Resin Edge Bonding

While we have the capabilities to create replicas of lost glass, broken glass such as these early 19th century pieces from Matfen Hall can be conserved by resin edged bonding. Moulds are carefully made and the pieces stuck back together. Small holes can be gradually filled up and even tinted to match the glass colour. This can be a slow process as the curing time is about seven days for each stage. Moulded back plates in thin glass are then sealed to the conserved pieces with a reversible adhesive. Thus a valuable piece of heritage is preserved for posterity.

These pieces of glass form part of a window depicting Eunice and Timothy by Powell of Whitefriars. Sited at Holy Cross Church, Ryton, Tyne and Wear, the window was damaged by vandals, resulting in several badly broken panes. The craftsmanship of the original was of a very high standard so it was essential to preserve as much of the existing glass as possible and only to replace any areas that were lost.

Epoxy reins were used to edge bond the broken pieces together, then 1mm clear back plates were sealed to the bonded glass to protect it from the harsh northern elements. Shelled areas were filled with tinted resin and cold painted where necessary. New painted, stained and fired pieces were made to replace lost areas and these were joined to the original with fine leads.