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Buildbook: Stained glass slope windows

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:47 am
by Jim
Howdy!

I've had a few folks ask me about the stained glass windows in my recent Church, so this post will provide a few details of the construction.

These windows are based on using the 1x1x2/3 slopes in the various trans-colors. Currently, these parts are available in trans-green, red, black, blue, yellow, and dark orange. I've heard that trans-orange ones exist, but the sets that supposedly have them contained trans-dark orange for me. :?

As you can see
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with a little work, you can get the height of the window and opening to match.

Or you can add some decoration to the window with an arch.
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The variety of colors allows many combinations of colors and patterns. The actual look of the window will depend on the amount of both reflected and transmitted light.
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These parts stack nicely, and I build up a window in the opening, as I build the building.
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If you need stability in the window, because you will be moving the MOC, or if you will not be using an interior, then a supporting wall of clear bricks can be used.
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You can also create round windows. I build this large window with a combination of 1x1x2/3 slopes and trans brick.
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Because the window is made up of 3 sections (center and each side), the geometry does not have to be exact.

This smaller window
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is similar in construction to the tall narrow windows.
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It is made from 4 columns of stacked slopes. The top row and bottom rows are connected to the studs of 1x4 plates for stability. I use clear bricks around the edges. This allows more light to flow through the window, and thus seem brighter. With opaque wallbricks right up against the trans slopes, the window just looks darker.

For transport, a wheel taped in place works great. :wink:
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I hope this provides sufficient detail to answer the questions. If you have any more questions, or comments, I would love to read them. :D

Jim

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:30 am
by Kanduu
I was wondering how you did that. Good ideas, and nice execution. If I ever get some of those slopes, I'll definitely try to remember this technique. Good, clear pictures are always nice too.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:23 am
by wunztwice
Thanks for posting this Jim! I really like those windows in the MOC I may be tempted to try them in my own as soon as I get enough of them. The tutorial was as well done as the church.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:30 pm
by ragnarok
10x a lot Jim! Your creations bear the fine approach of an artist. I believe that such a window will make a great addition to any castle MOC.

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:52 pm
by Athos
That is quite cool. I love the window designs. Are they sturdy though, since they aren't connected to anything? Though that would make a nice broken glass for a battle scene...

Steve

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:47 pm
by brody
Very cool!

That's the cleanest solution for stained glass that I've seen. Good job. The round windows are particularly impressive.

Brody

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Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:35 am
by The dark tide
I plan to do something like this on my next MOC. Thanks for the instructions.

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:28 am
by chadzicz
thx Jim, very smart way to use the new city slopes. and very useful for my MOCs. i think i might get a few of those :wink:

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:40 am
by J1A3L5
Jim -

Thanks for posting this. This picture really did it for me...it looks so realistic. This combined with some SNOT techniques could be very promising, and rewarding.

A possible way to increase strength would to mix in some 1x1 plates in your design. Instead of using 1x1 plates, use appropriately coloured transparent 1x2's with the extra stud sticking out behind, then you can fasten your clear backing panel to it, creating some fixed elements within the mosaic to help the whole thing stay put. Alternatively, you could try adding a clear panel in front of it.

While it might be a lot of work, if you were extremely concerned about them staying put, you could put some sort of window panel in front, and use SNOT to fill in all the gaps. (As far as I know, the thickness of a window is doable with a SNOT offset)

I'm working on a largish model right now, and I'd love to work a design like this into it if I have a opportunity in which it's applicable, and you're cool with that.

Impressive,
-John L.

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:03 am
by Slobey
I didn't know those peices came in transparent colours :shock: . It all makes sense now........

Well done btw, those windows look outstanding. I shall join the long list of people who no doubt want to borrow this technique

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 5:00 am
by Jim
Howdy-
Good ideas, and nice execution.
Thanks Kanduu, glad you liked it. :)
Thanks for posting this Jim! I really like those windows in the MOC I may be tempted to try them in my own as soon as I get enough of them. The tutorial was as well done as the church.
You're Welcome Wunz, and I hope to see some of your window ideas! :)
10x a lot Jim! Your creations bear the fine approach of an artist. I believe that such a window will make a great addition to any castle MOC.
Thanks Ragnarok! Glad you liked them. :)
That is quite cool. I love the window designs. Are they sturdy though, since they aren't connected to anything?
I'm glad you like them Athos. They are not pick-it-up-and-shake-it sturdy, but I do build on a table shared with my 4 and 7 year old kids, and is hasn't been a problem, yet. :lol:
That's the cleanest solution for stained glass that I've seen. Good job. The round windows are particularly impressive.
Thanks Brody! The round windows do allow more creativity, but aren't that much more work than the others. I am looking forward to someone out there doing a big, intricate stained glass picture of a knight, or dragon, or tree, or something amazing... :)
I plan to do something like this on my next MOC. Thanks for the instructions.
You're Welcome Dark, I hope to see it soon. :)
thx Jim, very smart way to use the new city slopes. and very useful for my MOCs.
Great chadzicz, hope to see your ideas! :)
A possible way to increase strength would to mix in some 1x1 plates in your design.
Right you are John. On the big cross motif window, I used many 1x2 plates and 2x2 bricks. The 2x2 brick are connected to the clear brick back wall. It is very strong (but wouldnt look great on the inside).
I'm working on a largish model right now, and I'd love to work a design like this into it if I have a opportunity in which it's applicable, and you're cool with that.
I can't wait to see it! :D
Well done btw, those windows look outstanding. I shall join the long list of people who no doubt want to borrow this technique
Thanks Slobey! Bruce is considering writing a how-to article using this and other stained glass techniques. If you get yours done, it could get into the article. :D

Any other comments, especially alternate approaches, will be appreciated. Post or send me a PM.

Jim

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 3:18 pm
by Romas
Not really amazing, but at least it's more or less detailed:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1792604

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:04 pm
by Mark Stafford
Jim this is a really cool approach to the new 'cheese wedge' 1x1 slopes and it almost made me tear apart the cockpit of a microscale spacecraft to use a variation of this instead, unfortunately it wouldn't work as they would fall out of the back, but I will use this in future! Thanks for an interesting new idea!

Cheers,
Mark.
(PS a Lego designer told me they had been calling them cheese wedges in the design room, it's not my idea: but stick a yellow one on a minifig plate and see what it looks like!)