Behind the Glass: A Day in the Life of Jimmy Stephens
For this instalment of our Behind the Glass series, we join Jimmy Stephens, a window and door installer at our Barnstaple branch, for a day on site at North Devon College.
At 34, Jimmy has been working in glazing for 20 years. He started helping out at his dad’s glazing business in Bideford when he was just 14, working evenings and weekends alongside his studies. This gave Jimmy an early introduction to the trade, with much of his early experience coming from traditional glazing.
Over the years, he has puttied hundreds of windows and developed a broad range of glazing skills. Jimmy has now been with Camel Glass for two years and works across a variety of window, door and glass installations.
One of the things Jimmy enjoys most about his work is working with traditional glazing and being part of a good team.
In this feature, we follow Jimmy through a specialist installation at North Devon College, where three unusual U-shaped glass panels were being replaced.
Watch Jimmy on site
In this video, we join Jimmy at North Devon College to see the installation from start to finish. Jimmy talks us through the job and explains the process of working with the unusual U-shaped glass, before we follow him as he fits the replacement panels on site.
A Different Kind of Glass Installation
The installation involved three replacement panels of U-shaped glass at North Devon College in Barnstaple.
The three panels interlock with one another to create the rounded shape of the building. Unlike a standard flat pane of glass, the unusual shape meant that Jimmy had to approach the cutting process differently.
The Barnstaple workshop received the glass before Jimmy measured and cut it to size. He then took the panels to North Devon College ready for installation.
Although the installation itself was straightforward and went to plan, the unusual type of glass made the job different from a typical installation. The glass was also more difficult to source, so accurate preparation was particularly important.
Cutting the Glass by Hand
One of the most interesting parts of the job was preparing the U-shaped glass.
With standard glass, Jimmy would normally use a tool to help guide the cut and achieve the required shape. However, the unusual U-shaped panels meant he couldn’t use this method. Instead, he had to carefully measure the glass and cut it freehand.
This required accuracy and confidence. The three finished panels also needed to fit together correctly during installation.
Before cutting the replacement panels, Jimmy practised on sections of the old glass that the team had removed. This gave him the opportunity to get used to the unusual shape before moving on to the new panels.
The installation itself went smoothly. However, the unusual glass meant that Jimmy had to adapt his approach to the cutting process. It was a good example of how experience and practical skills can help when working with specialist glass.
From the Workshop to North Devon College
Once the replacement panels had been prepared at our Barnstaple workshop, Jimmy and a colleague took the glass to North Devon College to complete the installation.
On site, the three U-shaped sections were carefully positioned and fitted together. As each panel interlocked with the next, the rounded shape of the building began to come together.
Having the glass prepared accurately at the workshop meant that the panels were ready to be fitted when they arrived on site. The installation then went to plan, with Jimmy and Glen working together to position and fit the replacement glass.
For Jimmy, it was another example of the variety that comes with working in glazing. While much of the work involves more familiar window and door installations, projects like this require installers to adapt their approach when working with something outside the standard.
A Day in the Life of a Window and Door Installer
With 20 years of experience in glazing, Jimmy brings a broad range of practical skills to his role as a window and door installer at Camel Glass. From traditional glazing to modern window, door and glass installations, his experience means he can work across a wide variety of projects. The North Devon College installation was a good example of the variety involved in the role.
Watch the video above to join Jimmy on site at North Devon College and see the installation for yourself.
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