Five Tips for Safely Transporting a Leadlight to the Restorer
A leadlight is a beautiful addition to a home, but in many cases, these often antique glass masterpieces can start to fall apart. Luckily, there are restorers who can bring your leadlights back to their former glory, but first, you need to transport the leadlight safely to the restorer. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Take a picture.
Before trying to move a leadlight glass, take a picture of it. If anything happens to the leadlight, the picture will show the restorer what it looked like, increasing the chances that they can repair it even if gets broken in transit. To be on the safe side, you may want to take multiple pictures.
2. Consider using a large flat box.
To help keep the leadlight together, consider placing it in a large flat box. Ideally, the box should be able to comfortably hold the leadlight while it is lying flat. You also may want to put some tissue paper or packaging material around the leadlight, but don't use newspapers or other dyed packaging material as the ink may transfer to the glass.
3. Tape in loose pieces.
Typically, leadlights consist of numerous pieces of small stained or coloured glass held together to create a large glass image. If some of the small pieces of glass are falling out of the leadlight, you can reinforce them using tape. Simply, run several pieces of packaging tape or masking tape over the back of the glass to hold everything in place.
4, Remove very loose pieces.
If a bit of the leadlight is so loose that it's likely to fall out when you lift the leadlight up or move it around, consider removing that bit of glass. Generally, the pieces of the leadlight are held together with a bead of caulk or glue. Pry up a small bit of the caulk with your finger nail or the tip of a butter knife. Then, gently pull off the rest of the caulk, and remove the loose piece of glass.
This is especially important to do if you are not planning to carry the leadlight in a box. This will help prevent pieces of glass flinging out while you move the leadlight. Once you've removed the small pieces of glass, wrap them individually and bring them to the headlight restorer in a small bag or box.
5. Schedule a pick up.
In some cases, due to the delicacy of leadlights, the restorer may come to your home to pick up the leadlight. If you are worried about safely transporting the leadlight, you may want to contact a restorer directly and arrange a pick up.
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