Stained Glass Window Project - Part 2

I know that it's been awhile since I did anything with this year's Stained Glass Window project, but I jumped back onto it recently in order to get it all finished in time for the big night.

In part one, I created the dimensions and the original artwork for a stained glass window that would be set in one wall of my new walk-in crypt. Since then, I have sent the artwork out for production and created the finished window frame, and it is now ready to go into the upcoming wall project. Let's get caught up on this one!

I ended up sending the artwork out to be printed on a permanent adhesive clear vinyl stock. This vinyl was basically a large sticker that I adhered to a thin piece of 24"x48"x.080" Optix acrylic sheet.

I peeled the plastic film off of both sides of the acrylic sheet and then slowly peeled the white paper backing from the vinyl printout. Because the adhesive was permanent, I enlisted the help of Mrs. Highbury and she slowly peeled the backing while I smoothed out the vinyl. Luckily, a few air bubbles popped up on a section that would later be removed...

With the vinyl completely adhered to the acrylic sheet, I switched over to making a template for the window frame. I tiled printouts of the frame at 100%, taping the overlapping sections together. I then traced it out onto the two sections of foam that were going to be used for the frame (I was going to sandwich the acrylic between the two foam pieces and then glue and bolt it all together).

After the template was traced onto both pieces of foam, I simply trimmed them out with my handy-dandy hand-held jigsaw (still my favorite tool in my garage).

When the frames were cut (and the inside edges were painted black), I placed the acrylic sheet between the two frame pieces. Once aligned, I ran a bead of Gorilla Glue around both frame pieces and clamped everything together. I let the frame then set up overnight.

Once the Gorilla Glue had dried overnight, I removed all the clamps and drilled and bolted small bolts around the entire frame for added stiffness.

And once the bolts were tightened down, I used a Dremel with a cut-off wheel and trimmed the excess acrylic sheet from the outside edge of the frame. Once all the excess was removed, I had a smooth, finished stained glass window frame, ready to be placed in the crypt wall on Halloween night...

I was very happy with the finished piece. The only thing I might work on will be a diffuser screen for behind the window when it's set up in the wall. The printout itself lost a bit of color when it was printed on the vinyl and is very transparent. With the proper backlighting, the diffuser screen should help brighten the colors of the window and evenly distribute the light across it, making a nice, strong glow in an otherwise dark and dingy crypt!

I have already started building the frame for the wall, and will share pictures once it's done. And after that, only two more complete walls to build. All before Halloween? No problem. I just hit my groove. Again...

  

Stained Glass Window Project - Part 1

So after a few weeks (months) of layout work, I can finally reveal the first part of my big 2016 haunt project - a full walk-in crypt built into my front porch. After a successful 2015, I quickly realized that the front porch was the weak spot in my display, so I sat and planned out a detailed, cohesive theme that would be the new crown jewel in my cemetery display. I needed something big for the porch, as this is where the trick-or-treaters would come up and get their candy. The horrifying climax to the display.

The first thing I knew I wanted to have in the crypt was an ornate stained glass window that would serve as the main focal point. I'm still working out the print and construction details, but after many weeks of work, the art is finally done...

The final window will be roughly 18" x 44" and will be the first thing you see as you come up onto the porch. It will be backlit and centered on a blank stone wall (made of foam). I hope to make some sort of small altar that will be flanked by clusters of LED PVC candles around it.

The window art itself was done entirely in Adobe Illustrator (much more work than I had anticipated). My initial plan is to get the art printed out on frosted vellum or very thin white plexiglass or plastic sheet stock and then housed in a foam window frame. Part 2 of this project will highlight the printing process that I will ultimately choose, as well as creating a rigid foam window frame. Now to figure out how I'm going to do it!