may want that effect with certain patterns. Just be aware of these considerations as you lay your pattern out.

If you’d like, use a little spray adhesive or a touch of a glue stick to hold your pattern in place. Draw around the pieces and copy the piece number on to the glass with your marking pen. I try to remember to write the number on the side of the glass that will be facing up when the stone in complete. It makes cleaning it off later much easier.

Using your glass cutter, cut out all the shapes. Grind any sharp edges or go over them gently with a grozing stone. Work very carefully and watch out for those sharp edges! Clean the marking pen off the edges of the glass, but keep the numbers there for now.

Printing and Cutting Your Pattern for Your Stained Glass Stepping Stone

2006-10-28T13:01:00.000-05:00

Once you’ve chosen your pattern, print it twice: once onto a heavier stock of paper and once on regular paper. Assign a number to each piece in the pattern and write it on both copies. This assumes you’re using your computer printer. If you’re using a photocopier, you can write the numbers in first and then copy.

On the light weight copy, we will make a template in the shape of the mold. Stepping stone, trivet and coaster molds are available at craft stores or from stained glass suppliers, as well as online. They come in a variety of materials – heavy duty to light weight. Another very handy and inexpensive source for a stepping stone mold is the large, clear, lightweight plastic flowerpot saucer. These are available at any garden center. They are flexible and make removing your stone a piece of cake. Just make sure they are smooth bottomed without any pattern (unless you want that pattern on the top of your stone). To make the template, place the mold on the paper, making certain your pattern is centered, and draw the outline of the mold. You now have a “frame” around your pattern. Cut around this outline/frame and place it into your mold, making sure it fits neatly against all the edges. There’s a reason for this which will be explained later. Once you’ve got everything trimmed up correctly, remove this template from the mold form and set both aside.

Cut out your pattern on the heavier stock following the heavy black lines. If you have pattern scissors, use those. They will cut a channel between all the pieces in the pattern. If you don’t have a pair of these, use regular scissors and be sure to trim away all the black. Why? When making a stained glass panel, you join all the pieces together with came lead or copperfoil and solder. The channel cut between the pattern pieces allows for this added material. If you sew, think of it as the seam allowance. With stepping stones, you want the concrete to flow in between the pieces and act as the lead.

Stay tuned for more...

Making Stained Glass Stepping Stones - It All Starts with an Idea

2006-10-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

And it’s called a pattern. It may be something you come up with in your own creative head. It may be a pattern designed by someone else and published in a book. It may even be a picture from a child’s coloring book (big pictures, thick lines)! Check out the pattern in that beautiful quilt that grandma made 40 years ago. Quilt patterns make beautiful stepping stones.

If the source of your pattern is something other than your own brain, be aware of copyright restrictions. These are usually stated in the front of the book. Some designers will only allow you to use their patterns to make stones for your own enjoyment or gift-giving. Some will allow you to sell what you make, but will restrict the number you can sell. Often, the author will ask you to call or write for permission. It’s easy to do the right thing and be legal while doing it.

There are also many resources on the internet for free patterns. Here’s a partial list to get you started.

Chantal's Stained Glass
Craft Patterns and Supplies, currently offering 4 free patterns if you do the printing from your computer.
Down East Stained Glass
http://stainedglasspatterns.com/
Craft Freebies - this is a fabulous source!

Tools of the Trade to Create Stained Glass Stepping Stones

2006-10-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tools and accessories you use for stepping stone construction should be strictly designated for stepping stone work. Do not use any of the following items later (even after washing) for food preparation, food serving or food storage. Keep all items separate and for use only with your concrete.

You will need

•Two large mixing buckets. 10 gallon plastic paint containers are more than adequate and are what I use when mixing for a large stone. Other favorites come from the local bakery where the containers have held the likes of corn syrup or baking mix. Sometimes these buckets are free. Sometimes the bakeries sell them for a dollar or two. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a trip to the hardware store for a traditional metal bucket. They work too!
•Medium sized mixing buckets. 5 gallon size containers are handy for mixing trivets.
•A smaller container. Got margarine? A three pound plastic container is perfect for mixing trivets
•Measuring cups. Two sets, metal or plastic. Both will work. One set is used for dry measuring, one set for water.
•Measuring spoons. Again, metal or plastic.
•A paint stir. If you’ve ever purchased paint, you’ve probably got a few million of these lying around. Wood or plastic. It’s all good. And free.
•Rubber gloves. Cement mix is extremely abrasive and tough on the hands.
•Dust Mask
•Safety Glasses
•A glass cutter, if you plan to cut your own glass shapes.
•Running and/or breaking pliers, if you plan to cut your own glass shapes.
•Sandblasting resist or heavy contact paper (I prefer clear).
•Petroleum jelly
•Scissors, pattern scissors, or an exacto knife
•Marking pen
•Spray adhesive or glue stick
•Paper
•A pattern
•Mold (the plastic type, not the penicillin type)
•Assorted stained glass
•Newspaper
•Level
•DiamondCRETE
•6 – 8 Pencils

Optional items

Handy if you have them, but not required:

• Glass Grinder
• Mosaic Cutter
• Reflective Tape (which might be optional depending on the type of glass you use.
• Grozing Stone (cheaper than a grinder and you can use it to abrade any edges that need it.

Some folks like to have an electric drill with a paint stir attached. I personally don’t recommend it. It adds far too many bubbles to the mix and unless you come up with a way to get all of them out before your concrete mix sets up, you risk a stone that is riddled with tiny air bubbles and is thereby weakened. Use those rubber gloves and get in there with your hands. You can then feel for clumps or areas that need more blending and mixing.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Brands of Glass for Your Stepping Stones

2006-10-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

Brands of Glass

These are the primary brands available, although you may not have access to all of them locally.
• Armstrong
• Bullseye
• CBS Dichroic
• English Muffle
• Chicago Art Glass
• Kokomo
• Optimum
• Oceana
• Spectrum (remember that coupon deal at Hobby Lobby)
• Uroboros
• Wissmach
• Youghiogheny
• Wasser

Also available are brands such as Pattern 80, Duncan Architectural, German New Antique, French New Antique, Lamberts, New Antique Mirror, Krosno, Saint-Just Antiques, as well as jewels, crystals, engravings, medallions, bevels in various lusters and clusters, and probably more.

Again, many of these brands will be carried at local retail stained glass specialty stores, but you’ll pay a premium for them. Some are positively gorgeous and worth every penny. But for starters, I’d still stick with Spectrum for all the reasons listed previously.

Opalescent glass works well and doesn’t need any special treatment when using it in a stepping stone. Since it is opaque, you won’t see concrete through the glass.

Cathedral glass, on the other hand, needs a special step. Venture Tape makes a product called BriteBak Reflective Tape. It comes in silver or gold and is extremely sticky. You can back your cathedral pieces with this tape to prevent concrete being seen through the glass and to produce a wonderful dimension to the glass. Read all about it here.

Types of Glass and Your Stepping Stones

2006-10-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

In a broad sense, there are two basic types of glass: cathedrals and opalescents, sometimes called opals. You will want to work a little differently with each when using them in stained glass stepping stones.

Cathedral glass, while colored or colorless, is transparent. In other words, you can see your hand through it. You can read a book through it, and you can see concrete through it. So, when using this type of glass in stepping stones, it is necessary, in my opinion, to back the glass with wide Venture Tape. More on that later.

Opalescent glass is more opaque. It comes as a solid color but also with several colors or shades mixed together to produce a beautiful pattern of waves and swirls.

Within each of these two categories are several sub-categories. In alphabetical order they are antique, Baroque, collage, crackle, dichroic, drapery, Flemish, foxtail, globs, glue chip, fibroid, granite textured, hammered, honeycomb, iridized, noogie, pinnacle, ring mottle, ripple, rondels, rough cast, rough rolled, seedy, slush, machine rolled smooth, smooth ripple, stipple, streakies, trapunto, wispy, and more. Some of these terms are used exclusively by one company or another, but the majority are fairly common to most.

When making stained glass stepping stones, smooth glass is preferred. I find Spectrum brand to be good for many reasons.

• It has a nice smooth texture which is particularly suited to stepping stones.
• It is reasonably priced.
• It cuts easily.
• There is a wide variety of pretty colors and types available.
• It’s made in the USA.
• It is easily accessible because it’s the brand that Hobby Lobby carries.

Unless you’ve got a wholesale account with a stained glass supplier, craft stores are a great source for manageable amounts of glass that won’t break the bank. Go to Hobby Lobby's website and sign up for a weekly email notification of their internet coupons. Or, if you prefer, click here to see what’s offered for the week. Sometimes, the week’s special is 50% off stained glass. Just print that coupon and take it to Hobby Lobby for a great deal. Buy one piece or buy 100. There’s no limit. Other times, a coupon for 40% off one item is offered. Also not a bad deal.

Next up: Brands of Glass for Your Stepping Stones

Work Space for Creating Stained Glass Stepping Stones

2006-10-14T00:48:00.000-05:00

The “Air” Apparent

Choose an area that is well ventilated. While it is fine to have a fan going while you cut glass or arrange pattern pieces, you will need to turn it off while pouring the dry concrete mixture into your mixing container. The dust is superfine, and moving air will stir it up even more. Wear a dust mask.

The Table

Table height is an individual thing based on your height. If you’re using a workbench or a regular table, the height will be predetermined for you. But if you’re tall, you might want a higher surface. Just remember that you’ll be standing most of the time (I’ve never been able to cut glass while sitting in a chair or on a stool). And you’ll be bending over when you pour. At least I find it necessary to work in these positions. Men’s center of gravity is in their shoulders or upper body, and they can pour a bucket of cement into a mold on a table much easier than a woman. Women’s center of gravity is in their hips, so pouring is more of a challenge. At least it is for me. With time, you will find what works best for you. But in the meantime, save your back and find a comfortable height for your work surface.

Indoors or Out?

The majority of us will probably be working indoors most of the time. When it comes time to pour the concrete, I always move to an area of the basement where I can clean up easily, or to the garage where a little spill would not be a catastrophe, or outdoors when the weather is nice. Of course, the great outdoors may be where you conduct most of this stepping stone business anyway, in which case, avoid windy days.

Work Safely While Making Your Stained Glass Stepping Stones

2006-10-14T00:43:00.000-05:00

This may seem obvious, but it is absolutely crucial that you wear shoes while working with glass. Not sandals, not slippers, not open-toed fashion statements, and certainly not unprotected bare feet, but real, honest-to-goodness sturdy shoes which enclose your entire foot. You might even consider steel-toed boots.

I speak from experience, my friends. One day, while trying to salvage glass from a stepping stone damaged by a clumsy customer, a hairline crack grew into something much bigger. Half of an 18” concrete stepping stone fell off my work table and onto my sandaled foot. Not pretty. It took a full year and then some for my toenail to reach its previously healthy and attractive state. Naturally, I was working alone, but I managed to crawl to my bed and elevate my foot on the headboard without passing out. But it was close.

I made two mistakes. The first was not wearing a real shoe. The second was trying to salvage this stone. Take it from one who’s been there. If your stone is dropped and/or cracks for some reason, don’t try to save any of it. Take it straight to the dumpster and move on.

My point is simply this. Use common sense, be extra careful, and have a healthy respect for the damage that concrete and sharp glass can do to the human body. Keep young ones at a safe distance and insist that they also wear shoes if they are watching or helping. Tiny little pieces of glass that you may not see might end up embedded in the bottom of a foot. A nice crunch is a better sound than screams of agony. Stitches are no picnic for the injured party or the family member or friend who is there to watch the doctors work.

So, be safe and keep focused on the work before you, and you will hopefully avoid serious injury.

How to Make a Stained Glass Stepping Stone

2006-10-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

After receiving hundreds of requests for information and instructions on how to make garden stepping stones inlaid with stained glass, I decided to make this blog in order to explain the steps I take and the tricks I use to produce consistently successful results as seen here.

This blog is not meant to be an exhaustive resource, but rather it contains the secrets to my success. Included in future posts will be the brand names of the products I use, contact information for the companies which manufacture the materials needed, mail order sources, national retail suppliers which may be available to you locally, and techniques to help you make a beautiful stepping stone on the first try. I'll try to add a little bit each day, so keep checking back.

Upcoming topics:

Tools and Materials List
Instructions
Sources for supplies
Installation instructions
Internet resources

Stained Glass is My Passion

2006-10-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

Stained glass has been an almost all-consuming interest of mine over several decades. Approximtely eight years ago, I turned my interest into an Internet business. My company is called Glassy Lady. I'm strictly an Internet business although I do sell at the occasional art and craft show.

I get quite a number of requests to share some of my trade secrets. While I'm not inclined to share all of them, I have decided to make this blog a place where I can talk about stained glass and share a few techniques that I've used over the years. My first topic will be making stained glass stepping stones. Stay tuned!