Yes, it's electric. Yes, I plug it in.

I’ve started construction on another piece for the commission of seven stained glass windows I’ve been creating for my clients in Lenoir over the past few months. This one’s a biggie! It’s for the pantry door and measures a whopping 69 inches long — funny enough, that’s five inches taller than me.

Because of the length, I decided to build it with zinc came instead of lead. Zinc is much stiffer, and since every line in this design is straight, zinc was the obvious choice. When I work with lead came, I can cut it with a simple hand tool, but zinc needs an electric saw.

Unfortunately, my trusty 15-year-old saw decided to call it quits last Wednesday with no warning at all. I made a cut, stepped away to receive a delivery, came back ready to keep going, and… nothing. I’m not exactly mechanical, so I called around to see if anyone could fix it. Out of the eight places I called, not one could help. One guy even asked, “Is it battery powered or electric?” When I said, “Electric,” he followed up with, “Do you plug it in?”

I briefly considered using a hand saw, but with hundreds of metal pieces to cut — all with very particular angles — that plan didn’t last long. Fortunately UPS delivered my shiny new little workhorse on Monday morning, about an hour after I tied on my apron.

Buying a new saw is a bit like buying a new dishwasher — spending the money isn’t fun, but each time I push the button and electricity does all the hard work, it feels totally worth it. I keep talking to my new saw, telling it what a great job it’s doing. I don’t want it getting any ideas about quitting on me like its predecessor! There are still hundreds of metal pieces to cut, plus all the glass to cut and grind, and then all of the metal needs to be soldered together. Then I have to patina the metal, putty it, and clean the whole thing. And let’s not forget, this panel is still taller than I am — but at least we’re plugged in and ready to go again. More photos coming soon — check my Instagram for progress shots and a peek at my pretty new little saw!