Lead Came & Restoration Kit

Strength and tradition. A came window is a rigid, weatherproof lattice that holds large pieces and survives centuries (the cathedral windows) — copper foil panels are finer but more delicate and not weatherproof for exterior use. Came for large, exterior, or traditional work; foil for fine detail and small panels.

New lead came is slightly soft and kinks when bent; stretching it (in a vise with a stretcher) work-hardens it straight and rigid so it lays flat and holds the glass. Skipping the stretch gives a wavy, weak window. It is the unseen prep step that separates a came panel that lasts from one that sags.

After soldering, the came-glass gap is filled with a putty (whiting, linseed oil, and a drier) — it locks the glass in the came, weatherproofs the window, and adds rigidity. Without it the glass rattles and the window leaks. The putty is the structural and weatherproof finish; the whiting cleans the excess and buffs the lead.

Carefully — assess the came (is it brittle, cracked, sagging?), replace the fatigued came (a full re-lead for a badly fatigued window), re-putty, and clean. Old windows are often re-leaded (the glass saved, the came replaced) every century. It is a specialist craft; a restorer learns on practice pieces before touching an heirloom. Lead hygiene applies throughout.