Tiffany's 16" Geranium lamp

This project is an exact replica of Tiffany's 16" Geranium lampshade.  It was built using the Odyssey system.  The form is made of fiberglass with the outline of each piece etched in.  It is necessary to fill in the etched lines with a permanent marker in order to make the lines more visible before construction begins.  A brass ring is fitted in at the top of the lamp and glass pieces are soldered to it.  The rest of the lamp is built down from there.  Each piece is cut and ground to fit in place, then the edges are wrapped in copper foil and soldered into the pattern.  Follow the progress of this lamp construction in the pictures and captions below.  The lamp was begun in January 2014 and completed in August 2014.

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 Click the thumbnails below for a larger view with captions. 

The etched lines on the lamp form are filled in with a permanent marker.

The completed form is ready for construction to begin.

Glass pieces are soldered from the top down.

This lamp will contain 420 pieces of cut glass. Many of the pieces are small and difficult to work with.

Progress continues with the glass extending down with the stems in place.

Leaves and background pieces begin to form the lamp's midsection.

As the diameter of the lamp increases, larger pieces can fit on the compound curve of the form.

The lamp body is complete except for the last two rows.

The last two rows are only tack soldered to the lamp body. Because they turn under, the lamp cannot be lifted free of the form if those rows are attached.

Here is the detail of a tack solder joint temporarily holding the last two rows in place.

When complete, the tack solder joints will be melted and the main lamp will be lifted clear of the form.

Here a 1/4" brass rod is soldered along the bottom row to give a finished edge to the bottom rim of the lamp.

Witness marks are added with a marker around the lamp so that the last two rows can be reattached in their correct position.

Another witness mark in the form of a "V" is added further along the circumference of the lamp.

With the main lamp finally removed from the form, the last two rows await the final soldering before removal.

The main lamp is clear of the form. Now the interior of the lamp will receive a complete final soldering.

This homemade jig helps position the lamp so the area to be soldered is level.

Finish soldering requires a level surface so the solder beads up correctly.

The top part of the lamp interior has been finished soldered. The rest is still unsoldered.

The last two rows have now been removed from the form and will get soldered to the bottom of the lamp.

The witness marks help to locate the last two rows back to their correct position on the lamp.

This is the inside detail of the bottom two rows during the re-attachment process.

More inside detail of the bottom rows being re-attached to the lamp.

This view shows the one piece that had to be broken out to release the last two rows from the form.

Soldering continues along the bottom. The rows are squeezed tight together before being attached.

After final soldering, the lamp was treated with chemicals to blacken and age the solder seams. The shade was then given a final wash and polish before mounting on the base.

Here is the finished lamp in reflected light (unlit).

Here is the finished lamp in transmitted light (lit). Note the difference in the character of the glass when lit vs unlit.