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A Man and His Bright Ideas By John Carlson
FARMLAND - After a hundred years, give or take a decade or two, the lead that holds the pieces of stained-glass windows into place degenerates. That is the key to Pat Caskey's livelihood. As owner of Bright Ideas, Inc., he has built a successful business restoring stained-glass church windows. There is no shortage of potential customers. "A lot of the church windows in this area are starting to need to be re-leaded," said the bespectacled, mustached Burris Laboratory School graduate. As he spoke, employee Mike Phillips was putting the finishing touches on their latest project. Five feet in diameter and weighing about 160 pounds, the circular window leaning against a work bench had spent most of this century inspiring worshippers at First Presbyterian Church of Portland. Now, the parishioners were returning the favor. Taking out the window was touchy work. It was set so close to the innards of the church's organ that its removal required Caskey's crew to tape the instrument's pipes shut so debris wouldn't fall inside them. Once removed, it was mounted on an A-frame and transported to the shop in the back of a truck. Now, about 40 hours of work later, it was nearly ready to be re-hung. The window, featuring a Bible inscribed with "Holy Word" and the names of the apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, glistened with vivid reds, blues, golds and greens.
Caskey explained that besides using stained glass, its creators - most likely German immigrants working on the East Coast in the early 1900s - had painted and fired the glass pieces for more vibrant color. The first step in the window's restoration was to make a rubbing of it on paper, a charcoal guide to its reconstruction with each piece numbered. In a weakened state, a stained-glass window can ripple like thin cardboard in a stiff wind. It can also bow under the weight of its years. To strengthen this one, the workers used roofers' knives to dig old grouting from around the glass pieces, then completely regrouted it. Weakened lead was also replaced with new, cut from straight lengths of the shiny, pliable metal and easily bent into the necessary shapes. This task wasn't as daunting as others Caskey has tackled. "It didn't have to be completely re-leaded," he said. Two new cross-braces were added for strength, and failing joints were re-soldered. In a final cosmetic touch, an acid wash was brushed on to darken the fresh solder, so it would match the rest of the window. No glass needed replaced. If some had, however, Caskey would have likely found a perfect match in the 7 feet-by-34 inch sheets of it stored in his shop. It's still made by the Hoosier firm that supplied craftsmen across the country at the turn of the century, Kokomo Opalescent Glass. Back then, its clients included no less prestigious a firm than Tiffany, which used its glass in lamps that fetch tens of thousand of dollars today. If that price seems a bit steep, Caskey's firm will make you a new stained glass window or cabinet door for considerably less. He employs an artist to create the original designs, and will soon post his offerings on the Internet. Still, he won't give up his restoration work. "There's so much great artwork in church windows," Caskey said, estimating that making this one from scratch would cost $6,000 today. Their true value, though, is measured in more than dollars and cents. "Each one is actually a treasure," Caskey said. "We're preserving a little bit of our local history." With any luck, his efforts will see this window well into the new millennium. "I think the lead we're using now will last a lot longer than 100 years, " Caskey said with a smile. |
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DETAILS:
Pat Caskey shapes a piece of lead (at right) he replaced on the window
from the church. All the weakened lead joints had to be replaced in the
window. At left, Caskey uses wire cutters to remove caulk from the
window. After the caulk and lead were removed, the glass was cleaned.
LOOKING
IT OVER: Dan Wilson (left) and Pat Caskey inspect the window before
removing it from the church. Once removed, it was mounted on an A-frame
and transported to the shop in the back of a truck.