Preparation of Collaborative Stained Glass Sculpture
This tutorial describes how to construct the frame and prepare the nanoparticle stained glass disks to build a collaborative sculpture with visitors.
Step 1: Select A Space
The sculpture looks best if suspended in a large open space. Find a space in your venue that can accommodate a suspended structure, weighing 5-8 pounds (max).
Below are some examples of suspended sculptures.
Using irrigation tubing
Using metal conduit
Step 2: Hanging the Tubing
With fishing wire or duct tape, secure one end of the conduit/irrigation tubing to a stable anchor point. If there isn't pre-exisiting anchor point, one can be created using a painted yard stick or wooden dowel suspended by rope.
Once one end of the tubing is secured, begin twisting the tubing in different ways. Every few feet use fishing line or duct tape to secure the tubing to itself. Continue this twist and tie process until the entire length of the tubing has been used.
The remaining end can be secured to another part of the conduit/irrigation tubing, or allowed to float freely.
Step 3: Preparing the Disks for Hanging
Using wire cutters, cut galvanized steel wire approximately 3" long. Cut as many wires as disks.
Pierce nanoparticle stained "glass" disks with the end of a wire and thread disk onto wire. Note: Be careful not to pierce your skin while pushing wire through nanostained disk. You may wish to wear cotton work gloves are to prevent poking yourself.
Step 4: Hanging the Disks
Before visitors arrive, hang a few disks on the tubing sculpture.
Hold the disk close to the tubing frame and bend the galvanized wire around the conduit/irrigation tubing to attach the disk to the sculpture.
Carefully twist the two ends of the wire together to secure the disk in place. Pliers can be used to help twist the wire ends together
Step 5: Clean up
Clean up is very simple:
Organize supplies.
Materials
Metal conduit tubing or irrigation tubing (sold in approx 18-24' sections, available at local hardware stores, number of sections variable)
Fishing line (available at local hardware stores)
Duct tape (available at local hardware stores)
Gold nanoparticle stained disks
Silver nanoparticle stained disks
Galvanized steel wire (available at local hardware stores)
Wire cutters (available at local hardware stores)
Pliers (available at local hardware stores)
Cotton gloves (to wear while piercing disks, to prevent poking yourself with wire)
