Capabilities

Every handcrafted object, large or small, begins with an idea and a vision. The idea progresses to a drawing, and step by step the creative process continues forward to fabrication.

Savoy Studios has a team of in-house designers who, often along with other associated artists, create the renderings from which all of our glass is fabricated. Working with architects, interior designers and clients we are able to achieve the effects that are desired for each project.

We have several fabrication departments within the studio, each creating different types of art glass; etched, stained, dichroic, beveled, blown and kiln-cast. We also have a special projects team who work with fused and laminated glass, along with lighting and sculpture.

Blown Glass

Blown glass is perhaps the most dangerous and most exciting of the glass techniques. Molten glass is gathered from the furnace at over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit on the end of a pipe, then manipulated with "blown" air and movement. During this process the glass is in a liquid state but as it cools it become rigid and holds the final shape.

Savoy has supplied many projects internationally with decorative blown glass elements . Savoy also offers a line of large contemporary blown glass vases in our LeVas line.

Not only can we supply blown glass from the Pacific Northwest , if need be we can also supply clients with Custom Blown Glass from Venice, Italy; the Czech Republic; and from quality manufacturers in China.

Cast Glass

Virtually any shape that can be formed in clay or wax can then be cast in glass.

Open-face kiln casting creates high-relief sculpted glass forms that can he used as feature panels in walls, as panels in lighting and as stand-alone works of art.

Using our many large kilns, Savoy can produce cast and kiln-textured glass panels up to 120 inches long by 52 inches wide or up to 78 inches square. Our two-ton-capacity cranes allow safe movement of these heavy panels from the kilns to the water jet to the cold working shop, with stops in the etching booth and painting room if those processes are included in the project.

Savoy has a series of limited edition castings available for commission.

Cold Working

Savoy has a large Cold-Working Shop well-equipped with the tools and experience to fulfill any and all needs of the cold-working process. We are expert in the art of shaping and polishing all types of glass, including kiln-formed , blown, plate and laminated glass.

Savoy has recently designed and installed an edge polishing machine that can work the edges of glass from ½-inch up to four inches thick. It has the capability of creating a polished edge from flat up to a 15-inch radial edge profile.

Large glass can safely and easily be handled with the use of cranes, fork lift and skids, and rolling tilt tables.

Digital Printing

Savoy can now offer digital printing on glass. This is achieved in one of two ways. We can put a piece of glass on a large format printer and, when the desired image is entered into the computer, print out numerous variations of the images depending on the required end result. Once the process is complete we laminate the glass and seal in the inks. The laminate layer helps block UV rays from reaching the images and extends the life span of the inks indefinitely.

The other method of digital printing is similar, using inks that are fired onto the glass surface during the tempering process. This process allows for the glass to have the printed side exposed to the touch with no need for lamination. The fired-on image is archival and needs no protection from the weather.

There are limitations to the size of sheet glass that can be printed on, please call us for details.

Glass Fusing

Simply put, fusing involves heating pieces of glass until they bond together. Our on-staff experts handle the complicated aspects and the more subtle properties of melted glass. There are four fusing techniques:

Fused glass is glass that has been fired in a kiln at high temperatures to achieve a variety of artistic effects.

Slumped glass is the result of firing the glass at low temperature, allowing the glass to take on the shape of the shelf or mold it rests on. Because the top surface remains relatively flat this process can be used for table tops and counter tops with the added bonus of finding scratches that usually occur so easily when using glass in these places.

Tack fusing is the attachment of two or more layers of glass that retain their original shapes.

Full fuse results in a melting of the glass pieces resulting in one solid layer of glass.

Savoy has eight kilns for fusing and can fire up to 78-inch square panels, and two kilns that accommodate glass up to 137 inches by 52 inches.

We have two-ton-capacity cranes, rolling tilt tables and forklift skid frames for transferring glass from one process to another.

Laminating

The lamination of glass is done with a special liquid poured between layers of glass and cured to create laminated safety glass. This process can be used to create safety glass from fused, slumped and carved glass panels.

This is the only process certified for use outdoors and in water applications such as fountains, showers, pools and sculptures.

Lighting

For every new hospitality and architectural lighting project we bring more than four decades of experience collaborating with architects and designers. Savoy offers every tool and technology needed to produce custom lighting projects, including glass fusing and casting kilns, a metal shop, plus sandblasting and painting booths.

All of Savoy's fixtures are UL approved or CF Certified.

Lighting products span a variety of glass techniques, including contemporary blown-glass shades, fused-glass, leaded-glass and foiled-glass lighting elements. Other materials have also been incorporated into these projects, including metal, wood and natural elements like shell, leather and stone.

Not only can we supply blown-glass elements from the Pacific Northwest, we can offer clients custom glass from Venice, Italy; the Czech Republic; and quality glass and metal fixtures from our strategic partners in China.

Metal Fabrication

We have artisans who are accomplished in welding, rolling and many other metal fab techniques.

In 1995, Savoy purchased a water jet to help expedite the cutting of thousands of pieces of glass needed for stained-glass-dome projects. The cutter has become indispensable in the production of metal frames and armatures as well as fused, cast and laminated glass panels. Savoy also uses this tool to cut other materials, such as stone and wood.

Having the water jet, sandblast booth and paint booth in-house allows Savoy to fabricate the metal components for lighting and other projects with accuracy and speed. Savoy's new facility has several two-ton capacity cranes that enable us to move heavy materials from one process to the next. This, along with the grade and below-grade truck loading docks, ensures smooth and professional handling of metal frames for our glass work projects.

Photo Etching

Using a light sensitive film emulsion process Savoy can transfer photo quality images into a sandblasted surface. Clients can provide high quality images which our team of designers transfers into a half-tone file that is exposed onto the emulsion coating. This is then taken into the sandblasting booth and carved to the desired depth. Keeping most of this process in-house allows us to control the quality and ensure the final pieces have the clarity and consistency that the clients desires.

Sandblasting

Savoy Studios offers a nearly infinite range of etching techniques and options. Our huge, well-equipped blasting room, Two-ton capacity cranes, and 12-foot by 12-foot tilt table allows us to work on very large glass panels. Our facility is large enough to mock up multi-paneled murals and sculptural art glass work.

Our etchers are experts in the art of carving glass. We are renowned for our realistic figures and wildlife, but we can also carve fantastic modern and abstract art glass. We use the sandblasting as a step in the fusing process, as well as creating defused surfaces for our blown-glass lighting products.

Full-color translucent paints can be applied to etched and carved surfaces. Paint filling gives the carved glass enhanced dimensional quality and slightly more translucency. Another option is the application of metallic paint and patinas, metal leafing in a range from 24-carat gold to platinum to colorful Japanese foil. Sand-carved or etched glass can also be laminated with the etched surface inside the laminated panel.

We also offer photo-etching, which is created using a photographic positive film and a light-sensitive resist material. This process allows for very fine detail, more than would be possible with a hand cut masking.

Stained Glass

Savoy has been internationally recognized for our mastery of the art of painting and firing glass pieces for inclusion in stained glass panels. We are also experienced in unusual constructions of stained glass, including tilting and layering of copper-foiled glass for a three-dimensional effect.

Savoy pioneered the use of water-jet cutting technology in a commercial art glass studio, shortening the fabrication time on large projects requiring thousands of pieces. Our stained glass projects vary in size, style and complexity ranging from lampshades to 10,000 sq.-ft. ceilings.

Designing lighting plans for glass domes and glass ceilings is also something Savoy has long experience in, and we are happy to work with your lighting engineer to spec the right lighting for the glass installation.

Waterjet

One key piece of equipment that Savoy utilizes is the Water Jet. Operating at 40,000psi the Water Jet can cut through any material up to 6” thick. The Water Jet can be programmed to follow any 2D shape up to 140 inches per minute for high volume production or as slow as 1/2” per minute for fine edges on thick material. The Water Jet has two beds for cutting, increasing our production capabilities. One measures 4’x 8’ for cutting standard sized material. The other bed has been modified to accommodate larger material.

Our in-house programmers can take any file type and prepare it for the Water Jet to cut exactly what is needed for any project. We have produced a wide range of projects, from custom job components to one of a kind art pieces. With 20 years of jetting experience, Savoy has the knowledge and capability to realize any design vision.

Wheel Cutting

Wheel cutting, bright cutting and face beveling are processes in which designs are cut, ground and then polished onto the surface of glass. This technique has been used for centuries as embellishment for goblets, vases, lamps and mirrors.

Savoy has collaborated with Rich Samsel of Glasslight, considered a master in the field, on many projects for over 30 years. Our collaborations have resulted in magnificent installations worldwide.

Beveling:
Beveling is the grinding and polishing of the edges of thick glass panels. A variety of angles and shapes are possible.

For over 30 years Savoy has worked with Dan Woodward, incorporating his masterful beveling skills into projects.