How strong/secure is the finished panel?
Once leaded, soldered, cemented and installed, the finished panel is surprisingly rigid. In a panel with many pieces, the strength is probably increased further by the sheer number of lead joints holding the whole together. However, lead is a very soft material, and glass can break (albeit that a small piece of glass is more difficult to break than a large sheet of the same glass). It is certainly not as secure as toughened, double glassed or security glass. Additional strengthening (and security) can be incorporated into the panel to provide a degree of piece of mind and resiliency. Lead came can be used that has a central core of steel. This is an unobtrusive method of adding strength to the straight joints (it is difficult to bend successfully) A flexible and thin steel band can be placed inside the lead came (between the glass and the inner face of the lead came). Again, an unobtrusive (if a little fiddly) method of strengthening. For resilience, the steel band is only placed in th
