Lilacs... And Labors of Love....

 

 Castle Windows Again...

It is Hard to ignore The Folly Lilac, Dear Readers, when the morning sun is shining on it, as it was this past weekend. I, like Will and Gabrielle, had to stop to admire the loveliness and grab a few pictures in those brief moments. And yes, it is a reminder that the months and Months of focused labor to create this blossoming shrub, were so worth it in the end! And sometimes I need that reminding as I slog through some of my other Endless-seeming projects, unable to see the goal posts in the distance! I was home on vacation last week and was thus able to tackle one of those daunting tasks I have set myself with the Castle construction. I refer to the hinged leaded glass windows which I deemed necessary to my happiness when I started this project! Believe me, I dare not even count the number of windows there are still to be made! But I can say I have completed one more of them! It took me most of the week to accomplish!

You might be amused to know that I thought

 I might be able to get all three of the remaining windows

 in this room done while on my vacation!

The one I began with was the one on the side wall

 with the lovely window seat that you see in the above picture.

I have developed a complicated method

 since all the windows are different

 and are quite irregular in their shape.

(They are all "arched" but the arches are all

 cut by hand and uneven to say the least!)

The first step is to make a paper pattern that fits

 the shape of the window, inside and outside,

 because you will need two thin frames made from plywood.

Here is the interior one.

And here is the plywood piece for the inner one,

 shown with the flash so you can see how

 it fits inside the window opening.

Here is that viewed from the outside, 

so you can see the space for the outer frame to fit too, 

once it is cut out.

(It was at this point that I optimistically thought

 I might just start the other two windows as well!)

The next step is to cut out the "opening" for

 each window from the solid plywood.

Since the window is two sections, an upper and a lower,

 I begin by cutting across the middle and then around the sides.

The center crossbars will be added separately to make the frame.

Remember there are two of each section

 and you have to keep track of which side is the inner and which the outer

 or it will not fit the opening when finished!

Here they are being given a coat of primer.

Then I cut the glass panes to fit inside the window opening.

They need to be large enough that

 the frames will overlap their edges enough

 to hold them securely in the frame.

Here you can see the pattern I have drawn

 so my lead lines will maybe look straight and even!

The lead lines need to fit inside the opening

 of the frame so I am testing the fit of my pattern.

Then I apply the "lead" paint to the

 glass panes and leave it to cure overnight.

At this point it looks terrible... 

much too blobby and uneven and thick lines.

But I have learned that I can trim them later

 when they are partly dry.

I use a sharp exacto knife to trim all the lines.

The arched pane has been done. 

I hope you think it looks a little better!

Here you can see how the frame gets "inner supports"

 added along the edges to keep the glass in place.

All the wood is 1/8 inch stock,

 so the three layers make the window the same thickness

 as the Castle walls which are 3/8 inch plywood.

Here is the lower window frame with the glass in place.

And the top section of the window

 (which does not open)

 is glued in place.

Here is the view from inside 

with the flash on so you can see it...

 it is getting late again!

Because the lower section needs to swing open on Hinges...!

(Yes, this is necessary!)

It takes much longer to complete. 

Here it is being fitted to the opening again...

 and also tested for "swing" allowance.

I will need to trim along the side away from the hinges

 once the hinges are in place.

Please forgive the glare of those Large, Shiny Brass Hinges!

I love them because they are sturdy

 and do fit into the thickness of a 3/8 inch thick wall!

Carving out the rebates to fit them is another challenge. 

Exacto knives, saws, chisels, sore knuckles, swear words...

And then trying to drill the holes for the screws

 into the side of the window opening...

But I managed it well enough! 

(Not perfect, but functional!) 

And attaching the window frame to the hinges...

The open window from the inside!

All it needs now, Dear Readers, is the shutters...

and the window surround trim stones...

Which always takes longer than I think it will!

Cutting, painting, fitting.... adding Hinges!

Here you can see it with the flash, only partly done.

Top section in place....

Both sections attached... 

and the window surround "stones" also done...

with the flash so you can see them!

And both of them open, with the flash on...

And the window open with no flash...

yes, it is dark and atmospheric...

As a Castle should be!

And can we begin to glimpse why all this labor

 is going to be worth it in the end, Dear Readers?

Or do we need another Reminder...

Visiting for a moment the Lovely Lilac,

Even though the sun has gone.

Yes, I have faith that these Labors of Love

 are Worth it in the end!

More Of The Same....

 

Castle Lord's Bed Chamber Construction...

I Hope you will Not be surprised, Dear Readers, to find that I spent my entire vacation week working on the Lord's Bed Chamber construction! I was so eager to find out if my ideas could be made to work, in particular, fitting the stairs into the back corner and still having a window (with shutters) beside the fireplace. You can see from the above picture (thanks to the flash it is very bright!) the basic layout of the elements I want to include. The stairs will have a door at the bottom and the windows beside the hearth will have seats beneath them. The seats are positioned with a gap for your legs so you sit sideways to the window, allowing for the best use of light for reading. The bed will be against the right wall, and the wall enclosing the stairs going down to the Council Chamber (on the left and not in place in this picture) will have a door too. This way the Lord can have his privacy if he desires! The back left corner will be a nook  with the window seat and possibly room for a servant to sleep. The task that had to be completed before anything else was making the windows and shutters. It would be far too difficult to work on them once the stairs or side walls were installed.

If you have been following this blog,

 you will know I have been making my own windows 

using real glass and faux lead glass paint.

I started using this method way back in the beginning of this build

 before I knew anything about other possible methods.

Because the window openings are all irregularly shaped,

 there are no ready-made windows to use anyway.

Above you can see the basic elements I use.

A window frame made from 1/8 inch plywood,

 shaped to fit the window opening as closely as possible,

(you need two for each window, inner and outer frames)

and the glass cut to fit in the opening

 which is "painted" in the design you want.

The lead glass paint goes on in a very uneven blobby way.

But I discovered that once it has cured for 24 hours, 

it can be shaped to a more delicate design using an exacto knife. 

The one on the right has been "cleaned up"

 while the one on the left is still curing.

Here it is being tested in place to see if it looks okay.

This is the window that had been partially filled in from the original design,

 which is why the shape is so irregular on the right side. 

 

Here is the other window also being tested.

 It needs some adjusting in the frame.

(Sorry about the dark pictures... 

I get busy and forget to get good shots!)

Oh what a difference a sunny morning makes!

The windows are just being tested for fit here.

 They will need to be held in place in the openings

 before gluing the frames to the Castle.

With the flash on, you can see the "sticks"

 on either side of the glass pane, 

which keep it from sliding sideways 

once the inner and outer frames are glued in.

Here you can see both glass panes are in place!

Now for the shutters....

 which requires that we add the "rock "trim first...

 

(with the stairs out of the way...)

 

And starting to fit the shutters!

(Just look at all those hinges!)

 

Because they will be split in half.

And we need to test them under the stairs...

The added thickness of the shutter

 makes the top one not open all the way.

But it is the best I can manage, so I am going with it!

This way you can have only half the shutter

 open on really cold and stormy days...

Here I am using the flash...

it is night and I have not even begun the other shutter!

And I haven't yet added the shutter "hinge straps" either.

But morning light gives it a wonderful feeling!

I am adding more stones around the windows,

 fitting them to the shutters and the stairs.

And here you can see the shutters mostly completed... 

with hinge straps made from sculpey.

And the stones are carefully fitted under the stairs.

And a closer view of the back corner with the seats beside the hearth

(not as they will be exactly, but to show the idea)

And in the morning light with the side wall in place,

 separating the room from the stairs below.

It makes a nook in the back corner beneath the second window.

And a little closer.

There is still so much to accomplish, Dear Readers,

but the windows and shutters are now finished!

It might look and feel like I hardly accomplished

 anything at all on my Vacation...

and even though it is just More of the same old Castle Building... 

I am loving this Lord's Bed Chamber construction!

Back to the Walls...

 

The Chapel Backside Continued....

By now you know the drill, Dear Readers, the long step by step process for making the illusion of rocks on the Castle walls, so you might find this post redundant. But I need to document the way the walls have been "finished" because it might be a long time before anybody sees them again! The next step required making the arched tops for the Chapel windows. This time I am leaving them very simple with no carved teeth. It is unlikely that such small windows would have been given such an ornamental detail (or maybe I am just in a hurry and will regret this one day!) And yet I have used a "carved stone" motif for the sides of the windows. My only excuse is that I have already attached this same trim to the sides of the other Chapel window which is on the outside wall and readily visible. I thought they should match and I really just wanted to get the back wall done!

Once the walls had been primed

 the next step was the lighter gray paint.

And then the outlining of the "rock" courses.

It went faster than I expected... 

I had already worked out many of the details

 on the more complicated back wall of The Great Hall.

I just needed to make the courses relatively consistent

 with those of The Great Hall... 

because they will stand side by side 

and those courses will be continued

 around to the front eventually!

 They needed to match!

(Another reason to get all the back walls done at once.)

The tower is quite tall... 

I needed to use a step ladder!

And then the "rocks" get painted...

Here you can see the window arches have been attached.

And the "rocks are all painted...

And it is dark and late....

And you can hardly see it back there!

In the morning light it is time to paint the grout.

Again, this went faster than I thought it would!

And again, it transforms the structure in a magical way!

I can't fit the entire Tower into one picture!

Here's the top with the crenelations.

This is the back wall that will hardly ever be seen!

I wanted to see the Chapel windows with the lights on...

Now you can really see them!

I have to confess, I just love the way it looks!

And because the back wall will not be visible.... 

but the side wall will be, where it rises above The Great Hall,

I needed to get the "rock" courses continued around to the side.

(Sorry for the blurry photo!)

Here the rocks have been painted....

And grouted. 

Again, it is getting late and dark.

And even though I really didn't want to...

I turned those painted sides back to the wall.

And you can see how little The Castle looks changed.

But now, Dear Readers, 

I know what it can look like... 

and will look like...

Someday...

 When I get the rest of those walls finished!

I will Dream of it...