Muntin's and Mullion's with hand planes

[Michael Hammers]

I am laying out a stained glass door for a cabinet. I have only made doors in the shop I worked in with all power equipment, so I am abit lost on the best way to go about this with hand tools. Has anyone any expirience with this?

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Hi Michael,

Depending on the style of mullion--or glazing bars depending on one's background--depends on what planes are used. In theory one can use any plow plane like a 45/55 and profiled blades. But in practice, a sash plane of a given profile is faster and more assured. Some cut down from the top, both sides profiled and some cut from the sides, cutting both the profile and rebate for the glass. Some yet still cut only the profile and the rebates are cut separately.

In most all cases it is necessary to make a sticking board to secure the thin flexible stock. In most cases this is a simple board with a groove which the tongue formed by rebating sits into.

Once the molding is made, there are options to joining where they cross. One is mitered half-laps, another are indidual pieces, of which the verticals are tenoned into the horizontal pieces. Those can be either coped or mitered.

I have only done mitered half-laps. The half-lap extends through the profiled portions to the rebates. Each join is mitered.

There are sash planes which came in pairs that one is use for cutting the profile and one for the cope. The sash plane cutting the cope is used on several pieces at once on the ends of the vertical mullions.

It is a lot of work.

Take care, Mike

[Bob Smalser]

I am laying out a stained glass door for a cabinet. I have only made doors in the shop I worked in with all power equipment, so I am abit lost on the best way to go about this with hand tools. Has anyone any expirience with this?

Check with your glazier if you haven't already. Lead cames require the support of steel bars or the windows will eventually sag should the piece be placed in the sunlight....I wouldn't use wood at all. The steel is camed into the picture as vertical vertical and horizontal lines.....how many depend on the size of the unit, but I'd want at least one horizontal one in the center.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Yep, depends on the door and the style of stained glass--if they are smaller panels fitted into mullioned doors, and the mullions are larger than small delicate ones so typical of today, no worries.

If it is door for say a 42" upper cabinet with a door 20" wide...even a single caned stained glass panel is going to tax the usual rail and stile sizes of a typical kitchen cabinet. Much more so on a larger free-standing cabinet.

Take care, Mike

[Michael Hammers]

I am glad to learn not just for stain glass, but regular glass pane panels as well. I have not come face to face with a sash plane, but I understand them more now after the post (thanks Mike) I would look at the profiles of some and scratch my head. Now I see that they can either cut from the top or side..... D'Oh:o
It gives me an even greater appreciation for artisans of the past.

[Charles Stanford]

I am laying out a stained glass door for a cabinet. I have only made doors in the shop I worked in with all power equipment, so I am abit lost on the best way to go about this with hand tools. Has anyone any expirience with this?

If you use a Stanley 45 or 55 to do wood glazing bars then you won't need a sticking board (the combo planes cut the moulding profile and the rebate at the same time). The profile is cut in on both edges of wide stock and then either ripped off the board or removed by mounting the slitting cutter in the 45 or 55.