Fireman Panel

[Joe]

Here to post the picture of my work that I finished from the pattern that Kev made for me.

Thanks again Kev, can't wait to give it to my father for his birthday in March!

Hope my work slightly reflects how great your pattern was!

[Alan]

Personally, I think that you did a fantastic job on that panel, I'm sure that your father will cherish it.
 

[Tre V]

Wow! A Great design, Kev, and nice execution.

[ct4mom]

That turned out great and I'm sure your Dad with cherish it.

[Elizabeth]

Great!  Both pattern & execution!  I'm sure it will be appreciated.

[JoanFrances]

very nice, it will make a great gift

[Kev]

Joe...I love it! It looks fantastic!

Seeing this pattern again is a blast from the past..pardon the pun.

Great to see you Joe! I'm sure your Dad will love this!

[Audrey]

He's gotta love it. Good job.

[Anne]

How can he not like it.  It looks great! Be proud!

[Joe]

Wow, thanks everyone!

Kev, I'm glad I could track you down again and show you how it turned out.
I had to do some tweaking in the coat, my fingers couldn't figure out how to cut some of the small pieces!

Looks like I may get some more work done on some new panels today because we are going to get 13" of snow 

I hope to learn a lot from you guys, so if I continue to pick your brains I apologize now!

[Kev]

Pick away friend! We are here to help you in any way we can.

Designs are meant to be interpreted by the person implementing them anyway. You did a great job. It is great seeing this pattern brought to life....GREAT JOB!

Sorry about the snow!

[glasisfun]

Congrats to your Dad for his service as a fireman and congrats to you for doing such a great piece for him, what's not to love about this?

[Pea Swee]

very nice panel, dad is sure to love it!

[Evelyn]

Joe,
Your panel is absolutely beautiful, I'm sure it will be cherished by your father - again, great job!
Kev
as always an amazing pattern - you did good

[Kev]

Thanks Evelyn. He really did it justice!

[Joe]

Thanks again everyone! I couldn't have done it without Kev's great pattern.
Pattern designing is something I really need to work on!

This probably isn't the place to ask, but is there something you're supposed to do with the solder lines once you're done? I know you can patina (which I might try black on this one) but is there anything else you should do?

[Kev]

Hi Joe,

You have  a few options. You can leave them silver, which will eventually turn a darker gray, or you can patina them with either a black or copper patina. If you want to keep them shiny, apply a coat of wax as described below.

After you have applied the patina, make sure you wash it off very well with some sudsy water to get of the excess patina off. Use a soft cloth or sponge so as not to scratch the fresh patina on the solder. Patina sitting on glass for an extended period of time can etch the glass....some are more prone than others. Once the piece has been dried with a soft cloth, apply pledge or a car wax that had carnuba wax in it. Once the wax has been applied, allow to dry to a haze (if car wax) and then buff off excess to a nice gloss.

[Joe]

Thanks Kev.
I'm thinking a black patina might make this piece look even better, right now I feel that the shiny solder draws away from the piece itself.

I've never tried a patina, so I'm a little worried about doing it on this one.

[Kev]

It's a piece of cake.

Get a sponge/scrubbie like you use for dishes, and clean the panel of the excess flux from soldering.

Take a cloth, or foam brush and apply the patina, rinse with water and then repeat on the other side. Take care not to scratch the solder after the patina is applied. Once all the solder has been treated with the patina, take some soapy water and clean off the excess patina. Dry the panel, then apply the wax. Some recommend letting the panel sit for 24 hours before applying the wax.

[PiscesGlass]

Your panel looks great Joe! And I'm sure that your father will be absolutely delighted with it.  Kudo's to the artist that designed it..as always, a very nice design!!

De