Mercury Effect a Vintage Leaded Glass Window
The junk man commeth...and I’m always glad to see what treasures he has on the back of his truck. This time it is a 100 year old leaded glass window. I picked out one of the best and have pondered what I want to do with it for the past year.
It obviously sat in a barn for 50 years so the first task was to clean it. I used soap and water then windex on the glass.
I sanded the wood and then taped off the lead and the wood frame.
There was lots of taping and then I used an exacto knife to trim the tape. I used packing paper to cover the frame.
Making sure the glass surface was clean, I used Rustoleum Mirror Effect Paint and a spray bottle with two parts white vinegar and one part water. The window needs to be level. I then sprayed the glass with the vinegar and water solution making sure each pane had sufficient water drops.
I then sprayed four light coats of paint onto the window. I let each coat dry for two minutes before applying the next coat.
I then lightly dabbed the water/vinegar drops off using a napkin. Do not rub unless you want a streaked effect.
I finished the project by staining the wood and then applying a coat of polyurethane.
This was my first go round in creating mercury effect glass. I found that there are dozens of different ways to create this effect so pick one and go for it.
I enjoyed this learning process and my new window. This window now has a home above my fireplace.
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Beautiful! Can you see through at all? wondering if I can do this in a "cloudy" glass door and still get some light through.
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I believe you can. It definitely lets some light through.
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I have a glass top coffee table. I am considering the mercury glass technique to give it a new lease on life. If I do the technique on the back side Would it still look right?
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From what I have heard you can. I know people do it on the inside of jars. You might want to test on a piece of glass.
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Could you have painted the back thereby deleting the masking of the lead lines?
Was the tape removed from the leading when you completed the project ?
I just came across a mirror that I bought a couple years ago. Not sure how I was going to display it, obviously heavy. One spot has a crack in the glass, didn't really want to pay to replace it, it is still awesome. Your idea put that light bulb on. I have the paint and everything. I'm in Minnesota and having an April blizzard that is putting travel to a "don't even think about it" level. I guess I picked a good day to look, and wasn't even looking for the window.
Did you do the paint on both sides? Jodi