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While most of my work is with wood, metal and plaster, and you can hold my
work in your hands, I occasionally take on projects that are way out in left field. I
like a good challenge and if I come across one and it looks like it's too much to
pass up I dive in with both feet not always knowing what the outcome will be.
That's the excitement. The Mayo Hotel was such a project. Built in the 1920's, it
was the premier hotel of the midwest for many many years. It remained in
operation until the 80's when it ceased operation as a hotel and was sold, and
then resold and in the process stripped of most of what made it such a beautiful
hotel.
It was eventually purchased by the Snyder family out of Maryland and they have
made it their goal to bring the Mayo back to it's former glory as much as
possible. In working with the Snyer family I can honestly say, the Mayo could not
have fallen into more loving and determined hands. They have spent untold
monies to refurbish the lower levels and the main lobby which now serves as a
ball room for weddings, receptions and other social events.
However as beautiful as the lobby is, the ceiling was in great need of repair. It
was a 40 foot by 80 foot stain glass ceiling that had been there since the hotel
was built. It consisted of 48, five foot by five foot panels hanging 20 feet above
the lobby floor. Half of the panels were missing from the years of neglect and
the other half needed repair. Major Charles Snyder the family patriarch and his
son John had gotten several quotes on getting the ceiling repaired or replaced
and the cost was enormous.
I had met the Snyder family while trying to get pictures of some architectural
elements inside the hotel. Major Snyder wanted to get the ceiling fixed but
because of the cost had put it off for a while. During one of our conversations at
the hotel, he ask me if I knew anyone that could replace the ceiling at a
reasonable cost. I looked at the ceiling and then at him and said, "Yes I do, Me"!
He ask me how much, I shot him a price and he said "Do it"! Of course I had
never done stain glass before, not even so much as a simple sun catcher, but
this was one of those challenges that I just had to tackle. Two major things had
to be taken into consideration, looks and safety. They had to look like the
originals as much as possible and because pieces of glass were occasionally
falling from the old panels still in the ceiling, safety was important as well. There
would be people dancing and celebrating in the lobby and the last thing we
wanted was a piece of glass falling on their head. This all had to be taken into
consideration and I had quoted a price and I didn't have the slightest idea what
my cost was going to be. I had a gut feeling based on other things I had done in
my life but no actual costs yet.
First I checked into making the ceiling out of actual cut glass, just like the old
ceiling but quickly found out that wasn't going to happen. The materials alone
was going to cost more than I had quoted. Then I checked into using plexiglass,
cut into the various shapes I needed. If you look at the picture of one of the old
panels, you will quickly see there's a lot of parts in just one panel, 227 to be
exact and I had 48 of them to make.
Then I got the idea of using a solid piece of plexi-glass and transparent dyes
and some kind of adhesive tape that looked like lead. Well, God must have
been smiling on me, because no only did I find the lead tape that looks just like
lead cane, but I found adhesive film that was made to look just like stain glass.
Now all I had to find was sheets of textured plexi-glass that was five foot wide
and believe me, it's not something you run across everyday. I spent hours on
the internet looking for 5 foot wide pieces of textured plexi-glass. I was about to
give up and start figuring a way to use two pieces to make the 5 foot square
when I finally found some in New York, Florida and Chicago and bought
everything they had. I needed 52 pieces and combined, I got exactly 52 pieces.
They make this stuff once a year and if you don't get it in time, you have to wait till
the next year.
Next I had to figure out where to assemble the panels and since I was living in a
condo at the time and didn't have a garage, I was about to rent some space
when John Snyder said I could use the old coffee shop at the Mayo. He even
gave me a key to the place so I could come and go as I needed. I told you they
are a great family.
work in your hands, I occasionally take on projects that are way out in left field. I
like a good challenge and if I come across one and it looks like it's too much to
pass up I dive in with both feet not always knowing what the outcome will be.
That's the excitement. The Mayo Hotel was such a project. Built in the 1920's, it
was the premier hotel of the midwest for many many years. It remained in
operation until the 80's when it ceased operation as a hotel and was sold, and
then resold and in the process stripped of most of what made it such a beautiful
hotel.
It was eventually purchased by the Snyder family out of Maryland and they have
made it their goal to bring the Mayo back to it's former glory as much as
possible. In working with the Snyer family I can honestly say, the Mayo could not
have fallen into more loving and determined hands. They have spent untold
monies to refurbish the lower levels and the main lobby which now serves as a
ball room for weddings, receptions and other social events.
However as beautiful as the lobby is, the ceiling was in great need of repair. It
was a 40 foot by 80 foot stain glass ceiling that had been there since the hotel
was built. It consisted of 48, five foot by five foot panels hanging 20 feet above
the lobby floor. Half of the panels were missing from the years of neglect and
the other half needed repair. Major Charles Snyder the family patriarch and his
son John had gotten several quotes on getting the ceiling repaired or replaced
and the cost was enormous.
I had met the Snyder family while trying to get pictures of some architectural
elements inside the hotel. Major Snyder wanted to get the ceiling fixed but
because of the cost had put it off for a while. During one of our conversations at
the hotel, he ask me if I knew anyone that could replace the ceiling at a
reasonable cost. I looked at the ceiling and then at him and said, "Yes I do, Me"!
He ask me how much, I shot him a price and he said "Do it"! Of course I had
never done stain glass before, not even so much as a simple sun catcher, but
this was one of those challenges that I just had to tackle. Two major things had
to be taken into consideration, looks and safety. They had to look like the
originals as much as possible and because pieces of glass were occasionally
falling from the old panels still in the ceiling, safety was important as well. There
would be people dancing and celebrating in the lobby and the last thing we
wanted was a piece of glass falling on their head. This all had to be taken into
consideration and I had quoted a price and I didn't have the slightest idea what
my cost was going to be. I had a gut feeling based on other things I had done in
my life but no actual costs yet.
First I checked into making the ceiling out of actual cut glass, just like the old
ceiling but quickly found out that wasn't going to happen. The materials alone
was going to cost more than I had quoted. Then I checked into using plexiglass,
cut into the various shapes I needed. If you look at the picture of one of the old
panels, you will quickly see there's a lot of parts in just one panel, 227 to be
exact and I had 48 of them to make.
Then I got the idea of using a solid piece of plexi-glass and transparent dyes
and some kind of adhesive tape that looked like lead. Well, God must have
been smiling on me, because no only did I find the lead tape that looks just like
lead cane, but I found adhesive film that was made to look just like stain glass.
Now all I had to find was sheets of textured plexi-glass that was five foot wide
and believe me, it's not something you run across everyday. I spent hours on
the internet looking for 5 foot wide pieces of textured plexi-glass. I was about to
give up and start figuring a way to use two pieces to make the 5 foot square
when I finally found some in New York, Florida and Chicago and bought
everything they had. I needed 52 pieces and combined, I got exactly 52 pieces.
They make this stuff once a year and if you don't get it in time, you have to wait till
the next year.
Next I had to figure out where to assemble the panels and since I was living in a
condo at the time and didn't have a garage, I was about to rent some space
when John Snyder said I could use the old coffee shop at the Mayo. He even
gave me a key to the place so I could come and go as I needed. I told you they
are a great family.
The Mayo, located at the corner of 5th and
cheyenne in tulsa, Ok.
cheyenne in tulsa, Ok.
View from the lobby floor looking up at the old
ceiling.
ceiling.
One of the old panels. Each one consisted
of 227 different pieces of glass.
of 227 different pieces of glass.
Looking at two of the old panels still in the
ceiling. They are covered with years of dust.
ceiling. They are covered with years of dust.
The next great challenge was to climb up into the ceiling and I had to measure
each opening for each panel. At first I though I would measure a couple of them
and that was all I would need to do. I quickly found out, that wasn't the case.
You see no two openings were the same size. They varied from 1/2" to 4" on
each one and they weren't square. From the floor they all looked square and the
same size but looks can be deceiving. So each opening in the grid had to be
measured to the 1/4". In addition, some of the openings had bolts protruding
out into them that held the grid together and they couldn't be moved. So I had to
mark the location of each one and mark that on my drawing along with the
measurements of where they were so I could notch the panel in the right place.
So while I walked the gird in the ceiling holding onto the trusses with one hand
and a tape measure in the other, I called down the measurements while
someone on the floor wrote them down on a drawing I had done of the grid
making sure to note which was the north, south, east and west measurement
and which panel it went to.
each opening for each panel. At first I though I would measure a couple of them
and that was all I would need to do. I quickly found out, that wasn't the case.
You see no two openings were the same size. They varied from 1/2" to 4" on
each one and they weren't square. From the floor they all looked square and the
same size but looks can be deceiving. So each opening in the grid had to be
measured to the 1/4". In addition, some of the openings had bolts protruding
out into them that held the grid together and they couldn't be moved. So I had to
mark the location of each one and mark that on my drawing along with the
measurements of where they were so I could notch the panel in the right place.
So while I walked the gird in the ceiling holding onto the trusses with one hand
and a tape measure in the other, I called down the measurements while
someone on the floor wrote them down on a drawing I had done of the grid
making sure to note which was the north, south, east and west measurement
and which panel it went to.
Looking down through the ceiling grid to the
lobby floor.
lobby floor.
The next step in my odyssey was to take the measurements and cut the panels
to the proper size for each opening in the grid making sure that I always know
which way is north or top of the panel and so forth. Because of the way the
openings were laid out and not square, I couldn't make a mistake and even flip
the panel on the wrong side after it was cut or it wouldn't fit in the opening and I
had only enough sheets to do the job. Fortunately each sheet came with a
protective coating so as soon as I lay a sheet down to cut I marked what would
be the top of the panel and which side would be facing down with a big magic
marker in big letters. It took a week just to cut the panels to size and allow for all
the notches.
to the proper size for each opening in the grid making sure that I always know
which way is north or top of the panel and so forth. Because of the way the
openings were laid out and not square, I couldn't make a mistake and even flip
the panel on the wrong side after it was cut or it wouldn't fit in the opening and I
had only enough sheets to do the job. Fortunately each sheet came with a
protective coating so as soon as I lay a sheet down to cut I marked what would
be the top of the panel and which side would be facing down with a big magic
marker in big letters. It took a week just to cut the panels to size and allow for all
the notches.
Now that I had the panels cut, I needed to draw the pattern to size and place it
on a easel large enough to hold the panels. I also had to allow for the
differences in size and shape otherwise the lines in the panels wouldn't line up
in the ceiling and it wouldn't look right. So I marked a dead center on the pattern
and always worked from the inside out.
For the next two months, I made panel after panel with the knowledge always in
the back of my mind. What if I measured wrong, I'll have over two months in this
project and a lot of money and I won't know if they will fit or not until they are
done and we start placing them in the ceiling. Needless to say I had a few
sleepless nights.
on a easel large enough to hold the panels. I also had to allow for the
differences in size and shape otherwise the lines in the panels wouldn't line up
in the ceiling and it wouldn't look right. So I marked a dead center on the pattern
and always worked from the inside out.
For the next two months, I made panel after panel with the knowledge always in
the back of my mind. What if I measured wrong, I'll have over two months in this
project and a lot of money and I won't know if they will fit or not until they are
done and we start placing them in the ceiling. Needless to say I had a few
sleepless nights.
The ceiling trusses that I had to hang onto in
order to get the measurements.
order to get the measurements.
Finally the day came to start taking the old panels out and putting the new ones
in. With the help of Ron Murphy who worked at the Mayo at the time and a very
tall sissor lift, we managed to get the old panels out with minimal breakage and
cut fingers and start placing the new ones in.
Needless to say the first one did not fit according to plan and I started feeling
very ill. We had to trim a little off two edges and it ended up taking about an hour
to fix it. I'm thinking to myself, geeze, if it takes an hour each, it's going to take a
week to put these in. Fortunately God was smiling once again and after the first
one, the rest easily dropped into place and we had all the panels in that night.
He must have been teasing me with that first one. With the exception of one
other panel that needed a little work, they all fell perfectly into place. I slept really
good that night.
in. With the help of Ron Murphy who worked at the Mayo at the time and a very
tall sissor lift, we managed to get the old panels out with minimal breakage and
cut fingers and start placing the new ones in.
Needless to say the first one did not fit according to plan and I started feeling
very ill. We had to trim a little off two edges and it ended up taking about an hour
to fix it. I'm thinking to myself, geeze, if it takes an hour each, it's going to take a
week to put these in. Fortunately God was smiling once again and after the first
one, the rest easily dropped into place and we had all the panels in that night.
He must have been teasing me with that first one. With the exception of one
other panel that needed a little work, they all fell perfectly into place. I slept really
good that night.
As you can see below, the ceiling is done and I brought it in for less than what I
had quoted the Major. I passed the savings on to him and he was please as
was everyone else and now the Mayo has a beautiful new ceiling and as you
can tell it makes a big difference in the lobby. So if your ever in Tulsa, please
stop by and see my ceiling. I am very proud of what I did. If a good challenge
ever comes your way, take it on and when your successful stand back and
admire what you have done for a moment, then go look for another challenge.
Michael Benton
had quoted the Major. I passed the savings on to him and he was please as
was everyone else and now the Mayo has a beautiful new ceiling and as you
can tell it makes a big difference in the lobby. So if your ever in Tulsa, please
stop by and see my ceiling. I am very proud of what I did. If a good challenge
ever comes your way, take it on and when your successful stand back and
admire what you have done for a moment, then go look for another challenge.
Michael Benton
My home made easel, paper cutter and
measuring board for cutting the lead cane.
measuring board for cutting the lead cane.
