Kicking Glass: A Creative Guide to Stained Glass Craft 1789940494, 9781789940497

Citation preview

KICKING GLASS

KICKING GLASS A CREATIVE GUIDE TO STAINED GLASS CRAFT NEILE COOPER WITH ROBERT GIAQUINTA

HERBERT PRESS Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, Wc1B 3 DP, uK 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland BLOOMSBURY, HERBERT PRESS and the Herbert Press logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain in 2022 This electronic edition published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Copyright © Neile Cooper, 2022 Neile Cooper has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication data has been applied for ISBN 978-1-78994-049-7; eBook: 978-1-78994-050-3 ePDF: 978-1-78994-085-5 Text designed and typeset by illuminati, Grosmont

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CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

vii

INTRODUCTION

1

STUDIO SETUP & SAFETY

9

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

15

GLASS

25

CUTTING GLASS

31

USING PATTERNS

43

FOILING

47

LAYOUT

51

SOLDERING

53

FINISHING

59

CLEAN, PATINA, & POLISH

67

DESIGNING PATTERNS

71

SUNCATCHERS 1 FIRST FEATHER

82

2 ROSE QUARTZ 3 PINK MOON 4 CATENARY

81

84

85 86

5 WISP OF A WING

88

6 HONEYCOMB CLUSTER 7 KATONAH MOTH

90

FEATURED ARTISTS

92

FOUND & FORAGED INCORPORATING CURIOS PRESSED EPHEMERA JEWELRY

97

Courtney Baker

98

Patrick Hurley

100

103 104

9 PEACOCK FEATHER SUNCATCHER

Janel Foo

106

108

11 OYSTERS ON ASPEN

111

3D CONSTRUCTION

115

3D SOLDERING TECHNIQUES 12 BASIC BOX

78 79

Bryony Jo Lane

8 PRESSED FLOWER POSY 10 COMET MOTH

Missy Graff Ballone

116

117

13 BUTTERFLY PLANT STAKE 14 BUTTERFLY ALIGHTS

124

15 HOME SWEET HOME

126

16 CURIO CATCH-ALL

122

128

17 MOTHS TO A FLAME PORCHLIGHT 18 GLASSWING IN FLIGHT

134

RECLAIMED WINDOWS 19 FIREFLY CABIN WINDOW

131

140

141

PATTERNS

146

SUPPLIERS

167

94

95

Helena Rakhuba

113

Flannery Cronin

138

Kara Bussey

139

12

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Kicking Glass doesn’t happen alone. I am filled with gratitude as I write these acknowledgments. Thank you to Herbert Press and Bloomsbury Publishing for supporting hand craft by making a home for this book and other wonderful craft books. To Clare Martelli for guiding this project into being and for having faith in me. To Natasha Collin for her patience and diligence. To Lucy Morton for her thoughtful design. Thank you to the Society of Authors and Elizabeth Haylett Clark for holding our hands when we felt way out of our depth. You are doing important work. Thanks to all of my family, especially my mother, Susan Cooper, who has never wavered in her support of my creative endeavors, and to Dr G, who walked up and down the hill each day that summer with loads of grand ideas and building supplies. I can never thank you enough. This book was made better by Courtney Baker, Kara Bussey, Flannery Cronin, Janel Foo, Patrick Hurley, Bryony Jo Lane, and Helena Rakhuba, who so generously shared their stained glass thoughts and images, and by Missy Graff Balone whose advice is in my mind as I both craft and type. You all inspire me. Always gratitude in my heart for Lake Mohawk and Lake Minnewaska where I do my best dreaming. Most importantly, this book literally would not exist without my partner and love Robert Giaquinta, who took my scribbles and turned them into beautiful writing. We each rescued the other a few times during this process and we’ve come out a stronger team in the end.

INTRODUCTION A LIGHT ON THE JOURNEY During a particularly challenging time of life, I built myself a sanctuary. I gathered what was in my world – from scraps of glass, discarded lumber, old window frames, and a neglected corner of my backyard, to my unique set of crafting skills, experiences, fantasies, and fears – and followed my folly. I built a cabin that I would cover entirely with my stained glass visions. I didn’t exactly know how to build a cabin, nor how to procure the supplies, nor how I’d find the time, motivation, and cash to complete this project, but I grabbed a few concrete blocks and a shovel, and began to lay the foundation in a spot that felt right.

Now, six years later, I can walk the short path to my stained glass cabin and feel absolute satisfaction. There’s no electricity, no heat, no water. But my cabin surrounds me with the creatures of my own making: oversized snails and mushrooms, gigantic dandelions and ferns, feathers and butterflies, crystals and webs, dogwood petals and deer antlers, the enormous wingspan of a hawk, and the comforting gaze of a fantastic purple barn owl. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the spot where I chose to lay the foundation seems to be a focal point for the sun as it follows its daily and seasonal path across the sky. Somehow, light always imbues the cabin with life that shifts and changes constantly, adding more to this sacred space than I ever could have planned. Stained glass is a medium that transforms simple materials into something absolutely magnificent. It is elemental and alchemical. Sand, limestone, and soda ash. Iron, manganese, chromium, tin. These are the minerals that make up glass and the metals that suffuse it with that beautiful spectrum of reds, blues, yellows, and greens. It’s simple science, and it’s ancient – humans since the early Egyptians have been making glass. BuT, there’s one final ingredient that invokes the real

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magic… lIGHT. It’s the light shining through a stained glass window that brings it alive and makes this medium truly unique. The closest parallel I can think of in art is Alexander Calder’s mobile sculpture with the added element of motion. When his newly invented mobiles first began dancing around in the air, Calder must have been thrilled. That’s how I feel when I see the sunlight illuminating stained glass. WHAT THIS BOOK IS I hope to share with you the joy that I continue to find in stained glass. Making art is a journey, and this book is a companion, for the long term. It doesn’t necessarily matter what section of the trail you’re on. If you’re just starting out, we’ll go over the basics… tools and studio setup, safety, fundamental techniques… but let’s take it so much beyond that! Further on down the path, we’ll explore incorporating found and foraged materials into your work, and we’ll consider strategies that will allow your designs to move into the third dimension, step by step. If you’ve got great ideas, we’ll figure out how to achieve them in glass; conversely, if you love the craft but are in need of inspiration, I’ve got you covered too… this book includes a bunch of patterns that you can use as a foundation to grace with your personal style. Some of what we’ll cover are tried and true techniques and motifs, but there’s always space for your own thing. We’ll explore stained glass construction using the copper foil method, commonly referred to as the ‘Tiffany technique,’ which involves wrapping each piece of hand-cut glass in copper foil and joining the copper-wrapped pieces together with solder. This method is a departure from the much older techniques of joining the glass pieces with a thicker lead channel called ‘came,’ and providing detail by painting upon or ‘staining’ the glass. If you think of the sacred stained glass windows that might be found in a cathedral, you can probably picture these traditional techniques. The newer Tiffany technique was actually patented in 1886 by Sanford Bray as a ‘cheap, simple, convenient, and expeditious means for joining colored glass mosaics.’ Notably (for me at least), Bray’s patent specifically highlights the novel method’s usefulness for natural themes. He mentions that the ability to control the width of the solder line allows for a ‘natural tapering form’ suitable for depicting stems, branches, and leaves. Departing from the traditional lead came technique allows for the use of smaller pieces of glass and a thinner line, resulting in more intricate design possibilities. Louis Comfort Tiffany used this technique to great effect. Additionally, he and his contemporaries innovated the use of opalescent glass – more opaque than cathedral glass, often containing layers of multiple colors and unusual textures of ripples and waves. The streaking and mottling in a sheet of this new opalescent glass allowed the artists to provide detail, shading, and depth that were previously INTRODUCTION

3

created by painting the transparent, single-color cathedral glass. By minimizing or even eliminating the use of paint, more light is able to illuminate the windows. We’ll follow the course set by these artists, and we’ll explore some even less traditional techniques as well. Our projects will incorporate found objects, they’ll move beyond windows into 3D, and they’ll touch upon jewelry making, custom installations, sound design principles, and more. WHAT THIS BOOK ISN ’T This book will NOT cover lead came construction and glass painting, though these techniques are obviously worthy of your exploration. I do like to incorporate lead when I am looking to add a more traditional feel to a project – or when I want ‘line’ to be a more forward feature in a geometric piece – and lead is being used in awesome contemporary works. This book WIll cover the use of lead came around the perimeter of several projects, so some of the basics will be touched upon. We’ll skip glass painting – as much as I love it – which is deceptively complicated. It’s not simply painting onto the glass; it requires specialized paints that are made with glass and other chemicals and minerals that must be fired in a kiln to literally become a part of the glass sheet. Finally, we will not cover glass fusing, where different colors of glass can be layered and shaped in a kiln. Each of these methods of glass working can be incorporated into one project or explored on its own. We don’t have the space to cover them here, but after you master the techniques in this book, you’ll be in a perfect position to add one or all of these skills to your bag of tricks. Similarly, this book will not cover eVery possible variation of the copper foil technique. It can be human nature to want a black-and-white, right-and-wrong approach to a task, but in this craft there are so many ways to get to the same end point. I’ll instruct with the methods that I use daily in my work, that I find sound and efficient, that I’ve developed over twenty plus years of working in glass, but if you have learned or developed different techniques that work for you, that is wonderful. I love to visit with other stained glass artists and see their studio setups and tools and watch how they work. I don’t judge them for not doing it the way I do it; it’s fun and educational to see other methods. To highlight this, I’ve asked a handful of my favorite stained glass artists to share glimpses of their process throughout this book. Try everything out and see what makes this craft the most pleasurable for you.

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KICKING GL ASS

HOW TO BEGIN I fell in love with stained glass the very first time I picked up a glass cutter. I was in college studying graphic design, and I was not thrilled about spending all of my days on a computer. I yearned to work with my hands, so I took a stained glass workshop at a local studio. I knew nothing about the process, and every step seemed like magic to me. To be able to manipulate these beautiful raw materials into my imagined compositions was thrilling. I never did end up getting a graphic design job – it immediately became all stained glass, all the time, for me. If you are new to stained glass as a craft, then I want to assure you that there’s a relatively low cost of entry. A simple stained glass studio can be set up at home, even in a small apartment or tiny house, with a minor investment. It is a craft that is easy to learn, and the necessary supplies are readily available online, if not locally. The chapters on Studio Setup & Safety and Tools & Supplies will help you to set up shop. That said, you should also be aware of some of the medium’s possibly frustrating aspects. Stained glass is not a fast craft. Every step is slow and labor intensive, and you can’t rush things. Because of this, it is important that you enjoy the process. Take your time and work slowly, enjoying the tactile quality of the glass, the sound and feeling of the score, the tink and clink of breaking the glass perfectly along your line. Even when things go wrong – they will – enjoy the experience. You are going to stink at glass cutting at first. You are defi nitely going to stink at soldering. The only cure for the stinking is practice. Lots and lots of practice. So remind yourself to enjoy the process and find pleasure in the practice. I promise you will get better quickly as long as you keep showing up. HOW TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP For years I built my jewelry line on Etsy and created the occasional stained glass window on commission. I would accept any job that came along, jumping from a Victorian transom to a Frank Lloyd Wright-style room divider. I found satisfaction in creating well crafted pieces that my clients cherished, and in building my business, but creatively I was standing in place.

INTRODUCTION

5

In 2011, I packed up and moved to the breathtaking mountains of Colorado to pursue a less artistic business venture, but it ultimately failed. I returned to my New Jersey hometown, so disheartened and stretched thin. I hoped to take off on a new adventure as soon as possible, but fortune would not allow it. In 2015, after years of daydreaming about my secret dream project, I just said wtf and I started building my little glass cabin. I enlisted my father-in-law, a very handy retired dentist, and together we built the skeleton of the cabin, which is basically just a simple custom shed. My mother, an avid picker, garage-saler, and scrapper, helped me to gather a collection of salvaged window frames. Instead of using siding and shingles, we covered our shed walls and roof with these window frames. One by one, over the course of yearS , I removed each window

6

KICKING GL ASS

and replaced the old glass with my stained glass designs. Later in this book, I’ll demonstrate this process as I make one of the final windows for the west wall. (That’s right, my dream is STILL a work in progress.) Your next step often requires a new start. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity, or to have enough money or the perfect space… I definitely didn’t have any of those when I started building the cabin. Instead, I just started making this thing. I didn’t have the time or cash, so I went slowly, sacrificed other areas of my life, and used as much free and cheap repurposed material as possible. I didn’t have the perfect space; after Colorado, I was unable to appreciate the more subtle beauty of my New Jersey woodland. But, simply by starting, I fell in love again with my place and my work. And by continuing, I found my voice. I hope that this book will inspire you to take the next step on your own journey. Maybe you’ll learn a new skill that floods you with ideas for future designs. Maybe creating a few of these projects to give as gifts will re-spark your passion for a hobby that you’ve neglected. Maybe seeing stained glass through the eyes of other artists will help you to focus in on your own vision. Every technique I’ve used to adorn my own stained glass cabin in the woods is covered in this manual, and I hope you’ll be inspired to dream big and create your epic masterpiece too!

INTRODUCTION

7

STUDIO SETUP & SAFETY The hazards of working in stained glass are easily mitigated with good studio practice. You must be vigilant, though, as you’ll work with fragile glass with sharp edges, lead and other chemicals, a motorized grinder, and a hot soldering iron. In over twenty years of working in glass I’ve needed stitches only once, and that was because my studio was a disorganized mess, with bins of glass stored improperly. I learned my lesson, and now continually strive for a tidy studio. You do not need a huge space, but if at all possible find a dedicated spot so you won’t have to keep setting up and breaking down. Find an area away from food preparation or consumption, and away from your pets and kids. Good ventilation such as an exhaust fan or nearby window is a must. The workspace will get slightly messy, with glass chips and melted solder droplets on the floor, so cover a carpet or a fine wood floor with fireproof protection, such as a linoleum sheet. Keep your floor space clear of trip hazards.

STUDIO ESSENTIALS ■

Good lighting. Multiple light sources spaced apart will prevent shadows as you lean over your work.

■

Electrical outlets for the grinder and soldering iron.

■

Sturdy and level table or workbench and chair at a comfortable height.

■

Glass storage: a rack where larger sheets of glass can be stored vertically is useful. You’ll also want some bins for glass scrap: one for scrap to toss, and maybe a few for different shades of scrap to keep. Put all glass safely away when you move from step to step throughout the process.

■

Chemical storage in closed containers away from kids and pets. Be especially careful with patina storage.

■

Shelves for other tools, and maybe some airtight bins for foil. Be OrGaNIZeD ! If everything has a place to live, you’ll always know where to find it, and it won’t be able to jump out and hurt you. SAFET Y ESSENTIALS

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fire extinguisher. Good ventilation, and a fume extractor or personal respiratory protection. Rubber gloves. Eye protection. A broom and dustpan for frequent floor and workbench sweep-ups. A soap specifically designed for lead removal. First aid kit, adhesive bandages, burn cream, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial cream, and an emergency plan. GL ASS HANDLING SAFET Y

■

Always hold sheets of glass vertically, especially larger full sheets. Never hold them horizontally like a platter. If there is an unseen fracture in the glass, the weight of holding it flat can cause it to break and possibly fall onto your body.

■

If holding a piece of glass up to the light to see how it illuminates, never hold it up above your head, but position it away from your body, so that no body parts are beneath the glass in case it breaks or drops.

■

Never run your hands along a glass edge.

■

Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and long pants.

■

Always wear eye protection when cutting and grinding glass. Little chips can go flying, sometimes right toward your eyes, and to do stained glass you’re going to need those eyes!

■

When grinding, you will create glass dust that would be extremely dangerous to inhale. To capture this dust, your grinder uses water to create and collect a slurry

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KICKING GL ASS

that should look like paste. Keep your grinder reservoir full of water, and be sure that the bit is wet. You never want to produce dry dust or powder. SOLDERING SAFET Y Soldering presents a set of safety challenges: you are working with intense heat, liquid flux, and molten solder. Be aware that solder contains lead, which is poisonous and can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, or through injured skin. Adhering to common sense precautions will protect you from these hazards. ■

Always wear eye protection when soldering. Also wear long, sturdy pants and closed footwear. Hot flux may spatter, and molten solder forms scorching little balls that by nature roll off your workbench, possibly toward your legs or feet below.

■

Wear disposable rubber gloves when soldering. When you’re working with glass, you’re bound to get some nicks from little glass splinters, and you don’t want to handle lead products with injured skin. Gloves will also save your skin from the chemicals in flux that hurt like mad if they get into a cut. Even when using gloves, take care to wash your hands thoroughly after soldering. A pumice soap or a lead removal soap will scrub off any harmful residue. Pretend you are an Emergency Room doctor getting ready for surgery, and scrub with vigor all the way up to your elbows.

■

Flux creates fumes during soldering, and precautions must be taken to avoid inhaling them. A well-ventilated space is a must; ideally your studio will have a hood and exhaust, but an open window and fan can work. Additionally, you can use a fume extractor (such as a small personal one like the Hakko). Personal respirator masks offer additional protection – a ‘combination’ respirator will protect against both dust particles and fumes.

■

If pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consult with your doctor to make an informed choice about working with these materials. ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS

■ ■

Never eat, drink, or smoke in the glass studio. Shower and wash your hair after a soldering session.

■

Use coveralls or work-only clothing in the studio, or at least change clothes after working.

■

Use studio shoes that you remove at the threshold to avoid tracking bits of glass or solder into the rest of your home.

■

While beyond the scope of this book, working with old lead came windows can present a high risk of lead poisoning. Over time, lead can oxidize, creating a powdery substance that can be easily inhaled. If you intend to expand your stained glass practice to repair and conservation, please research and take additional precautions.

STUDIO SETUP & SAFET Y

11

Self-care for Repetitive Tasks MISSY GR AFF BALLONE Beacon, NY @missygraffballone wellnessformakers.com

I often get so caught up in my work that I forget to take a break and take care of my body. I find myself hunched over my workbench, suffering terrible pain in my hands and wrists. I intend for these hands to keep making beautiful things until I die so I asked Missy Graff Ballone, a movement instructor and founder of Wellness for Makers, for some self-care tips to implement into my safe studio practices. Find more from Missy, including tools, webinars, and a podcast at wellnessformakers.com. Making stained glass consists of a series of (very!) repetitive tasks. How can we can make this craft less difficult on our bodies? Your wrists and hands can move in a variety of ways (extension, flexion, abduction, and adduction). All of these positions are fine in small amounts, but you will become more vulnerable to injury the more you engage in repetitive processes that force your hands and wrists out of neutral for extended periods of time. Which repetitive positions do you find your hands and wrists in the most? Observing the way you move while you work will help you take action and make adjustments when necessary. Counterbalance your movements as often as possible. If your wrists are in extension or flexion for long periods of time, such as when grinding, take breaks to stretch in the opposite direction. If you’re in a pinching or

gripping position, such as when cutting and soldering, you’ll need to spend time opening your hand to extend and stretch your fingers out in the opposite direction. A handstrengthening tool is a great prop for this because it offers resistance, which allows you to build strength in the hands, wrists, and forearms. Try to find and maintain a more neutral wrist position. Overuse, force, and time away from neutral can lead to inflammation and compression on your median nerve, and eventually develop into a repetitive strain injury. This kind of compression often happens if you rest your forearms or wrists on a hard surface, like the edge of a table or workbench, during tasks such as designing and photo editing. If you have to rest your arms down,

create a buffer between your arm and the bench using a towel or some foam from the hardware store. Notice if you begin to feel a difference in pressure. If you’ve overworked tired areas, self-massage can help you find relief. A soft foam ball is great for working out tired areas in your hands, and mini foam rollers are perfect for the hands, wrists, and forearms. Keep your self-care tools close by to act as reminders to incorporate massage into your practice. If you learn to move well in the studio, your practice can help to strengthen your body over time. These techniques are great alternatives to scrolling on your phone.

Forearm pain As a glass artist, you may start feeling pain in your hands, wrists, forearms, or even elbows as a result of your studio practice. The tension you experience is closely related to the way you grip your tools, their weight and vibration, and the amount of pressure you use. Self-massage is a great way to work out knots and tension. A massage tool – such as a soft foam roller or ball – will do the trick if your thumbs are already tired. Before trying one of the following stretches, consider which position you find your wrists in the most. Flexed down or extended back? While both of these stretches feel great, you will want to practice the one that counterbalances the actions you practice the most. If your wrists are often flexed, then practice the extension stretch. If you notice that you work with your wrists extended a lot of the time, try the flexion stretch. You may have more or less mobility than shown in the images and that’s okay! Avoid forcing your wrist too far into the positions. Honor your body’s strengths and limitations and you can develop more mobility over time. Wrist stretch extension Lift your right arm out in front of you. Turn your palm down. Use your left hand to gently extend your right wrist back towards you. Hold for three deep breaths and release. Switch sides. Wrist stretch flexion Lift your right arm out in front of you with your palm facing down. Use your left hand to gently flex your right wrist down towards the ground. Hold for three deep breaths, release, and switch sides. Come back to these stretches throughout the day to counterbalance your movements.

TOOLS & SUPPLIES Stained glass work requires a variety of tools and supplies, most of which are relatively simple and inexpensive and are easily found at a stained glass supply shop. If you’ve inherited a box of tools from a friend or relative, remember that shoddy tools can be frustrating, inefficient, and even dangerous, so consider replacing the rusty and dull stuff. If you have a tight budget, keep an eye on Gumtree or Craigslist. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across someone who is no longer continuing the hobby and is unloading their whole stash.

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES

ESSENTIAL TOOLS ■

Foil pattern shears

■

Cutter oil

■

Craft knife

■

Copper foil

■

Glass cutter

■

Solder (60/40)

■

Running pliers

■

Flux

■

Breaking/grozing pliers

■

Chemical brush

■

Grinder

■

Patina

■

Fid/lathekin

■

Polish

■

Soldering iron and temperature control

■

Soldering iron stand

■

Safety items from Safety chapter

WORK SURFACE A great work surface for stained glass should be flat, fire-resistant, and relatively soft. Fiberboard, such as Homasote or similar, is an affordable and widely available product that has these qualities – just be sure that you get the fire-resistant type. It is soft, so it’s great for pinning into and cutting upon. It is pretty easy to cut to size using a utility knife. I have all of the work surfaces in my studio covered with Homasote. I also keep a few 16 × 20 inch or so boards around the studio for different projects that I’m working on simultaneously. Homasote, designed for soundproofing and insulating, is available at big box hardware stores and possibly at your local stained glass supply shop. An alternative surface for cutting glass is a ‘waffle grid’ surface that allows glass splinters to fall harmlessly into cavities. FOIL PATTERN SHEARS AND OTHER CUTTING TOOLS Pattern shears are used for cutting out templates to transfer pattern shapes to glass. They look like ordinary scissors, but they have a third blade that removes a thin strip of paper along the cut line. This compensates for the thickness of the copper foil that will be wrapped around each piece of glass, ensuring that the pieces will fit together properly. If you cut your pattern with regular scissors, glass pieces may not fit together as well, and the overall geometry of the project will change.

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KICKING GL ASS

Craft knife, scissors, and variety of glass cutters

You will also need regular scissors and a craft knife with a supply of fresh blades. Don’t use beat-up old stuff from the back of the junk drawer… put in a new blade and always switch out for a sharp one when your cuts aren’t crisp and easy. GL ASS CUTTER AND CUTTER OIL Glass cutters score the surface of the glass using a small carbide wheel. Cutters come in a variety of grip styles; try a few types and see what feels best (pistol grips are good for weaker hands). Many cutters have a metal knob on the other end that’s useful for tapping the glass to run the score. Many cutters contain a reservoir that dispenses cutter oil, which is available at any stained glass shop. If your cutter has no reservoir, keep an oiled rag in a jar nearby and roll the wheel on it between cuts. PLIERS AND CUTTERS

Cutters, running pliers, and grozing pliers

■

Running pliers These are used to help ‘run’ the break by applying downward pressure on each side of the scoreline.

■

Breaking/grozing pliers These are a dual-use plier for both running the score and for removing small bits of glass by scraping.

■

You’ll also find it useful to have on hand some needle-nose pliers and wire cutters.

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

17

Grinder and water pitcher

GRINDER The grinder is a power tool that both fine-tunes the shape of your glass pieces and conditions the cut edges of glass for foiling. There are many brands of grinders, but most work on the same principle: a rotating bit coated in diamond grit grinds the glass while water acts as a coolant and dust minimizer. The grinder is likely the largest and priciest tool in a basic stained glass workshop. But it’s not SO big or expensive that it shouldn’t be your first larger investment in your studio. You need a small work area for the grinder. It’s great to have a dedicated spot (grinding is messy), but it’s not too much work to put the gear into storage between projects. You’ll also need several accessories: ■

Face shield Most grinders include a protective clear plastic face shield that reaches out over the work surface. If your particular grinder does not come with one, check with the manufacturer, who probably makes one as an optional accessory.

■

Water pitcher The grinder requires water to lubricate the bit and to capture glass dust. It has a reservoir that you will periodically need to refill, so, rather than carrying the grinder to a sink, keep a water pitcher nearby.

■

Splash guard The grinder will spray some water, so a vertical splash guard surrounding the sides and back will keep things neat. You can buy a premade splash guard, or get creative and make one out of items found around the house (like old ring binders). Some crafters set their grinder inside an aquarium turned on its side, serving as both a splash guard and a face shield.

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KICKING GL ASS

■ Grinder bits  Keep a few extra grinder bits on hand so you can replace as needed.

They come in a few sizes, 1”, ¾”, and the small ¼” detail bit (25, 19 and 6 mm). Each size comes in various grits: fine, regular, and coarse. You’ll mostly use the regular grit. Use a ‘fine’ grit for very thin or mirrored glass. You’ll rarely need a coarse grit; it can remove glass quickly, but it may also chip the surfaces of the glass if used too aggressively. COPPER FOIL

Copper foil is a thin layer of copper backed with an adhesive. You will wrap your pieces of glass with foil to provide a surface to which solder can adhere. Foil comes in a variety of widths, because glass varies widely in thickness, and because you might want different thicknesses in your solder line for aesthetic reasons. Starting out, I suggest trying 7/32” foil for most glass, but you’ll probably also use 3/16” pretty frequently (5.55 and 4.8 mm). Foil is available with different backing colors – including black, silver, and copper – that match the colors of common patinas. FID/L ATHEKIN A fid is a simple wood or plastic stick used for burnishing (smoothing) the foil onto the glass.

Wooden and plastic fids (lathekins) and foil spools

Soldering iron in stand, with solder spool, chemical brush, and flux

SOLDERING IRON AND SOLDER The soldering iron provides heat that melts the solder. Some, but not all, have a built-in variable heat control. If yours does not, then you’ll also need a rheostat (a voltage controller that controls temperature). It is best to buy an iron that is made specifically for stained glass; those designed for other purposes may be the wrong size, shape, or power for our needs. You’ll also need a soldering iron stand/holder. Most of these have a spot that holds a cleaning device: either brass wool or a sponge soaked in water (check the soldering iron manufacturer’s instructions about how to clean your iron). Most stained glass work can be done with a standard ¼” or 3/8” chisel tip (6.5 or 9.5 mm), but a variety of sizes and shapes can be useful for jewelry and decorative soldering. Solder, a soft metal alloy, is sold in spools. For most purposes, you can use ‘60/40’ solder, which is 60% tin and 40% lead. Lead-free solder, which is more difficult to work with, can be used for any project, and MuST be used for any object that will be frequently handled, such as jewelry. Always use solder that is designated for stained glass; don’t just grab those old spools of plumber’s, acid, or rosin-core solder from the back of the tool shed – they are not appropriate. FLUX AND BRUSH Flux is an acid that cleans the copper of oxidation, corrosion, and impurities, thereby making it ready to receive the solder. It also allows the solder to flow smoothly. Flux comes in liquid, gel, and paste form. I prefer liquid flux because it spreads easily on

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Soldering iron with chisel tips of different sizes

my work and cleans up quickly. The gel creates less fume and odor, but takes a bit more effort to spread and to clean off the glass. Paste flux is messy to use and clean up. It is commonly used in lead came construction because it doesn’t corrode or discolor the lead the way the other flux types can. Any flux you use is toxic, so keep it safely stored away from kids and pets. I pour a bit into an old jar and cover and put it away when I’m not soldering. Use a bottom-heavy jar so you won’t spill it… your soldering iron cord will try to knock over any bottle of flux it can find. You’ll also need a chemical brush for flux application. ZINC & LEAD CAME AND CUTTING TOOLS These supplies are used for finishing our projects. ‘Came’ refers to long strips of metal whose cross-sections resemble either a C, H, U, or a squared-off A (zinc only). Glass fits into the channel in the came. Zinc came is rigid and can be used around the perimeter of a straight-sided project as a supportive frame. It is sold in strips and comes in a variety of widths, from 1/8” up to 1” (3 mm to 24 mm). For cutting zinc, use a hand razor saw and box or a small electric cut-off saw, and remove burrs with a metal file.

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21

Lead came is soft and flexible. For our purposes, U-channel lead will be used to create a smooth, uniform frame for projects with curved or irregular perimeters. Lead came can have a flat or a rounded profile. It can be purchased in spools or 6 foot lengths. ‘Hobby’ or ‘suncatcher’ came specifically refers to 5/64” (3 mm) rounded U-channel lead came. It is good for finishing small suncatchers. For cutting lead came, you’ll need ‘lead came dykes,’ which are simple nippers designed to avoid crushing the lead. PATINA Patina is a liquid chemical that reacts with solder to change its appearance. Black and copper patinas are commonly used in stained glass work. One of my favorites is Pewter Black patina, which applies a lovely darkening to the silver, kind of a gunmetal black. Not all patinas will work on lead and zinc, so check the label on the bottle when working with these metals. Patina is nasty stuff. It will eat holes right through your clothes, so wear apron or work clothes. alWayS wear rubber gloves and eye protection when using patina. Protect your workbench with a few sheets of newsprint or butcher paper. POLISH Polish, also called stained glass finishing compound, will contain both a light abrasive, to clean and polish the surfaces, and a wax (mostly carnauba), to coat and seal them. There are a few different brands and types that are appropriate. Some glass artists like to use a car wax or furniture polish. I stick to the stuff from the stained glass supply shop. Whatever you use, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the container.

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DR AWING SUPPLIES A wide variety of common drawing supplies will be useful: ■

Paper patterns, roll paper, tracing paper, sketch books

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Markers – I like 1 mm felt tips for pattern design

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Pencils (both soft and hard) and erasers

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Painter’s/masking tape

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Drafting tools including a ruler, straightedge, drafting triangle, T-square CLEANING SUPPLIES

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Rags, paper towels, and sponges

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#0000 very fine steel or brass wool

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Glass cleaner

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Dish soap or flux remover

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Bench brush to maintain a clean work surface OTHER SUPPLIES

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Rubber cement – used for gluing templates to glass

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16-20 gauge tinned copper wire for loops, hanging, and reinforcement

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Hanging supplies: chain, cord, hooks, o-rings, screws

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Horseshoe nails – these nails have flat sides that can hold glass and lead came firmly in position

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Pushpins

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Hammer

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Shells, rocks, crystals, leaves, feathers, and other beautiful found items that belong in your work!

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GLASS Vibrant, lushly rainbowed light that irresistibly captures your eye is what provides the immediate magic of stained glass. Then gem-like gleams created by bubbles, ripples, fractures, and textures draw you to approach, enchanted by the sparkles and shifting iridescence created by your own movement. Next, you bathe in the warmth of the layers of deeper tones where light seems to be captured rather than transmitted. Eventually you appreciate the design and craft of the piece too, but you can’t deny that it’s the GLASS that grabs you first. The glass itself is artwork, and it’s easy to see how artists are inspired by this medium.

PURCHASING GL ASS When choosing glass for your own project, you might at fi rst be overwhelmed by the astounding variety available! Defi nitely grab a sheet of any beauty that obsesses you, but also keep an open mind and play around with many types of glass so that you’ll have a varied palette that allows for contrast and balance. You’ll be working with art glass that is sold in sheets, often cut by suppliers to ‘hobby’ size (depending on the brand, 8 × 10 or 12 × 12 inches; 203 × 254 or 305 × 305 mm). Buying these smaller sheets is a great way to build up your stash and try out an assortment of diff erent glass types. As you fi nd your favorites and start producing more work, don’t be intimidated about buying larger sheets of glass. You’ll save money, though you’ll need appropriate storage space and the workspace to cut them down into smaller sheets. If possible, buy your glass in-person at a local stained glass supplier. Nothing can beat seeing the colors and textures in person – it’s really inspiring. Plus, you’ll be able to consider the diff erences between individual sheets of the same glass type and select the perfect one. It’s also a great opportunity to hang with other glassy people for a bit – most glass-shop workers will answer questions, share tips, and generally nerd out on all things stained glass. If you don’t have a glass shop nearby, there are online shops with great glass selections and excellent customer service (see Suppliers list at the end of this book for suggestions). Just be aware that small sample photos may not convey the details of the actual section of the sheet that you’ll receive, and computer monitors don’t always display colors accurately. A good online supplier will take the time to send photos of individual sheets for those glass types that vary a lot from sheet to sheet.

Variety of clear textures

Some amber textures

GL ASS T YPES The glass we’ll be using falls under two main categories, cathedral and opalescent. ■

Cathedral glass is transparent, letting most light pass through. It comes in every color from bright primary to earthy or pastel, as well as numerous textures from uniformly flat, to dimpled or rippled.

■

Opalescent glass is more opaque than cathedral glass, so it glows rather than shines. It can contain one solid color, or it can mix multiple colors in a swirling, streaky, or mottled pattern. Though opal glass comes in fewer textures than cathedral glass, you can find opals in granite, ripple, and moss textures. Mix of cathedral and opalescent

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SOME OF MY FAVORITE TEXTURES ■

Seedy contains tiny little air bubbles that cause the glass to sparkle.

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Waterglass has a lively, shimmery pattern like the surface of a pond.

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Muffle has a dimpled pattern that reduces visibility; great for achieving privacy.

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Flemish is similar to muffle, but with much larger dimples.

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Raindrop has small oval bumps that give the appearance of raindrops on a window.

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Glue chip has a lovely pattern that looks just like frost on a window. It is low cost and cuts very easily, and thus is a great practice glass for beginners.

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Granite, rough-rolled, moss, and stipple are rough, bumpy textures available in both cathedral and opalescent glass.

Youghiogheny mottled glass

OTHER GL ASS T YPES ■

Ring mottle An opalescent glass with small circular patterns with a blurred bokeh or sun-dappled appearance. Youghiogheny and Bullseye are outstanding manufacturers of ring mottle glass.

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Streaky/wispy A mix of two or more colors. Often a hybrid cathedral/opal, consisting of a transparent base with a color of opaque glass ‘streaking’ through. Oceanside, Kokomo and Wissmach all excel at manufacturing this type of glass.

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Antique This term usually does not refer to the age of the glass itself, but rather to the traditional method of making the glass. Similar varieties may be called handrolled or mouth-blown. This glass is GOrGeOuS , with surface striations and captured air bubbles. It can be Very expensive. It is totally worth the price, but you might want to wait until your cutting skills are strong before investing. Manufacturers include Verre Saint Just, Freemont, and Lamberts.

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Plate glass Also known as float glass, this is the clear glass that can be found at a hardware store.

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Mirror This is transparent glass with a silvered backing that causes light to reflect. You must use sealant, such as Mirror Edge Sealant, on the backing to avoid corrosion.

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Fusable This glass is intended for fusing and shaping in a kiln, but it will work fine for stained glass projects. For stained glass use, you can disregard the COE (coefficient of expansion) numbers, and mix and match all types.

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Tempered glass This glass type cannot be used for stained glass because it is manufactured to break into chunks and resists cutting.

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Bevels Thick glass (usually clear) with polished beveled edges that sparkle and catch the light. Bevels can be purchased in stock shapes – squares, rectangles, and circles – or can be purchased as complete designs called bevel clusters.

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Jewels Cut or faceted pieces of glass available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

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Rondels Handmade spun circular pieces of transparent glass available in many colors and sizes.

Mouthblown Lamberts reamy glass

Jewels and rondels

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FINISHES ■

Iridescent The glass exhibits a prismatic effect, sometimes like a pretty oil slick, sometimes more subtle and matte like a metal, as a result of a metallic oxide coating. Some of the above types of glass can be found in an iridescent version.

■

Dichroic Dicros are like iridescents on LSD, with more pronounced colors that seem to change and shift. The glass is very expensive because it is kilned after the metallic oxide is applied. Additionally, the coating is fragile and can be easily scratched. Therefore, Dichroic glass is best used for jewelry or for small highlights in a stained glass piece. CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES These diverse glass styles can be combined to whatever your whim: a streaky sky with clear textured clouds, or shades of opal glass for a flower petal with a uniform cathedral background sky. Maybe you’ll stick to all solid-color cathedrals for a graphic effect. I like to use all THe GlaSS , but you might find your signature favorites and rely upon them. In any case, there are a few constraints that you might keep in mind while browsing at the glass shop:

■

Cost The price of different types of glass can vary greatly. Don’t avoid an expensive glass simply because of the price; you can adjust your design to use small amounts of that beautiful, unique glass to great effect.

■

Ease of cutting Some types of glass are a cinch, and others can be frustrating, but all glass is cut using the same principles and techniques that we’ll cover in this book. Don’t be afraid to try a glass that you’ve heard is ‘tough to cut.’

■

Purpose Cathedral glass is great for suncatchers and high windows where you’d love to cast brilliant rainbows through the room. Opal or heavily textured glass can be more appropriate for lower windows where privacy is desired. Opal glass is also traditionally used for lampshades, to diffuse the strong light of the bulb.. STOR AGE Store glass sheets vertically, like books on a shelf. Never stack piles of glass horizontally, as the weight of the glass on top can crack the bottom pieces. Glass can get very heavy, so make sure your storage is structurally sound to hold your collection. Find a safe place out of the way where you won’t bump into the glass. I like to organize glass sheets by color (in rainbow order, of course), subcategorized into cathedrals and opals. Smaller pieces that don’t need vertical storage get separated by color and stored in bins on a shelving unit. Stay organized, and know what you have on hand, so you can easily find that perfect glass when you are in the zone.

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CUTTING GLASS Ok… relax… deep breath… it’s time to cut the glass. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think. ‘Cutting’ glass is a bit of a misnomer. What you will actually be doing is scoring the surface of the glass with your glass cutter to disrupt molecular tension, then breaking the glass along that score line. With a bit of practice this might become your favorite part of stained glass making. It is definitely mine!

cut 1

Glass naturally wants to break in a straight line from one edge of a sheet to another. That said, with well-practiced technique and forethought, you can coax glass into the elegant and complex curves that your artistic vision desires. You won’t be able to cut glass the way you would paper or fabric, so you’ll need to adopt a ‘glass specific’ approach to cutting your desired shapes. Often, you’ll need to use a series of simpler cuts to make a complex shape, because you can’t stop scoring in the middle of a sheet, and you can’t turn sharp corners. For example, to cut a right angle, you must use two cuts. Eventually, you will develop methods to create most shapes that you can envision. Keep in mind, though, there are some shapes that are ‘impossible’ in a single piece of glass. You can cut a piece of glass that is the shape of a slice of pizza, but you caNNOT cut a single piece in the shape of a pizza pie with a slice removed.

cut 2 d e s i re d piece

To cut a right angle, score and break cut 1, then score and break cut 2

PREPAR ATION AND SAFET Y Always cut on a clean surface. Scoring and breaking create tiny glass chips that can scratch the back of your sheet of glass. Keep a bench brush at hand and sweep away glass chips after each piece is cut. Never swipe the chips away with your hand (ouch!). Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any flying glass chips. Keep your cutter well lubricated with cutting oil, which serves to clean the cutter wheel and ensure a smooth score. I store my cutter in a jar containing a cotton pad soaked in cutter oil. Between cuts, I roll the cutter wheel on the pad to lubricate. Self-lubricating cutters have a reservoir that holds oil. I’m not a fan of these cutters – they can release a bit too much oil and create a messy workspace.

cut 1

no

cut 2 piece yes

Cuts cannot turn sharp corners, so pieces cannot contain sharp interior angles

How I hold the cutter

BODY POSITION

Pressure: too much (left), just right (right)

There are a few different ways to hold the cutter, and a few different types of grips available. Play around with several to see what is most comfortable for you. I like to hold the cutter like a pencil in my right hand, and use my left hand to stabilize the glass or straightedge. I occasionally use my left hand on the butt of the cutter to help apply even pressure. If possible, cut glass while standing, with your work surface at bench or counter height. Keep your elbow to your side and your wrist in a fixed position. Move your body as you move the cutter, especially when cutting curvy pieces. Relax and use the weight of your body, rather than your arm muscles, to apply pressure to the glass. Adjust your body position to shift upper body weight as you move along, constantly being aware of pressure. MAKING THE SCORE

Using a straightedge

Some art glass is textured on one side and smooth on the other. Always score on the smooth side. Start your score at the edge of the sheet that is closest to your body. Push away from you with the cutter, keeping the cutter wheel perfectly aligned to the cutline or template. Keep your cutter perpendicular to the glass without tilting to the left or right.

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Maintain steady pressure as you score. Think like Goldilocks – your pressure must not be too hard nor too soft… it must be JuST rIGHT. If the score is too deep, your break will go haywire, but if you don’t press hard enough, the glass will not break at all. l ISTeN for a soft hissing sound kind of like a zipper. If it sounds loud and jagged, like Velcro pulling apart, you are pressing too hard. If you don’t hear anything at all, you must increase your pressure. Look for just the hint of a score, just a light scratch mark on the surface. If you see a white line with little glass chips, you’ve pressed too hard. If you don’t see a line at all, there was not enough pressure to score the surface. You’ll quickly learn the sweet sound, look, and feel of a perfect score. I promise that with practice you’ll get a feel for exactly how hard to press. Maintain a steady speed in one direction until you reach the far edge of the glass. It is OK to move slowly, but keep moving and don’t lift your cutter from the glass. You can not end a score in the middle of a sheet and you can not continue as score once you’ve lifted the cutter. To prolong the life of your cutter, stop your score JuST at the edge of the glass, without rolling onto the work surface. Never re-score over a scored line and never use a back-and-forth motion. Remember that glass wants to break in a straight line, so the more curves in your piece, the more difficult your cuts will be. Don’t let that hold you back from tackling a project with complex curves, but realize that you’ll need practice before you can make those cuts consistently. We’ll start here with nice straight cuts, and we’ll advance to inside and outside curves later in the chapter.

Proper grip for thumb break

Proper position for running pliers

MAKING STR AIGHT CUTS If you need to make perfectly straight cuts, such as when making a jewelry box, you should use a straightedge to guide your glass cutter. Do not place the straightedge flush with the cutting line or template edge when cutting – you need to shift the straightedge over to account for the width of the glass cutter head. Place the wheel of the glass cutter on the line that you want to score, then slide the straightedge over to touch the side of the glass cutter head. Adjust the straightedge so that it runs parallel (evenly spaced) to the line that you’ll score, all the way to the far edge of the glass. Then hold the straightedge firmly in place as you score. If you frequently work on projects that require straight lines, you can purchase a tool called a strip/circle cutter that is specifically designed to make these cuts easily and efficiently – it’ll cut perfect circles too.

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Proper position for grozing pliers

HOW TO RUN THE SCORE There are several different ways to break the glass along your score line. The thumb break is the simplest method, as you don’t need to pick up a tool. Grip the glass with each hand on opposite sides of the score line by making fists with your thumbs on top, parallel to the score line. Your hands are close together, and your fists support the glass from beneath. Break the glass with a gentle outward and downward motion. It should break smoothly along your score line. A break can also be made using running pliers, which are designed to mimic the thumb break by putting pressure on either side of the score line. These pliers are great for breaking long, relatively straight cuts. The pliers should be marked with a guide line on one side of the jaws. Make sure that line is facing up, and align it over your score line at the edge of the glass. Give a few gentle squeezes and listen for a ticking or cracking sound that indicates that the score line is running. Continue the break with another gentle squeeze. For a longer cut, rotate the glass and do the same procedure from the other end of your score line so that the two runs meet in the middle. As you make the break, keep the glass sheet close to your work surface; when the pieces separate, they might slip from the pliers and fall. Don’t give them too far to fall or you might get breaks exactly where you don’t want them! Breaking/grozing pliers are my go-to tool. They are more efficient than running pliers because they can also be used to clean up uneven edges. To use these pliers for breaking, grip the glass with one hand, close to the score line. As in the thumb break, keep your thumb on top and fist below. In your other hand, hold the grozing pliers with the flat side of the jaws on top (the curved side is for grozing; we’ll cover that next). Grab the glass with the front edge of the pliers at the score line, and run the break by gently pulling down and apart. Listen for a quiet ticking sound as the score runs through the glass.

Tap, watch, and listen

The score beginning to run

Sometimes a score just doesn’t want to run. You can help it along with a little tapping. Most glass cutters have a metal ball on the end of the cutter (where the eraser would be on a pencil) for just this purpose. Tap gently on the back of the glass directly under your score line. Start at one end and follow along the score line as you see the break running through the glass. A light, percussive ‘tap, tap, tap’ is what you are aiming for here, not a forceful hammering. Be careful not to hold the glass far above your work surface, as sometimes just one tap can release the score and cause glass to fall to your table unexpectedly.

Keep glass close to the work surface

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CUTTING PR ACTICE Practice some straight cuts on ordinary clear window glass, which is inexpensive and easy to work with. Use a marker to draw some straight lines on the glass. Practice cutting on the lines, and try out the different breaking techniques. Keep practicing until you are able to score and break the glass right on your mark. When comfortable, trace the curves above onto glass with a marker and continue practicing. Next, try cutting using paper templates instead of marker lines. Copy the four shapes below onto a sheet of paper and then carefully cut them out. (For more on transferring patterns to glass and using templates, see Using Patterns on page 43.)

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Glue the paper shapes – we’ll call them templates – onto a sheet of glass using rubber cement. You will make a separate score and break for each side of a figure. For example, for a triangle, you will make a series of three scores and breaks. Start your first score at the edge of the glass, and score right along one side of the template. Continue this score past the far corner of the triangle… you cannot make sharp turns. Just keep scoring straight ahead to the far side of the glass. Use your pliers to run this score, and you will have one side of the triangle cut. Now repeat the process for the second side, and then the third. Be sure to focus on directing the cutting wheel (in the center of the cutter head), not the side of the cutter head, along the edge of the template. Run cutter wheel beside template edge

CUTTING CHALLENGING CURVES Now let’s practice a more difficult cut by making this crescent moon. There are a few challenges here: cutting the inside curve, cutting the outside curve, and cutting the sharp points at the ends. Grab a piece of scrap glass (or cut a piece of glass) that is just a bit larger than the crescent pattern to the right. In fact, grab a bunch of pieces of scrap glass, because this is NOT going to go right the first few times! You’ll need at least a half inch of glass (13 mm) all around the pattern so that you will have area enough to grab onto the glass with your pliers. Now, place the glass over the pattern on this page, and trace the crescent onto your glass with a marker. Or you can photocopy or trace the pattern onto a sheet of paper, cut it out, and glue the pattern onto the glass using rubber cement.

A

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37

a

cut 1

3

5

run b reaks f rom h ere

2 cut 1

4

b

Make a series of cuts

As you begin cutting, it’s a good habit always to make the most difficult cut first. If the break does not go as planned, you’ll not have wasted time and effort on the other cuts, and you’ll have more glass to salvage.

Now use your breaking/grozing pliers to make the break with a gentle wiggling motion. Look for the score running through the glass and listen for tiny ticking sounds as you run the break (b). Remove the scrap glass, and

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cut 2 Series of cuts for exterior curve

repeat this process for the rest of the cuts (c).

c

To cut the outer curve, we’ll again make a series of cuts, remembering that the glass wants to break in a straight line. Following the diagram above, score the section around the outer curve, extending the score away from the pattern to the edge of the glass.

The most difficult cut here is the inside, concave curve. This curve is too sharp to break out using a single cut, so we’ll make a series of breaks, working up to the final cut. By removing these smaller slivers one at a time, the tension in the glass will be gradually eased, making the final cut possible. Follow the diagram, making a single score with your cutter, from one edge of the glass to the other (a).

cut 3

d

When breaking, use extra caution at the sharp tips of the crescent – start running your break from the opposite end (d). Again, use a gentle squeeze of the running pliers. Look and listen as the break progresses along the score. This method of cutting outside curves in stages can also be used for cutting circles. Save any perfect crescents that you cut and we’ll use them to practice grinding, foiling, and soldering. They will become your first suncatchers!

e

f

GROZING A good cut will have a smooth edge, perpendicular to the glass surface. Rough and jagged edges will need to be grozed or ground to ensure a good fit when assembling your project (e). Grozing is removing bits of glass that don’t conform to your template. Using the curved jaw of your breaking/grozing pliers, gently scrape the glass areas you are trying to remove with a rolling motion. Small chips will fly, so be sure to wear eye protection at this stage. When cutting circles and convex curves, you’ll often be left with a little triangleshaped piece of glass where you completed one score and began your next (f). These can easily be removed with your grozers. Grab those little bits gently with the tips of the pliers and snap them off (g).

g

Practice and refine your scoring and cutting skills so that you can get your cuts as close as possible to your template, even if you are planning to use a grinder. It is much faster to bite off a piece of glass with the grozers than to grind it down on the grinder. Remember, your care and accuracy on each step of the way will contribute to a more beautiful finished product.

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GRINDING Careful cutting and grozing can yield useable glass pieces, but to make them fit your pattern perfectly, a grinder is the way to go. Each grinder is a little bit different, so refer to your manufacturer’s operating instructions. To grind glass, put on your eye protection, be sure that the grinder bit is free to spin and the water reservoir is full, and then turn on the power to get the bit spinning. Lay a glass piece on the grinder platform. Holding the piece with both hands, push it against the bit with a consistent pressure. Do push into the bit with some force. If you are too gentle, the glass can bounce around on the bit, causing chips. If you press too hard, the grinder bit could eat away too much of the glass. You’ll quickly get a good feel for how hard to press. Grind all the way around the piece, then wipe the piece off and look at the edge. You should see that the entire edge has touched the bit and is smooth and dull. Any shiny spots indicate that the section has not been ground and should be given a second pass on the grinder. (These spots might indicate that your glass cutter was not being held perpendicularly to the glass when scoring, creating an edge that is not square.) Any irregular bumps should also be taken off with a second pass. Examine the faces of the glass for chipping; if you see any, then you might need a new bit. Practice grinding on some scrap glass until you have a good feel for proper pressure. Next, try grinding pieces to the shape of a template (you can use the polygons or crescent that you created on pages 36-7). Grind right up to the edge of the affixed paper template, as in the image opposite. If you find yourself spending a lot of time at the grinder, focus on improving your cutting skills.

Lay piece flat and apply moderate pressure

Properly ground glass is dull and smooth (left), unground glass is shiny (right)

Grind exactly to the edge of the paper template

IMPOSSIBLE CUTS

GRINDING FOR A FULL PATTERN Your goal in grinding is to shape the piece of glass exactly to the size of the pattern. Lay the glass on the grinder with the paper template (or marker) side up, and grind precisely to the template’s edge. Then peel off the template, dry the piece, and check that it fits perfectly in its place on the pattern. Be your best maker at this point! Your future pride (or headache) really depends on your patience with eacH piece right now. If one overlaps the pattern line, take it back to the grinder. If the piece is too small, cut and grind a replacement. Continue grinding and laying out each piece, constantly checking for good fit. The pieces should butt up against each other without large gaps, though they may wiggle just a tiny bit. The whole project should not extend beyond your pattern borders; it will in fact shrink slightly, because your pattern shears have compensated for the thickness of the foil that you’ll soon apply, bringing each piece back to proper size. Once the fit is perfect, wash all of the glass pieces with glass cleaner to remove any grinding dust and cutter oil, dry thoroughly, write the numbers from the pattern onto the glass with permanent marker, and get ready to foil.

As you’ve been learning on your practice cuts, glass wants to break in a straight line. It’s in its nature, and it’s pretty risky to ask it to go against its nature. For ‘impossible’ cuts (such as super tight concave curves or zig-zags), it can be tempting to resort to cutting tools such as the ring saw or band saw. A warning: pieces with these cuts are extremely likely to crack. Maybe while you are foiling, probably while you are soldering, most definitely sometime down the road. With all the time and effort that you are putting into your work, don’t you want it to last forever? The need for impossible cuts can be avoided with good design (which we’ll discuss in Designing Patterns on page 71). The ring saw is, however, a great tool for cutting very thick glass, such as beautiful ‘tapestry’ glass. A saw is a great option if you have strength issues with your hands that make traditional glass cutting difficult.

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USING PATTERNS PAPER TEMPL ATE METHOD For all but the simplest of designs, patterns are typically used as an aid for cutting and assembling glass pieces. In this book, we will use the paper template method of transferring your pattern to the glass. Make two copies of a pattern on paper. One will be cut with pattern shears into numbered pattern pieces – we’ll call these ‘templates’ – that are glued to the glass for cutting and grinding, and the second copy will be used to lay out the pieces in the proper position. I find this to be the most accurate pattern transfer method: the pattern shears remove a thin width of paper that compensates for the thickness of the foil between pieces, and the paper template is a consistent guide when cutting and grinding. However, other useful techniques exist and might be more appropriate for certain applications (see sidebar overleaf). TEMPL ATE PL ACEMENT ON GL ASS After cutting the pattern, you’ll lay out the templates on the beautiful glass sheets that you’ve selected for the project. There are several things to consider as you arrange the pieces: allowing for room to make easy cuts, minimizing waste, and selecting the proper spot on the glass sheet – getting the right color, texture, pattern, and grain. You need to remember that your score lines must run edge to edge, but you also don’t want to create too much scrap glass, so think about how your breaks will run between pieces. When using a glass that is uniform in color and texture, placement is easy. Just group your templates up along an edge of the glass, leaving enough space between each piece that you’ll be able to easily cut them out: about half an inch from the edge, and half an inch between pieces (13 mm). As your cutting skills improve, you can save glass by reducing the spacing.

When using a colorful streaky or mottled glass, study the sheet to find the ideal area for the piece’s role in the overall design. Pay attention to the grain of the glass and refer to your uncut pattern to determine how to orient it. Some patterns may include indications about grain direction or even color (see First Feather on page 82). As you get into designing your own artwork, you should mark your patterns accordingly. Finally, consider the balance between appearance and economy; if the perfect swoosh or swirl for your piece is right in the middle of the glass sheet, is it worth breaking the sheet down into pieces? Sometimes it totally is!

OTHER TR ANSFER METHODS A variety of other pattern transfer methods exist which you might want to use depending on the application or your own preference: ■

Lay the glass over the uncut pattern and score directly.

■

Lay the glass over the uncut pattern and trace the shape through the glass with a marker.

■

Hold a cut template to the glass and trace around it with a marker.

GLUING Once you’ve positioned your templates, you can glue them down. I like to use rubber cement because it sticks well to the glass through the cutting and grinding process, yet the paper and glue are also easily removed. If you have trouble getting the paper to stick to the glass, wipe the glass thoroughly with a glass cleaner and dry completely before gluing. You should both glue and cut on the smooth side of the glass, so if you want the textured side of the glass to be on the front surface of your finished project, glue the template face down (numbered side down).

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Note If you trace your pattern onto the glass with a marker, you MuST take precaution to prevent your marks from washing away while grinding. Use a waterproof marker or go over the marks with a fixative.

Crescent Moon Instructional Projects We’ll create simple crescent moon suncatchers over the next few pages to demonstrate the fundamental techniques of assembling stained glass. The Circular Crescent project will eventually be finished using a soldered edge bead or with lead hobby/suncatcher came. The Square Crescent project will demonstrate the use of straightedges and will be finished with zinc came. Let’s start here with pattern preparation, glass selection, and gluing. CIRCUL AR CRESCENT INSTRUCTIONS 1 Make two copies of the Circular Crescent pattern on page 147 at 100%. You can use a photocopier, scan and print, or grab a sheet of tracing paper and copy it by hand. 2 Cut out the pattern. You must use foil pattern shears for the interior lines, though you may cut the exterior edges of patterns with regular scissors or craft knife, since the width of the cut does not matter on the perimeter. 3 Choose your glass and find a great location for each template. 4 Glue the template to the glass in the selected area. 5 Cut and grind the glass pieces using the techniques that you learned in Cutting Glass on page 31. We will use this project to practice applying lead hobby/suncatcher came in Finishing on page 59. SQUARE CRESCENT INSTRUCTIONS 1 Make two copies of the Square Crescent pattern on page 148 at 100%. 2 Use a craft knife and straightedge to cut the exterior straight lines perfectly. Use pattern shears for the interior lines. 3 Glue the templates to the glass. 4 Cut the glass pieces. Use a straightedge when cutting the straight lines. We will use this project to practice framing with zinc came in Finishing on page 59.

USING PAT TERNS

45

FOILING In our projects we’ll use the Tiffany technique of construction. In this method, the edges of each piece of glass are wrapped in a thin strip of copper, to which solder will easily bond (solder does not adhere to glass). An adhesive on the back of the foil holds the copper to the glass for convenience while arranging and soldering, but ultimately the solder provides a matrix of ‘lead lines’ that holds the glass pieces together. Foiling can be very fiddly at first, but with practice it does get easier, almost to the point of being boring. I actually look forward to it, though – it gives me an opportunity for a good Netflix binge.

LET’S FOIL Well, actually, not just yet! First of all, be sure that you’ll also have time to solder your project no more than a few days after foiling so that the copper does not have time to tarnish or oxidize, which can make soldering more difficult. Second, foil will not stick well to wet or unclean glass, so resist the urge to rush straight from grinding to foiling, and be sure that all pieces have been cleaned of glue residue, glass dust, and moisture. SELECTING FOIL Foil comes in three backing colors – silver, copper, and black. The backing color appears on the adhesive side of the foil, which will not accept any solder, and thus the color will show through transparent glass on the finished piece. So, if you are using a cathedral glass, you’ll need to plan ahead to pair your foil and patina colors – this way any foil visible through the glass will match the patinated solder. If you are using opaque glass, you will not be able to see the back side of the foil, so you can use any color. You also need to use foil of the proper width, based upon the thickness of your glass. Choose the foil width that will create a slight overhang, equal on both sides, that will be folded over to the front and back faces of the glass. The width of your solder lines will depend on the amount of overhang, so if you want a thin solder line, use the smallest foil that will still cover about a millimeter of the glass on each face. You’ll often need to shift between different widths in the same project, so keep a variety of spools at hand during a foiling session, and be conscientious about which to use for each piece of glass. NOW LET’S FOIL Find a spot with good bright lighting (you might find magnifying or reading glasses quite helpful as well). Pull an arm’s length of foil from the roll. The foil has a protective strip that covers the adhesive side, like on the back of a sticker. Peel just a few inches of that strip away to expose the adhesive.

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FOIL AND DESIGN The purpose of the adhesive on the foil is only to aid in applying the foil to the glass. Before ready-made adhesive foil was available, studios made their own equivalent, cutting thin strips of copper that were secured to the glass with beeswax, which would melt away during soldering. Similarly, modern foil adhesive loses its stickiness upon being heated. It is the solder that ultimately holds the pieces together, not the adhesive. Keep this in mind when designing the perimeter of a project. Outside edges are vulnerable to detachment because the exposed solder line is not very strong. If a project has long spans of foil along the edge, consider framing in zinc or lead. Also, attach hanging loops only where stronger interior solder lines intersect the edge.

a

b

c

1 Choose a starting location on the glass; you should start and stop your foil on an interior area of project, never on the perimeter (a). In other words, do not start the foil on any edge that will form the outside edge of the entire finished stained glass project. Other than that, it doesn’t really matter where you start.

3 Continue along the piece of glass, centering and adjusting the foil carefully, pressing the foil to the ground edge of glass to make it stick (b). At this stage, do not fold the edges of the foil over onto the top and bottom faces of the glass; just stick the adhesive to the edge of the glass. Some types of glass have irregular textures and widths, so you may need to adjust the course of the foil to compensate. If you find the foil going off-center, back up and try again – there will not be a chance to fix this later.

4 When you get all the way around to the leading end of the foil, overlap about ¼ inch (5 mm) and tear or cut the foil. Pay particular attention at the overlap to make sure the two ends of the foil are lined up so that they create one smooth edge (c).

2 Center the ground edge of the glass on the adhesive side of the foil, looking at both sides to make sure your overhang is even, and press the tape firmly to the edge.

5 Don’t get lazy… if you foil a piece and notice that the overhang is too thick or thin compared to the rest of your pieces, peel the foil off and replace it with the proper size! Consistent solder lines are fundamental to elegant stained glass construction.

FOILING

49

6 Next, you’ll burnish, or smooth out the foil, with a tool called a fid or lathekin. Firmly rub all around the ground edge with the fid, assuring that the adhesive side of the foil is stuck to all contours of the edge (d). 7 Then, positioning your fingers as pictured, fold the overhanging foil to the front and back faces of the glass (e). When you get to a corner, keep it nice and neat, tucking one layer beneath the other, hospital corner style. For a very sharp, pointy corner, you can overlap the excess foil onto the face, but make sure that only the outside of the foil (not the sticky side) is exposed.

d

WHY WON ’T IT STICK? ■

The glass is not clean. It might have cutter oil or residue from grinding. Clean with glass cleaner or warm soapy water and dry completely.

■

Your hands are not clean. Greasy hands can transfer oil to the glass, preventing the foil from sticking. Even with clean hands, try to avoid touching the edge of the glass and the adhesive side of the foil as much as possible.

■

The foil quality is poor. Maybe you’ve inherited some old foil from someone and it has lost some of its stickiness. Beware cheap foil – most brands are fine, and you’ll find your favorite. Store your foil rolls in airtight plastic bags so that the adhesive does not dry out.

e

8 Then, burnish these edges down with the fid to smooth out all wrinkles so that the foil lies smooth and flat on the glass faces (f). 9 After each piece is foiled and burnished, check it for nice, even coverage. If you see any edges of the glass, you will need to re-foil. If there are any tears or exposed adhesive, you will need to fix those spots. If there is too much foil overhang in an area (g), especially at the start/end point of the foil, you can trim it off with a craft knife.

f ■

g

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MY FOIL IS TORN! Small interior curves can split the foil when you fold it over onto the front and back faces. You will not be able to make solder cross this exposed glass. To cover the gap, apply a small piece of foil over the split perpendicularly (h), then with a craft knife trim off the excess in line with the original foil.

h

LAYOUT To prepare for soldering, lay the uncut copy of the pattern on your work surface. If your design has a perimeter containing straight lines, tack straightedges (such as Morton layout add-ons, old rulers, or paint stirrers) precisely along these lines.

Now lay each foiled piece back in its place on the pattern. The pieces should be snug, and the perimeter of the project should match the pattern exactly. Use pushpins to secure all pieces along the outside edge so that nothing can move around. Now you’re ready to flux and solder.

L AYOUT

51

SOLDERING Now that your pieces are tacked perfectly in place, it’s time to solder. But first… put away any food and drink, shut the pets out of the room, turn on your ventilation, and don your protective eyewear, clothing, shoes, and gloves. Solder is applied to copper foil to create a matrix that holds your project together. It will form a metallurgical bond only with clean, fluxed copper (and some other metals). Solder will not bond with glass. On the flip side, it will be readily drawn to any exposed copper, so remove unsightly foil overlaps or sloppy edges with a craft knife if you missed them while foiling.

KEEP YOUR IRON CLEAN A clean tip will appear bright and shiny, as if coated with a thin layer of fresh solder. Most stands have a place for a sponge, which should be kept wet with water and used occasionally to wipe the iron tip clean. Hakko suggests a brass wool sponge for cleaning. For more thorough cleaning, rub the tip across a sal ammoniac block. A clean tip will help the iron maintain heat and aid in a clean solder line. Always wipe clean for decorative soldering.

FLUXING Using a chemical brush, apply a small amount of flux to the copper foil on the front face. Use flux sparingly to minimize fumes and cleanup. Too much flux will cause the solder to sputter and spurt, making soldering difficult. You’re using too little if the solder will not flow. If you are working on a larger project that you can’t solder in one day, only apply flux in sections; if flux remains on the copper, it will cause corrosion that will impair the flow of the solder. USING YOUR SOLDERING IRON Heat your soldering iron. Some have built-in temperature control, while some require an external temperature control (follow the manufacturer’s instructions). A good temperature is 360 to 410°c (680–770°f). Play around with the temperature to find what feels right: you want the solder to melt quickly and easily, but you don’t want the iron to smoke or the solder to get so hot that it won’t stay in a bead. A beginner should start on the cooler side of the range while working slowly. As you solder more quickly, you’ll need to turn up the iron heat. Use a hotter iron for lead-free solder. Use a cooler iron for lead came and for edge soldering. Use a cooler iron for 3D work like boxes (so molten solder won’t drip through the joints). Hold the soldering iron in your dominant hand. Use caution to hold only the plastic handle. All metal parts will be excruciatingly HOT, and will remain so for a while after turning the iron off. Always place the iron in the stand when not holding it, and keep the cord free of obstruction.

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SOLDERING THE FRONT Creating a clean, continuous solder line is called ‘running a bead.’ Let’s run a bead on the front side of your project. ■

Unspool about 8 inches of solder from the spool and hold the spool in your non-dominant hand. Hold the iron at about a 45-degree angle to the glass. Start soldering in a top corner of the project, about 1/8” (3 mm) from the perimeter. Touch the iron to the copper foil and feed the solder under the tip until the solder starts to melt and a small pool begins to form.

directi o n o f m o ti o n f eedi n g sol der w ire s o l dered bea d

f o il m el t i n g s o l der p oo l

Cross section of solder joints

■

Draw the iron along the copper foil line, feeding solder as you go so that there is always a small pool of it in front of the tip. Use a smooth, continuous motion to slowly draw the molten solder along. Avoid brushing, swiping, or painterly motions. Solder will flow along the copper lines, not out over the glass. It is OK for the iron to be in contact with the glass.

■

Your goal is a raised bead with a rounded top. If the solder line is flat, or if you see a dip between the two pieces of glass that are being soldered together, feed more solder. If the solder line looks lumpy, try feeding less solder or turning up the heat (though maybe you forgot to flux).

■

When you get to an intersection, pick any direction, and carry on in the same manner for a few more inches, then go back to the intersection and draw a solder bead out in a new direction. Returning to that joint while the solder is still hot will allow for a nice smooth connection of the branches. Then resume flow along either line, melting the new solder into the old.

■

Do not solder the perimeter of the piece yet – we’ll do ‘edge soldering’ later. If you will be attaching hanging loops, then at those locations stop soldering the interior seam about ½” (1 cm) from the perimiter (see Finishing on page 59).

urface

een pieces is exaggerated)

glass

glass

good solder bead

glass

glass

too little solder

SOLDERING

55

Look over your solder lines for lumps, dips, or other imperfections. To fix them, touch the hot iron down onto the problem spot, and melt into the line until the solder evens out. Remove the iron from the solder by swiping gently sideways, perpendicular to the line, leaving a neat continuous bead. You can retouch a line as much as necessary, but if you are really struggling in an area, you should occasionally allow it cool off: if the spot gets too hot, solder might bleed through to the bottom, or the glass might even crack. Temporarily shift your work to a different section of the project, and return once things have cooled down. Be careful: solder and glass will remain hot for a while, so don’t touch or rest your hand on the recently soldered areas.

TACK SOLDERING Sometimes, for convenience, you will want to quickly attach pieces in position before running a full solder bead. This technique of using small dabs of solder is called tacking. Tacking is useful when pushpins are in your way or when working on 3D constructions.

If you’ve done a good job cutting, grinding, and foiling, your bead will be a consistent width. If there are any gaps between pieces, they can be filled by feeding additional solder, though your solder line will be wider at these points. If you’ve intentionally designed a wide gap to be filled with solder (maybe you want to suggest a thin tree branch), you can create a thick bead by cutting bits of cold solder with a wire cutter, placing them in the gap, and then soldering over them. SOLDERING THE BACK When the front is completely soldered and looking great, carefully flip the project over, being sure to support the whole piece (including the center so that it doesn’t fold or bow). If possible, rest the project on its edge and take a moment to admire it as light shines through! Now lower it to expose the unsoldered back, and apply flux to all of the copper. Be more sparing here… excessive flux can pool up in the seam and will sputter and spurt as it heats. Run a bead on the back in the same manner as the front. If solder drips through the seam to the front (now face down on your work surface), move to another area and allow the hot spot to cool. Do NOT keep feeding more solder to the hot spot, as it will pool up under the project and could potentially crack your glass. (If you have this problem repeatedly, consider turning the heat down on your iron.) When cool, go back and re-solder. Let it cool again, then flip the project over and clean up the front surface where the solder dripped through. This will be a less common occurrence as you get more experienced at cutting and fitting your glass and have smaller gaps between the pieces. EDGE SOLDERING Now that the interior of your project is soldered, you will need to finish the edges to protect the exposed thin copper foil. Edge soldering is one finishing method that’s great for a piece like a suncatcher with a complex silhouette. It’s also a vital technique for small items like jewelry.

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OTHER EDGE FINISHING TECHNIQUES Simpler geometric shapes (circles, ovals, rectangles) can be easily and neatly finished with flexible lead came. For a larger piece, zinc came is the best choice because it is rigid and can provide some structural support. These choices are aesthetic as well as structural, so consider each of the methods and decide which is most appropriate. (See Finishing for more info.)

yes

no

e d g e sshould o l d e rcreate i n g a raised, Edge soldering rounded solder bead

Edge soldering runs a thick bead of solder that forms a strong U-shaped channel around the project. To create this, you must find a balance between heat, speed, and gravity. You’ll need to apply enough heat to create a neat rounded bead of molten solder, but it will need to cool quickly enough that gravity doesn’t drip it off the edge. This takes patience! You will wish you had a third hand, as it can be tricky at first to hold your piece on the edge and feed the solder with the same hand. With practice, you will create a beautiful smooth bead around your edges. Our Circular Crescent project (page 45) is great practice for edge bead soldering because its round shape is quite challenging.

a

b

First, thoroughly flux the entire perimeter. Then tin (apply a thin layer of solder that coats the copper) the foil on the front and back faces (a). You can move quickly at this point because you’ll be going over it again. Don’t worry about how it looks – just be sure all the copper foil is colored with solder. Next, carefully lift your project on edge, perpendicular to the work surface. Your protective gloves will be especially important now, as solder can drip off the edge and onto your hand that is holding the project. You are going to apply short ‘dabs’ of solder along the edge, with each dab melting smoothly into the previous one. Here’s how. Apply a centimeter or two of solder onto the edge and pause for a beat to let it resolidify (b). The dab should have enough solder that a bead rests on the glass edge and wraps around to the front and back faces of your glass. Now rotate the project until the next exposed copper area is horizontal. Dab on another bit of solder, melting it into the previous spot. Don’t linger too long, or the previous dab will melt too much and all the solder will drip off. You might find it helpful to turn your iron temperature down slightly. Don’t worry if solder drips down onto the finished faces your project. Remember, solder will not stick firmly to glass. It also rarely sticks to the cooled solder lines on the faces, so you won’t need to go back and redo all of your gorgeous beads! Just let any drips cool off, then gently scrape them off with a craft knife or plastic fid. Don’t scrape any drips that are attached to the edge foil that you are working on, as you might tear the foil. A quick touch with the soldering iron will remove these drips. After edge soldering, you might find some messiness at the junctions between the edge bead and the ends of the solder lines on the faces. Clean up these spots by touching your iron down to melt the solder together. Lift up gently, and don’t linger too long or the solder will roll off the edge. Don’t bother cleaning up the lines where wire will be attached for hanging; we’ll cover that in Finishing on page 59.

SOLDERING

57

FINISHING For stylistic and structural reasons, you might want to skip edge soldering, and instead finish the perimeter of your project with lead or zinc came. These will create a smooth and more robust perimeter. Flexible lead came works well for curved projects, while rigid zinc is suited for straight lines and can provide strength for larger pieces. FR AMING WITH LEAD CAME A great option for finishing the edges of a suncatcher is a rounded U-channel lead came, sold as hobby or suncatcher came. It easily conforms to a freeform silhouette and will provide both structural strength and a tidy appearance. You will need: ■ 5/64” hobby/suncatcher came ■ Lead dykes (nippers) or lead knife ■ Horseshoe nails ■ Paste flux

Lead came must be stretched before use, both to remove any kinks and to ‘harden’ the metal. To stretch, use a vice or a lead clamp that is securely fastened to an object that won’t move. If you find yourself using lead came often, you might want to invest in a lead stretcher.

Let’s try this technique. Cut and grind another Circular Crescent (see page 45), but foil and solder only the interior seam. When finishing with lead came, you do not need to foil or solder the perimeter edge of your project.

a

1 Clamp one end of the lead in the vice. Make sure the came is not twisted, then grab the other end with pliers. Pull firmly but gently until you feel the lead stretch, or give. It will give just a bit, and then it will stop. Don’t keep stretching after it resists; if you overstretch, the glass won’t fit in the channel, or you might snap the length. Cut off the marred ends with lead dykes. Then take a rough measurement of the perimeter of your project using a piece of string or a flexible tape measure. Cut a strip of stretched lead to that size. 2 Now we’ll apply the lead came. Choose a spot where an interior solder line extends to the perimeter, put a clean cut end of the lead on that spot, and press the came onto the edge (a). Work your way around the project, holding the lead to the glass edge with horseshoe nails (the flat sides won’t mar the lead). Push the lead into all nooks and curves. It should bend easily, but if you have a very sharp point or a tight interior angle, you can cut the lead, attach a new piece, and move on. Tight interior curves might require some extra nails to keep the lead in place.

b

3 When you get to the end, overlap the came and mark the spot where it meets the starting point (you can scratch the lead with a nail or knife). Cut at that spot with lead dykes, taking care that the flat cutting side of the dykes faces the clean end cut that you are making (b) for a perfect fit. 4 Soldering lead is slightly different to soldering copper foil. You might need to turn the temperature of your iron down a bit to avoid melting through the lead came. Test your heat on a scrap piece of lead to see how long you can linger with the iron before it melts through. Use paste flux (rather than liquid) with lead came to prevent corrosion. 5 Apply flux to every point where the solder line hits the lead came. Tack at these spots with a small amount of solder, touching the iron to both the solder line and the came. Repeat at every junction, front and back (c). At the joint where the two ends of the came meet, add a little extra solder to close up the seam around the outside curve of the U. 6 Clean all flux from the lead right away with glass cleaner or flux remover sprayed on a rag.

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c

d

WIRE LOOPS FOR HANGING A SUNCATCHER You can add a hanging loop to your project using wire soldered into interior solder lines, which creates a very strong and unobtrusive anchor. Don’t rush and simply solder an o-ring to the project’s edge; the foil or lead will eventually pull away from the glass. The outside edge alone will not provide enough strength for hanging, especially in large or heavy pieces. 7 Use 16–20 gauge pre-tinned copper wire (1.6–2 mm thick). Base the thickness of the wire on the size and weight of the piece, as well as how many loops you’ll use to hang it. Cut a 3–4” (10 cm) piece of wire for a loop.

e

8 You should have left about ½” (1 cm) of unsoldered seam on the suncatcher. Holding the wire with pliers (the wire will heat up when you solder it), lay it into the unsoldered depression where the two pieces of glass meet (d). Flux both the foil and wire, and run a bead of solder over the wire. The wire should become hidden entirely within the solder bead. Wait for the solder to cool and harden before releasing the pliers. 9 Flip the project over. Grab your flux brush handle or a pencil, hold it to the edge of the project, and bend the wire around toward the top surface, forming the loop (e). Trim excess wire with wire nippers and align the wire with the unsoldered portion of seam (f). 10 Flux and solder the wire into the seam as you did on the front. You may need to use pliers or the end of a flux brush to press the wire flush to the foil while you solder. Let it cool, then neaten up the top edge where the wire extends from the edge soldering if necessary.

f

11 Attach a chain, fishing line, decorative ribbon, or leather cord to the loop for hanging.

FR AMING WITH ZINC CAME Zinc U-channel came is a great framing material that provides strength and a clean finish. Because of its rigidity, zinc is appropriate for larger projects with straight edges on the perimeter (especially a square or rectangular shape). Zinc came generally comes in sizes from 1/8” (3 mm) to ½” (12 mm). While soft lead can be bent around corners, or simply snipped with lead dykes, zinc must be cut with a small razor saw at any corners. A butt joint (perpendicular cut) will work on right-angle corners, but a miter joint (diagonal cut) creates a neater finish. If you find yourself using zinc came often, consider investing in an electric tool such as a mini cut-off saw. A hand file should be used to clean up any burrs on the cut edges. You will need: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Zinc came Small miter box and razor saw set File Paste flux Layout strips or straightedge wood lath scraps Drafting triangle/set square Let’s use zinc came to finish the Square Crescent that began on page 45.

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Razor saw and miter box for square and angled cuts

Zinc caN be bent for a circular piece or an arch top using a special tool called a came bender, but you might consider using flexible lead came as an alternative for curves. Similarly, smaller 1/8” zinc edging is available for small projects, but I prefer lead came for any project where this would be an appropriate size.

a

b

c

vertical zinc vertical zinc

p ro j e c t

p ro j e c t

2

2 scra p zinc

3 1

3 1

Draw three lines Cut line 3 with saw

Draw three lines Cut line 3 with saw

scra p zinc

d

1 Cut, grind, and foil the pieces as usual, but don’t apply foil to the outside square edge of the project. Lay out on the pattern using pinned straightedges and a drafting triangle to keep everything lined up and square, and solder the interior seams, front and back (a). Stop soldering about 1/8” (3 mm) from the perimeter edge. Now we’ll move on to the zinc. 2 Cut two pieces of zinc that are an inch or two longer than the height of the project, and two more that are a bit longer than the width. Use your miter box to make 45-degree cuts on one end of each of these strips. Also cut a scrap piece that is a few inches long with rectangular ends. 3 In order to keep the zinc edges neatly squared up and snugly mitered, pin a horizontal layout strip to your work surface, and then use a drafting triangle as a guide to pin a vertical layout strip. Now place two strips of zinc along these layout guides so that the mitered edges form a right angle (b). Slide your project into the U-channel, pushing it entirely into the heart of both pieces of zinc until snug. Your first corner is done! 4 Move to the next corner, and push the scrap zinc onto the exposed edge of the project, butting up to the fitted zinc piece. Use a marker to draw horizontal lines on the fitted zinc where edges of the scrap zinc hit it. Now draw across these two lines a diagonal third line where you will make the mitered cut (c). 5 Remove the fitted zinc, take it to your miter box, make the cut, and clean any burrs with the file. Put the zinc back into position. Now remove the

e

scrap zinc and replace it with one of the full-length strips, matching the mitered end with the angled cut that you just made. 6 Repeat this process for the other corners, being sure that all zinc is snugged fully onto the project as you go (d). 7 If you are going to hang the project, then there’s one more step before soldering – creating spots to insert wire loops. Remove the top length of zinc from the project, and use wire nippers to clip off about 1/8” (3 mm) at each end (the pointy tip of the miter). Put the zinc back into position on the project, and you’ll see that now there are two gaps where the loop wire can be inserted and soldered (e).

FINISHING

63

a

SOLDERING

d

Soldering zinc is slightly different to soldering copper foil or lead. You might need to turn the temperature of your iron up, because zinc requires more heat to make a good solder joint. As with lead, use paste flux (rather than liquid) with zinc came to prevent corrosion. 1 Snug and pin layout strips around the whole project, and check everything for square with your drafting triangle.

b

c

2 Solder each corner by holding the iron to the zinc and adding just enough solder to cover the seam junction and make a neat connection (a). 3 Next, tack the zinc to every interior solder line that extends to the perimeter (b). An effective way to do this is to melt the solder on the project and, adding just a bit more solder, draw the line towards the zinc. Hold the iron there until the solder bonds to the zinc and then gently lift up and away. Just a small, neat connection is needed. Don’t add too much solder, or it will messily flow all over the zinc. 4 Remove layout strips, flip the project, and repeat the process on the back (c). If the zinc does not easily receive the solder, double-check that you fluxed that spot. If the flux doesn’t help, then the zinc might be oxidized or corroded. Clean with a brass wire brush to reveal bright shiny metal and try again.

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e

f

HANGING LOOPS If you’ve decided to hang the project, and have cut the top zinc length as described on page 63, then it’s time to attach the wire hanging loops. 5 Cut a piece of 16 gauge pre-tinned copper wire about 2” (5 cm) long. Bend around a pencil to make a U (d). Insert the ends of the wire U into the gap and hold the wire in place with needle-nose pliers (e). 6 Flux the wire and zinc, then solder the gap closed using enough solder for a secure connection (f). Let cool, use your pliers to test that both ends of the wire are secure, adding more solder if necessary.

You now have a neat frame around your project! Admire it, and then immediately remove all flux from the zinc with spray cleaner to avoid corrosion.

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CLEAN, PATINA, & POLISH Good news and bad news. Your project is almost finished, but it probably looks a bit of a mess after soldering. These final steps will get you all nice and shiny. Cleaning and polishing are mandatory and somewhat urgent, and they should be done immediately after you finish soldering in order to prevent any corrosion and oxidation. If flux is not removed entirely, it will cause discoloration of your solder and sometimes create an ugly white residue on your solder lines. Furthermore, patina will not react well with oxidized metal, so for an even and pleasing finish, it should be applied immediately after cleaning off the flux.

CLEAN Clean your project with warm water, using flux remover or regular dish soap. Wipe all surfaces, using a sponge dedicated to the task (not your dish sponge) and a brush. Get soap into all the crevices where the solder meets the glass. Clean thoroughly… like really, really well. Rinse, then clean it again, and rinse it a few more times. Use a rag to dry completely. PATINA Polished solder provides a bright silver gleam that pairs well with the sparkle of glass. It’s not your only option, though – you can apply patina to the solder, zinc, and lead to change their appearance to copper, black, and some other colors. You don’t need to patina your project, but you should keep these options in mind as you explore your creative path. If you’ve chosen to delve into this extended palette, let me quickly mention that patina is really finicky. Your results definitely have something to do with your water chemistry, but I suspect that the position of the moon and the stars play a part as well, because sometimes patina seems to magically infuse the metal with deep color, and other times it refuses to react evenly despite your pleas. If you have very hard water and plan to patina, you might try cleaning your project with distilled water or denatured alcohol to avoid leaving behind any minerals that might hinder thorough patination. Gather patina, a small bowl, rubber gloves, and newspaper to protect your work surface. You’ll also need some very fine (0000) brass wool. Steel wool is acceptable, but the dust that it leaves behind can stain the glass with rust, so be sure to remove ALL dust. Finally, you’ll need something absorbent and disposable with which to apply the patina. I choose to cut a sponge into small squares for application. Cotton balls, cotton swabs, and small brushes also work great. Whatever you choose, toss it in the trash after your patina session. Be sure that your project is clean and dry. Rub all solder lines vigorously with brass or steel wool. As you move along, wipe with a dry rag and check that the cleaned solder looks shiny with a polished luster. Pour a small amount of patina into a small bowl. Dip your little sponge or other applicator into the patina, squeeze out the excess, and rub the patina along all of your solder lines. You’re an alchemist now, magically transforming the silvery solder to new hue! Keep applying until you have a bright, even color. Wipe off excess patina with a paper towel.

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PATINA SAFET Y Remember, patina is nasty stuff, so put on your rubber gloves and eye protection, and be sure that you’re wearing work clothes. Protect your work bench with a few sheets of newspaper. Keep kids and pets away while your patina container is open. You never should dip anything (sponge, cotton, brush, etc) into your patina bottle, or pour patina directly to a sponge from the bottle. Any metallic dust from solder, brass wool, or other metal will chemically contaminate the patina, ruining it the entire bottle. No double dipping! Every brand of patina is slightly different. Each will have instructions on the label for how to best use it, so always refer to the instructions on your bottle.

POLISH If you think your project looks beautiful now, just wait until you polish it up! No matter how clean your project might be, don’t skip this step, as the stained glass finishing compound contains both polish and wax that will not only bring the glass and the solder to a beautiful shine, but also protect from oxidation in the future. Most polishes are applied by spraying, squirting, or smearing the stuff all over your project – check the manufacturer’s instructions for the suggested method. A brush can be helpful to distribute polish into all the nooks. Most polishes should then sit until they haze over, showing that the polish is dry. Buff it off with a soft cloth, and then use a clean brush to remove dry polish from the crannies. Hold your piece up to the light to find any remaining polish, dust, or fingerprints, and go over dirty spots with a clean rag. Repeat this until your project looks like it formed directly from your imagination in pristine sparkly glory and you’re DONe !!!! Congratulations!

CLE AN , PATINA , & POLISH

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DESIGNING PATTERNS For most crafters, stained glass is not an improvisational, offthe-cuff art form in the way that painting or pottery might be. The delicate and rigid materials involved, and the many stages of preparation and construction, require planning and some degree of precision. That’s not to say that your designs and projects cannot be inspired, whimsical, impressionistic, ephemeral, immediately relevant, or deeply and uniquely personal! I just mean that you’ll usually need to capture your quirk onto a pattern before you can begin constructing it.

PURCHASING PATTERNS When learning the technical side of the craft, it is great to start out with some tried and true patterns like those provided for you in this book, or free patterns available online, or wonderful patterns for sale created by some amazing stained glass artists. You might want to postpone creating your own patterns until you’ve worked with the materials for a while, because you might not yet understand the design constraints of the medium (difficult cuts, strength and reinforcement, etc.). In the end, some crafters find that they love the construction process, but aren’t interested in designing, and happily create beautiful work solely based on purchased patterns. DESIGNING ON YOUR OWN If design appeals to you, eventually you might desire to make your own stained glass patterns. Because of the beauty, popularity, and long history of the art form, novice designers are sometimes (unconsciously) compelled to design something that ‘looks like stained glass.’ A geometric pattern out of a cathedral or Frank Lloyd Wright home, a floral extravaganza inspired by Tiffany, a kitschy, cartoony animal that might have hung in grandma’s window. But you’ll be most successful at finding a stained glass style if you work within your own unique aesthetic. Think of the things that yOu love: your favorite sports or hiking spots, the pop culture or the cultural heritage that defines you. For me, the inspiration always comes from nature, from the forest just outside my door with its deciduous trees and odd mushrooms. I know a goth artist who makes stained glass coffins and Ouija board planchettes, and an Alaskan hiker who creates stained glass vistas of her favorite mountain ranges. As in all of life, the key is to be yourself. Collect and keep things that inspire you. My studio is filled with bits and bobs from my time outdoors: a pristine acorn, a sand-polished shell from a beach vacation. Surround yourself with things you think are beautiful or interesting or weird, and look to them to inspire interesting shapes, colors, and textural combinations. You may never have the desire to make an acorn suncatcher, but the way the textured acorn cap (just like a granite textured glass) contrasts with the glossy nut (like a Youghiogheny High Strike) might inspire an interesting abstract, or a new technique. Pore over luscious sheets at your glass shop, or even just rifle through your own glass bins. Still need inspiration? Visit a museum or botanical garden, go for an urban walk or rural hike, watch a movie, read a novel, look through your photos, turn on some music and pet your cat, but stay away from sharing sites like Pinterest! When designing, avoid looking at the work of other stained glass artists, so that you won’t be constrained by the choices that they’ve made. Strive to be unique – there’s no other artist with your voice!

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERT Y Please respect hard-working artists. When using a pattern, always obey the author’s instructions for reproduction and whether you can sell the finished product or not. Never copy a design without permission from the original artist. If you see something cute on Pinterest that you would like to make, resist the urge to ‘borrow’ the design. If you absolutely must make this totally perfect thing, find the artist and contact them with all the politeness you can muster and ask their permission. Easy access to artwork has made ripoffs ubiquitous, so respect the artist whose work you love by honoring their intellectual property.

Keep a sketchbook where you can collect a few, a bunch, or multitudes of ideas in one place. Use it regularly and without judgment or self-censorship. Don’t get caught up thinking that everything in there has to be beautiful or perfect – that’s not the point. It might help to promise yourself to never to show your sketchbook to anyone. At this point, you’re not trying to draw ‘a stained glass design’: you’re discovering a theme that appeals to your soul and that you’d love to explore. If you don’t know where to begin, start with basic shapes: circles, squares, triangles, repeating patterns. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, or think you don’t know how to draw, you still have your own unique instincts for composition, color, shape, and balance. Consider it doodling at this point if the thought of ‘making art’ sounds intimidating. Think about how kids just attack a canvas (or wall) with crayons, pencils, paint, markers… They work without self-criticism and are obsessed with the process, not the outcome. I find that freedom so inspiring, and I try to bring that spirit to the early stages of my design process.

Loose sketching

Make a habit of sketching, and don’t wait to be ‘inspired.’ Creative block can be overcome simply by moving your pencil. If you invest in your creative process and cultivate a sketchbook practice, you’ll soon find yourself with too many ideas and not enough time to make them all! DR AFTING YOUR OWN PATTERN Pick out an intriguing, inspired, or cute idea from your sketchbook that you would like to create in stained glass. Redraw it, starting to think about how it could be executed in glass. For a larger project, start with a small thumbnail drawing, and work up to full size in a few steps. Keep your lines loose and sketchy for now. I like a soft lead pencil at this stage and I do lots of erasing. Palomino Blackwings are my fave pencil and I love the Staedtler Mars plastic eraser.

Refining the design

You will be working towards finding a harmony between your desired image and the technical restrictions inherent in stained glass. As you create your shapes, consider these questions: Can I cut this piece? Will this project be strong and made to last? A few things to keep in mind when designing for stained glass:

Finalizing the pattern cut lines

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All lines must connect. You cannot end a line in open space. Try to add any ‘connecting lines’ in an elegant way that will enhance your design, perhaps adding a branch or a leaf rather than a straight line, or adding a geometric background to an organically shaped foreground.

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Avoid too much detail. You don’t want to have to cut, grind, and foil a ton of little tiny pieces, only to see the detail get lost in the soldering. A fun part of glass selection is finding unique textures that provide details in a way that solder lines can’t. DESIGNING PAT TERNS

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Avoid designing long thin slivers of glass and very thin points. These can be very difficult to cut and will often crack while soldering.

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Watch out for ‘hinge points’ where a piece is vulnerable to folding. If possible, redesign to eliminate these spots; otherwise, reinforce with Strong Line or wire (see Reinforcement opposite).

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Avoid very acute (sharp) angles and curves which will be difficult to cut. Look at the shape of each piece individually and make sure that you’ll be able to cut it in glass.

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Plan ahead for how your piece will be hung. Your hanging loops should always be embedded in interior solder lines for durability, so your design must provide the proper locations for loops. Consider balance, strength, and symmetry.

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Beware of very long, uninterrupted spans of glass on the perimeter, unless you will use zinc came to frame the piece. Foil and lead can pull away from the glass edge on a very long stretch of perimeter where they are not anchored to interior lines.

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Think about line aND shape. Because stained glass is inherently line-based, it is easy to focus on just the lines, but the shapes and the blocks of color can be just as effective in communicating your design as the lines. Try to use both, or experiment with either line or shape taking the lead.

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Begin thinking about the type of glass you would like to use. Mixed glass textures can create contrast and shading. Clear glass used as background can effectively make a colorful foreground pop. Consider how the same pattern would work created in all clear textures, or in a small range of hues of one color, or with ALL the colors.

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For your final, full-sized sketch, use a straightedge and square to make lines straight and perpendicular if necessary, especially along the perimeter. If you are constrained to a particular size, such as an opening in a vintage window frame, use a ruler to double-check your pattern for proper size, or trace the opening directly (see page 141 for designing for a window frame like the one here). FINALIZING YOUR PATTERN When you are happy with your design, it’s time to turn it into a pattern! Using a light box and a new sheet of paper, you can now trace those loose rough lines into a single solid line, still using a pencil. (If you don’t have a light box, you can tape the two sheets of paper up to a window on a sunny day.) Continue to refine – at this point I’m still designing and using a critical eye to make changes. Finally, go over the pencil lines with a marker to create your final cutline. Use a 1 mm black marker because that’s approximately the width of the paper that will be removed by the pattern shears to account for the width of the copper foil.

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Label each piece with a number, and add notes about grain direction or color if you already have ideas. Finally, make a second copy of this finalized pattern using a marker, the light box, and a new sheet of paper. You’ll need one copy to cut up, and one copy to arrange the puzzle back together. REINFORCEMENT I’m including reinforcement here in the design chapter because the time to begin thinking about if and how a window will require reinforcement is right now, as you create your pattern. Reinforcement can prevent cracking, sagging, bowing, and buckling. Though some might argue that a copper foil panel is not as strong as a leaded panel, I believe that both techniques can be equally durable when well designed and constructed. The amount and type of reinforcement is determined by the design, application, and size of the window. A design containing networks of intersecting lines distributed throughout the project can prevent hinge points and minimize the need for reinforcement. A panel on a functional door will require more reinforcement than a static window. Consider where the piece will be installed and how much stress it will encounter. A single pane of stained glass should not exceed 14 linear feet (4.25 metres) as measured around the perimeter. If you want to create a very large window, it is best to divide it into smaller panels, each surrounded and supported by some type of reinforcement or frame. Very large constructions are outside the scope of this book, so let’s just touch upon some of the fundamentals of strengthening a copper foil window. Reinforcement can be applied to the both the interior and the exterior of a piece. Interior reinforcement is provided using lengths of Strong Line steel, tinned copper strips, or braided steel wire. These flexible materials are hidden in your solder lines between glass pieces, creating a strong matrix when soldered. When designing, you should locate interior reinforcement that divides the area into roughly 12 inch (30 cm) squares, focusing especially on locations that will experience more stress, such as hinge joints. Run reinforcement perpendicular to hinge joints, and be sure that the reinforcement strip spans edge to edge. Because these types of reinforcement fit between the pieces of glass, you’ll need to size your glass to accommodate the strips. Cutting these pattern lines with lead shears (rather than copper foil shears) will provide a sufficient gap. The solder line containing the reinforcement strip will appear slightly thicker than your other solder lines, so this type of reinforcement is best for a project with a more organic, flowing design where the inconsistency will be less noticeable.

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Exterior reinforcement, which uses steel rebar, is less frequently applied to copper foil windows, but is an effective method as well. Flat rebar should run horizontally the width of the window, roughly every 12 inches. The rebar should be soldered to the window at every place where the bar intersects with a solder line. This type of reinforcement will be visible: even if applied on the outside of opaque glass, the rebar may cast a shadow from exterior light sources. This method is best for windows with a geometric or modern design with straight lines that can be paired up with the bars. With access to the proper tools, it is also possible to create a less conspicuous steel matrix that follows along the solder lines. Whatever method you use, try to incorporate the reinforcement into your design in a way that avoids awkward segmentation of your imagery. Maybe include some geometric shapes in the background that will integrate with straight reinforcement materials. Redesign slightly so that there’s a graceful line extending edge to edge to accommodate an internal steel strip. Think creatively to find a solution that is both strong and visually appealing.

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Creating Custom Windows It’s great to get to know your client a bit and have a good long chat about their desires for the custom artwork. Are they trying to block a view? Create dramatic effect? How will they light the piece? How precise are their wants? Open-ended requests are great, but they leave some room for disappointment, so try to narrow in on a style and subject that the client will love before launching into your design process. It’s always best to meet in person and do a site visit. Study the light and get a feel for the style of the home and surrounding space. Pick up on the client’s taste from cues in the room décor. Importantly, take your own measurements. This is far preferable to depending on the client to supply the numbers, because they may not understand the degree of accuracy necessary, and may miss out on irregularities that you might notice. Study and photograph the window opening, and begin to formulate your installation plan right away.

exterior glass

1 inch gap

stained glass

molding added

sill

Once you know where your project will sit, measure the height and width of that opening. It’s wise to do this at several points to find any irregularities. Subtract 1/8” (3 mm) – because the wood, glass, and metal of the window will all expand and contract at different rates with atmospheric changes, and you want your work to have a little wiggle room. Carefully construct your project to precisely this size, so that your installation will go as you originally intended.

existing molding

exterior glass

1 inch gap

stained glass

sill molding replaced

All installation scenarios will be different, sometimes wildly so! So here I’ll mention just some basics – you’ll need to adapt from this starting point. Many windows are held in place by strips of ‘stop molding’ that are attached to the jambs of the window frame. Sometimes, you’ll simply be able to place your project up against this stop molding and tack it into place with another strip of molding, if there’s room. Occasionally you might need to remove the existing stop molding and replace it with something narrower, and then tack your piece up against that. Ideally you want about an inch (2.5 cm) of airspace between your work and the exterior glazing to minimize the chance of condensation between the layers.

molding added

You’re bound to encounter situations that are more complicated than this. You’ll need to keep an open mind to find creative solutions and consider enlisting help if the installation is beyond your skill set. Since these types of commission often come in conjunction with renovations, you might ask the client to have the contractor create an installation solution.

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COURTNEY BAKER Reno, Nevada @goldfeverglass www.goldfeverglass.com

Courtney Baker I feel like I’m getting to know Courtney Baker when I view her creations. The glass and the composition tell the story in her work. Her daydreamy designs are modern and impeccably crafted, with a seventies hippy vibe. Your designs are so personal. What’s your approach to expressing yourself in this craft? My approach to creating art out of glass is hard to dissect. I work with glass in the same way a painter works with paint – to express myself in something tangible. Stained glass is both my profession and my creative outlet, and I have found that walking that line can sometimes be challenging. My design process always starts with an empty sheet of graph paper on my light table with a freshly sharpened pencil. I know that technology allows us to use tablets and such, but nothing beats the resistance of a pencil as it slides across a piece of paper. I like sketching up my designs in my studio with the glass I want to use sitting in the windowsill absorbing the sun. A really fun part of creating a piece is choosing the glass. Some of the questions I ask myself when choosing colors are: What do I want the glass to convey? How do I want it to change as the sun moves or the storms roll in? Do I want reflections or shadows? Before I understood the complexities of a sheet of glass, those questions never crossed my mind, but now they are things that keep me awake at night, especially when I’m making something new. What lessons have aided your artistry and craft? Looking back, my growth as an artist was punctuated by moments of acquiring a deeper understanding of the medium itself. Any stained glass artist will tell you that it takes a lot of hours looking at hundreds of sheets of glass in the windowsill just to understand how complex the color of each piece truly is. Additionally, glass is a temperamental, fragile, and yet strong material. Finding ways to cohesively balance the material necessities – such as structural integrity and planning cut lines properly – with the image that I have in my head is a challenge I enjoy. Another key to growth is a developing understanding of all the tools and materials, from the grozing pliers and lead stretcher to the flow of solder. Glass is one of the most complex, constraining, and ever-changing materials I’ve worked with. Every moment of creating a piece of stained glass is labor-intensive, attention-grabbing, painful and tedious, but utterly rewarding. 

Patrick Hurley When I talk about finding your own unique creative voice in stained glass, it’s Patrick Hurley who I use as an example. His creations are so authentically him that I can immediately recognize a PizzaDonkey on sight. Is stained glass a constraint or a liberation in your personal expression? I think I’m more successful in stained glass than in other media because of the constraints. Without limitations I tend to get lost, but with glass I have to follow a set of rules. Some of the rules are standard and pertain to the structure of a piece, and some are more specific to my own aesthetic. All the constraints help to filter out what’s not possible, so I find it relatively easy to express myself in glass. When I began working in glass I spent a lot of time fighting with the tools and materials. I wanted the glass to break in ways it shouldn’t, and I designed suncatchers that weren’t made to last. I hadn’t yet developed my style, so I was borrowing what I knew from illustration. As a result, a lot of what I made felt pretty tortured. Over time, I learned to design for the medium, rather than in spite of it. When I do this, each piece of glass in a composition is intentional, and my lead lines function as much as a part of the composition as they do structurally. What I make is informed as much by the limits of the medium as it is by my interests and ambitions. How does your work comment on social or political issues? I make a fair amount of explicitly queer pieces because I think it’s important to take up space where it hasn’t historically been provided. (Hey, church windows!) I also know that these pieces are generally being purchased by and for a community that places a high value on thin white men, so I’m making an effort to represent bodies beyond that narrow scope. Was there a moment when you felt that you were really starting on your own unique trajectory in your artwork?  A few years after I learned how to do stained glass, I spent my summer vacation making a series of large panels just for myself. Because I never intended to give them up, I didn’t have to compromise anything in size or style. That allowed me to work in a way that felt really authentic, and it completely changed the way I approach design. I think it’s important to make things purely for yourself from time to time, and that those moments can not only recharge your creative energy but can inform your path forward.

PATRICK HURLEY Los Angeles, California @pizzadonkey www.pizzadonkey.com

SUNCATCHERS Now that you’ve practiced the fundamentals of the copper foil technique of stained glass, it’s time to dive into the full projects! The initial project, First Feather, gives detailed instructions for each step of the construction process. The later projects skim over those routine steps, slowing down to provide instruction for additional, more advanced techniques. If you fi nd yourself lost while working on a project, return to First Feather for the overall process. If you fi nd yourself REALLY lost, go back to the appropriate chapter in the fi rst half of the book where ALL the details are discussed. To create outstanding projects take your time, strive for excellence in each step, and enjoy all of the tools, techniques, and materials that are part of your craft.

PROJECT 1

First Feather This project is inspired by the family of chickadees who live in the little birdhouse atop my cabin. I usually start my students with this project, as it is easy to complete in one day. A simple design like this emphasizes the role of glass selection: will you choose your colors and textures to express your mood, or will you draw from nature’s palette and represent your favorite bird, or will you choose wild colors that would only be paired up in an imagined, fantastical creature?

a

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2–3 colors of glass All standard stained glass tools and supplies PATTERN

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Two copies of the First Feather pattern on page 149. One copy will be cut up to make templates, the other will be kept intact and used to position the glass pieces in the proper position (a).

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b

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Prepare templates (see page 43). Use regular scissors to cut the perimeter line of the paper pattern, and switch to foil pattern shears to cut the interior lines (b). If you have not yet purchased pattern shears, go ahead and use regular scissors – small projects with few pieces don’t require the accuracy provided by pattern shears. If you do have shears, use them now so that you’ll get familiar with their use and build good habits for future projects.

c

2 Select your glass. This step is so much fun, but can also be overwhelming! Try to pick a mood for your piece… earthy and natural, or wild and colorful. Notice the markings on the pattern that indicate grain lines and align the marks to the grain in the glass. Glue the templates to the glass with rubber cement (c). 3 Cut the glass (see page 31). Remember, you’re practicing your craft, so if a piece doesn’t break properly, glue the template to a fresh piece of glass and recut.

d

4 Grind. Keep the template on the glass and grind (see page 40) exactly to the edge of the piece of paper, creating a glass piece that’s a perfect match to the pattern. Remove and discard the paper template, clean and dry the piece, and lay it upon the uncut paper pattern to check for fit (d). Mark any areas where it is not fitting with a marker and go back to the grinder. When the fit is right, number your piece of glass to correspond with its place on the pattern.

e

f

5 Foil. Decide now whether you’ll use a patina (see page 68) to color your solder lines, then select foil with the backing color that matches your patina choice. Focus on centering the glass on the foil to create an equal overhang on both faces (e). Burnish with a fid so that the foil is smooth, and trim away any overhang with a craft knife.

6 Lay your foiled pieces back on the pattern and pin snugly in place with pushpins (f).

h

i

g

7 Flux and solder the project, running a lovely rounded bead along the front and back (g), as described in the Soldering chapter on page 53, and around the edge, as shown on page 56.

8 Attach a wire hook for hanging (h). See page 61 for instructions.

9 Clean, patina if desired (i), and polish (see page 69). If you wait, you risk corrosion and oxidation, so do these steps now, and your project will shine at full luster. Congrats: you’ve completed your first project!

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PROJECT 2

Rose Quartz I dreamed up my stained glass crystals as a way to bring more sparkles and blues, pinks, and purples into my glass cabin, which was becoming overgrown with the greens and organic shapes of ferns and foliage. This suncatcher is a little nugget that captures the prismatic glimmer of my cabin crystals. The straight lines and larger pieces in this design are fairly easy, so have fun with it. Including a few beveled glass squares will cast rainbows across your room on a sunny day.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

One 1” (25 mm) square glass bevel ■ One ¾” (19 mm) square glass bevel If you choose, you can omit the glass bevels and substitute regular glass for those two squares. PATTERN ■

Two copies of the Rose Quartz pattern on page 150 at 100%

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Follow the First Feather instructions on page 82. 2 To incorporate the bevels, simply foil as you would a regular piece of glass.

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PROJECT 3

Pink Moon Stark winter scenery inspired this abstract geometric landscape, but don’t hesitate to try it out in warm summery colors too. At the pattern size provided, the project can be nicely finished by framing it in round U-channel lead (as pictured), with a single wire hanging loop at the top. Hobby/suncatcher came or edge soldering will also work at this size. If you want to scale up the pattern for a larger version, you’ll need to frame the piece in zinc and use two wire loops to support the additional weight.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

¼” (6 mm) round U-channel lead came or other finishing material PATTERN

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Two copies of the Pink Moon pattern on page 151 at 100% or larger

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Prepare templates, cut, grind, and foil, following the First Feather instructions on page 82. 2 Nail or pin straightedges around the perimeter of the pattern. Make sure that your pieces fit snugly within. 3 Solder the interior, but not the perimeter. End all interior solder lines about 1/8” (3 mm) from the perimeter of the project so that the lead came can be easily applied around the outside. 4 To finish with U-channel lead came, follow the instructions on page 59. 5 To attach a hanging loop, follow the instructions on page 61.

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PROJECT 4

Catenary This abstract design is inspired by ephemeral webs, glistening prismatically with dew, that you might find while on an earlymorning hike through the woods. These graceful and elegant catenary shapes are a common form in artwork, especially in the grandeur of Antoni Gaudí’s cathedrals. Let’s use this shape as a great opportunity to play around with glass color and texture. This project will challenge and advance your cutting skills, requiring a few more curvy breaks than the earlier suncatchers, but all of the pieces should be fairly easy to cut. You can create multiple versions using different glass varieties. Have fun with glass selection, possibly making choices that represent the colors of the rainbow refracting through a drop of dew. Explore contrast. Or maybe choose all clear glass, but experiment with texture. Let the glass do the talking. This follows the same basic instructions as the previous suncatchers, but additionally demonstrates the processes of applying both zinc and lead hobby/ suncatcher came to the perimeter of the piece. The top, straight, edge will receive the sturdy zinc edging to provide the structure for hanging. The curved perimeter will be finished with a neat, smooth length of lead came (though you can finish the bottom curved edge with an edge bead, as we did in the earlier suncatchers, if you prefer). Two wire loops are inserted into the zinc for hanging. The finished piece can be hung from a chain or cord, or installed with screws at the top of a window or door opening. It would also look lovely sitting on a windowsill or a sunny shelf.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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INSTRUCTIONS

¼” (7 mm) zinc edge came Lead hobby/suncatcher came Horseshoe nails Layout strips or straightedges Metal file

1 When cutting templates, use a straightedge and craft knife for the long top edge of the pattern, which needs to be perfectly straight for the zinc installation. For all of the curved lines, use pattern shears.

PATTERN

2 Select glass, glue templates to the glass, cut, and grind all as usual.

Two copies (or more) of the Catenary pattern on page 152 at 100%

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a

3 Nail or pin the straightedge in place at the top edge of the pattern (a). Lay out the pieces, and push the top row up against the straightedge for good alignment. Arrange the rest of the pieces and check for good fit. Grind or recut any troublesome pieces.

b

4 Foil. As always, use the foil backing color that matches your patina choice. 5 Lay the foiled pieces on the pattern, again making sure that the top edge is perfectly snug against the straightedge, and pin the outside pieces in place (b).

d

e

8 Cut a piece of lead came roughly the length of the bottom curved edge and stretch it gently (see page 60).

that the glass fills the small U-shaped channel, taking extra care to bend the lead into the angles and tightly around the curves (d).

9 Insert the project into the zinc channel and push it up against the layout strip. Make a clean square cut at the end of the lead came using your lead dykes. Align this perfect cut snugly up to the zinc strip, and press the lead firmly onto the glass edge so

10 Tack the lead in place with horseshoe nails as you work your way around – the flat side of the horseshoe nail won’t leave a mark on the soft lead (e).

c

6 Solder front and back. Leave the edges unsoldered, and stop your interior solder lines about 1/8” (3 mm) from the edges (c). 7 Cut the zinc came to the length of the top straight edge of the project and remove burrs with file.

f

11 On both the zinc and the lead, tack solder at every intersection with an interior line. Use just a neat little touch of solder as described on page 64. Remove the nails and do the same on the back. 12 Attach hanging wire (f) as described on page 65. 13 Clean, patina, and polish.

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PROJECT 5

Wisp of a Wing Nature’s artistry is so stunning that it’s fun to snatch just a fragment of it, strip it of context, and create an enchanting abstract piece. This design quotes the wing pattern of the peacock butterfly, but frames it within an ellipse, balancing the organic lines of the insect with the elegance of a symmetrical geometric form. This project will be finished with lead came around the perimeter. I love how the smooth solidity of the border plays with the freer interior lines.

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SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Lead hobby/suncatcher came PATTERN

■

Two copies of the Wisp of a Wing pattern on page 153 at 100%

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Follow the First Feather instructions on page 82. Do not solder the perimeter, and end all interior solder lines 1/8“ (about 3 mm) from the perimeter of the project so that the lead came can be easily applied around the outside. 2 To finish with lead came, follow the instructions on page 59. 3 To attach a hanging loop, follow the instructions on page 61.

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PROJECT 6

Honeycomb Cluster The perfect hexagonal repetition of the honeycomb is one of nature’s most symmetrical patterns. But why not introduce the whimsy of irregularity and create some cattywompus honeycomb clusters? This project is a great opportunity to use scrap glass. Each piece could be a different type. Opalescents, cathedrals, textures – they all mix well here. In the version pictured, I’ve stuck with the honey tones, but I’ve also created cheerful versions in vibrant colors, and sparkling ones in a range of clear textures. For durable mounting, it is best to finish the straight edges with rigid zinc came, but the complicated zigzag edge can simply be edge soldered.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Zinc came ■ Tinned copper wire (18 gauge) ■ Layout strips or straightedges, and a drafting triangle PATTERN ■

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Two copies of the Honeycomb Cluster pattern on page 154 at 100%

KICKING GL ASS

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut the straight exterior edges of the template pieces using a craft knife and straightedge so that you’ll have a perfectly straight edge where the zinc is installed. Use pattern shears for the interior lines and the zigzag edge.

triangle to ensure a right angle at the corner (a).

2 Pin layout strips on the straight edges of the pattern, using a drafting

3 Cut, grind, and foil. During each step, position the glass pieces on the pattern, confirming that the edge pieces snug up against the layout strips in a perfectly straight line. Pin the zigzag edge pieces in place (b).

a

b

c

4 Solder front and back, but do not solder the straight exterior edges. End all interior solder lines 1/8“ (about 3 mm) from the edge to allow easy application of the zinc (c). 5 Solder a neat edge bead on the zigzag edge.

e

d

6 Cut zinc came to the size of your piece (see page 62). 7 Insert the glass into the came. Square everything up, using the right-angle layout strips that you have pinned in place (d). Tack solder the zinc at every intersection with an interior solder line.

8 Create mounting loops using wire and needle-nose pliers. Tack-solder them in place, holding the loop to the edge of the zinc with needlenose pliers. The larger honeycomb gets three loops, as indicated in the pattern, and the small ones get two (e). 9 Clean, patina (if desired), and polish. 10 Install in a window corner, doorway or rafters with small screws.

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PROJECT 7

Katonah Moth

This moth design evolved from sketches I made while designing for antique French doors in the renovation of a 200-year-old home. The homeowner, a woodworking artist, gave me the freedom and encouragement to delve into my dream design and glass choices. (I got to use some really fancy glass from Lamberts and Youghiogheny!) Because of the age of the home, I decided to use traditional Victorian borders and an art nouveau aesthetic to complement my usual forest subjects. I loved this graceful little moth element so much that I rescued it from the sketch pile to live as a suncatcher.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Tinned copper wire, 16 or 18 gauge PATTERN

■

Two copies of the Katonah Moth pattern on page 156 at 129% on A3 or 11 × 17 inch paper.

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Follow the First Feather instructions on page 82, soldering both front and back. The dotted lines on the body indicate where you will add wire for hanging loops. For now, just tack the seams along these lines; do not build a full solder bead.

2 Cut two 4-inch (10 cm) lengths of wire for hanging loops (see page 61). Align the wire, as shown, along the seam and tack in several places (a).

a

b

d

e

6 Cut two more lengths of wire for the antennae, and tack them in place along the top edge of the project (d), then build up a nice edge bead.

7 Cut to length and twist the end of each antenna into a little loop (e). Apply solder to fill in the loop. Bend the completed antennae into graceful arcs.

3 Flip the project over, and bend the wire around your flux brush to create a loop at the edge of the project.

4 Align and tack the wire to the back of the project, cutting off any excess with wire cutters (b). 5 Build a nice solder bead over the wire, hiding it completely, on both sides of the project (c).

c

8 Solder a neat edge bead around the entire project. 9 Clean, patina, polish, and hang!

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BRYONY JO L ANE Falmouth, Cornwall @bryonyjolane www.bryonyjolane.co.uk

Bryony Jo Lane No artist captures the elegant turn of a leaf better than Bryony Jo Lane. Her vivid series of suncatchers is a masterful exploration of form, color, and pattern. You are so good at color and texture combinations. Are your glass choices premeditated or done on the fly? Do you design to feature the glass, or pick the glass to suit your designs? I definitely design to feature the glass. The delicate textures and colors of the stained glass are the focus of everything I do. I like to work instinctively with color and glass choice. I am often inspired by pieces being together on the workbench by accident, so I am as messy as possible with my workspace. Literally every color of offcut is there in all shapes and sizes. My work is as much about color combinations – and how they work for me emotionally – as it is about pattern. Leaves and patterns are my conduit to glass combinations. Therefore, I feel very happy making twenty of the same pattern, as long as each one has come from a totally different place in me and has a different look and feel to any of the others. I find it extremely difficult to do commissions in requested colors or glass, or to remake a pattern with the same colors. I feel that I am always a different person, so once a piece is complete, it manifests a little part of my feelings from that day or week, never to be felt again. What method do you use that other people would think is weird or strange? I have convinced myself that everything I do is an accident. I find that if I have a plan in any way, a route or structure to follow, I get stressed with the way everything is laid out in front of me and it seems more of a task than making artwork. I am a great believer in working from your subconscious. The work is asking to be made, and my body facilitates this. My hands do the work, but my brain is switched off for decisions. I use only freehand curved designs, which makes the whole cutting process messy and disorganized. I turn on music or podcasts and I just see what happens. And then hope that someone will buy it!

Janel Foo I credit Janel Foo as one of the leading artists behind the current stained glass revival. Her modern minimalist suncatchers in bright colors, clear textures, and geometric shapes have helped to make stained glass cool again. What is your design process? Are your glass choices premeditated? Since most of my designs are geometric, I design a lot on my computer, which allows me to easily play around with colors and color placement. Sometimes I start a design on the computer, then draw the rest by hand. I spend the majority of my design time selecting the right colors and glass. I’ll start by putting scraps together and picking colors and textures piece by piece. These decisions can make or break your piece – no pun intended! Sometimes I’ll decide to use a different color of glass after I’ve already cut pieces because the arrangement doesn’t look right and I’ll revisit my choices. If I feel that one piece is throwing off the design, I’ll sleep on it and start again the next day. There are also times when I choose glass without much thought and I’ll let it come together more organically. It’s not unusual for me to find inspiration for a color palette or design from discarded scraps that end up strewn about on my cutting table. I’ll snap a photo to remember the combination for later. What glass are you obsessed with? My favorite glass is Wissmach Clear Cube textured glass or Wissmach Iridized Crystal Dew Drop glass. You can expect to find at least one of them in my pieces. I’ve loved clear iridized textured glass since my very first stained glass project. What is your relationship with your tools? I have a Taurus ring saw that I use only once or twice a year. I try to keep untraditional cuts out of my designs, but it’s a great tool for a tricky cut when you have a limited amount of glass and don’t want to make a mistake in cutting it by hand. I also have every tool that is intended to help with copper foiling, but the fastest method is still doing it by hand. How do you balance more adventurous creative expression versus the repetition of producing items for your many customers? I try to balance routine retail orders with commissions that allow me to indulge my creativity and challenge myself. Only recently have I achieved a more equal balance, by switching to a ready-to-ship format for my most popular pieces, which allows me more time to create new designs and accept commissions.

JANEL FOO Pasadena, California @janelfooglassworks www.janelfoo.com

FOUND & FORAGED My favorite way to keep stained glass fascinating is incorporating non-glass elements into my work. I am a constant hoarder… um… collector of all things beautiful, interesting, or odd. My shelves are filled with little dishes containing pebbles, crystals, shells, wings, and feathers. Pressed flowers slip from the pages of my books when I reread them, invoking that day that I tucked them in there. As these items find their way into a project, the artwork manifests the memory of finding them. A found-item piece always makes a particularly sentimental gift for the person with whom you share that memory. We will explore two different ways to incorporate these non-glass items into a stained glass project. Solid and non-flammable items like stones, crystals, and shells can simply be foiled and soldered almost as you would glass (see Incorporating Curios, page 98). Flat and delicate objects – such as dried flowers, leaves, feathers, insect wings, and bits of paper or photos – can be pressed between two pieces of glass to be foiled and soldered together (see Pressed Ephemera, page 100). These techniques can be used in all types of stained glass projects, and you can also create some cool jewelry with them (see Jewelry, page 103). The projects that follow will cover these two methods. I hope they’ll inspire and entice your imagination, and that you’ll explore further: maybe you’ll consider driftwood as a border, or an antler as a hanger for a mobile, or macramé as an element in a geometric design.

Incorporating Curios Maybe your shelves are already overflowing with the fossils, shells, foreign coins, buttons, gems, and other shiny things that caught your eye while adventuring. Maybe you’ve got one precious memento that you need to honor with a beautiful setting. Let’s explore some ways of featuring and enhancing such curios by foiling them and soldering them right into stained glass. For direct foiling and soldering, the objects must be of a shape that the foil will have something to grab onto – curving around a smooth pebble, or hugging the cracks and crevasses of a crystal chunk – and will cover enough surface that the object can’t slip out. Since we’ll be soldering, your curio should not be flammable, nor too delicate. The heat of the soldering iron can cause thin or fragile pieces to crack, or a drop of amber to melt. FOILING Look for ways to lock the object in the foil: exploit its texture or irregularities, or encompass it like a bezel in a jewelry setting. Remember, it is not foil’s adhesive that will finally hold the foil onto the finished project; it is the solder matrix that you will be building over the foil. Crystals with smooth straight sides or smooth round items like a marbles may slip from the foil after soldering if not properly secured. Foil comes in many sizes, and you may need to use a wider type than usual. Use a fid or your fingernail to burnish the foil so that it is pressed into and around all of the contours. Your goal is to create an encompassing surface where the solder can hug the curio.

Wide foil pressed into nooks and crannies

ADDING TO THE PATTERN Now that you can see the silhouette defined by the foil, you can incorporate that shape into your pattern. Hold the item firmly in place on the pattern and trace the silhouette onto the paper. After you cut your templates, check that they will fit well around the curio, making any necessary adjustments. After cutting the glass, check for fit again, and regrind or recut if necessary before foiling the surrounding glass pieces. SOLDERING

Trace the curio onto the template

Flatter curios like little shells or coins can be soldered in place normally like pieces of glass. With items that are significantly thicker than glass, don’t solder them in place until you have completed soldering both the front and the back of the project. Otherwise you will have difficulty soldering the back, because the curio will prevent the piece from laying flat. Keep these thicker items in place while you solder the front (to prevent surrounding pieces from shifting), but then remove them and flip the project, soldering the back as the project lies flat on the work surface. Use care to not let solder run into the voids where these curios will later be positioned. When the front and back of the project are soldered, you can lift and tilt the entire project more easily and embed the thicker curios. Solder the curio in place on the front, forming a neat bead around the object. Then flip and raise the project up off the work surface a bit using some wood blocks or rolled-up towels and solder the back. You can see an example of this process in the Oysters on Aspen project on page 111.

Tack soldering a smaller project

‘FAILURE’ AND RECOVERY As mentioned above, the heat from soldering can cause some items to crack unexpectedly. Don’t toss out that treasured curio in frustration! Consider a change to your design that will allow you to use the curio in a different way. Depending on how much you’ve already soldered, this might be a small or a large task, but if you love the piece, you’ll be happy that you backtracked. I once cracked a beautiful geode while working on a window featuring a mushroom design. With a bit of rethinking and recutting, I was able to use the fragments – in a way that was more effective than my original design!

Perfect use of a cracked geode

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Pressed Ephemera To incorporate pressed flowers and leaves, sentimental slips of paper, butterfly wings, or other flat fragile items – let’s call them all ‘ephemera’ – you will sandwich the inclusion between two pieces of glass and foil into one layered piece. This creates a series of challenges that you must consider at every step of construction, beginning with glass selection and continuing all the way through polishing! Ephemera must be very thin and even in thickness. Delicate wings of moths and butterflies are perfect inclusions for this technique; I love that once they are safely encased in the glass they can be handled and examined without the danger of damage or having the wing flutter away in the slightest breeze. Small, light feathers without a dense quill are great, but some feathers can be tricky – a thick quill can add stress to the glass and create too much bulk when you stack all three layers together. Some pressed flowers work better than others: a flower with a bulky center like a daisy won’t work as well as thin delicate hydrangea petals. Flowers and leaves must be pressed flat and completely dried. If the inclusion contains moisture, the heat of the soldering process can cause condensation to build up in between the glass layers, which can discolor and damage your item.

a

GL ASS SELECTION I recommend thin glass for layered pieces; otherwise the sandwiched layers will be too bulky. Bullseye makes a thin (2 mm) glass that is perfect. It is available in a variety of colors and finishes, including iridescent. You can find thin clear glass at local framing shops – they might even give you scrap glass for free. Some ephemera look best with a clear background; others will pop if backed by an opaque glass. TEMPL ATES When cutting the pattern, it is important to create two identical templates for the layered glass pieces (a). To do so, place an additional sheet of paper under the pattern and cut both templates at the same time. Double-check that the two cut pieces are identical, and number them both.

b

CUTTING , GRINDING , AND CLEANING Continue constructing your project using regular stained glass techniques, but take special care with the layered pieces at each stage.

c

■

Cutting The thin glass will be very easy to cut, but be sure to score with very light pressure upon the glass, which can break more easily than thicker types.

■

Grinding For the layered glass, be sure that the two pieces are eXacTly the same shape and size. Continue to use a light touch if using the very thin glass.

■

Cleaning Clean both pieces very well – they must be free of any streaks, dust, and moisture. FOILING

d

To foil the layers together, first place the inclusion into position on the bottom piece of glass. If creating an arrangement of multiple items, or working with a difficult item like a feather, you can use a tiny bit of adhesive to hold the ephemera in place. Dab some glue right at the edge of the glass, where it will be covered by foil. Or, you can use the lightest spritz of spray adhesive. Use as little adhesive as possible, or you run the risk of discoloring the item or leaving visible glue puddles. Let the glue dry before proceeding. Use small sharp scissors or a craft knife to shape the inclusion to the shape of the glass (b). Now check aGaIN for dust and fingerprints, then sandwich the inclusion between the two glass pieces (c). Check that everything is in the proper position and hold the pieces together somewhat firmly as you foil (d). Select foil width based upon the thicknesses of your glass and inclusion. Burnish the foil very carefully; the thin glass can crack very easily, especially if the inclusion has an uneven thickness, so don’t squeeze too firmly.

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SOLDERING AND CLEANING All of the remaining steps involve liquids, and you must be eXTreMely careful to use minimal amounts in order to avoid the liquid seeping between the layers of glass. ■

Fluxing You might want to cut down the bristles of a regular flux brush so that they don’t carry as much flux. Alternatively, you can apply with a sponge or rag that’s just slightly damp with flux. It’s easy to get sloppy when fluxing the whole side of a project, but you really must take care near any layered pieces.

■

Cleaning Do NOT wash the project under running water. Instead, use glass cleaner lightly applied to a rag, and be careful when near any of the layered pieces.

■

Patina and polishing Continue to use minimal liquid near any layered glass pieces. If working on a large piece, it can be helpful to mark any delicate pieces like these with masking tape or some other obvious reminder that you need to take care in this area.

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Jewelry Anything that can be securely wrapped in foil or encased in between two pieces of glass can be used in soldered jewelry. A tragically broken piece of pottery can become a sentimental necklace charm. Shells from a romantic beach walk, a scrap of love letter, and of course stained glass, can all be integrated. Make the world’s tiniest stained glass window necklace! With one exception (lead-free solder), you’ll need just the same skills and materials that you’ve used for the other projects in this book. I hope you’ve been working on your careful – and might I say tedious – edge soldering skills, because they will really contribute to a beautiful final product. Applying decorative solder

You MuST only use lead-free solder in jewelry. This is the biggest departure from what we’ve been doing elsewhere in this book. Because of the toxicity of lead, any solder that will be in frequent contact with skin must be a lead-free alloy, usually one of tin and copper. My preferred lead-free solder (Silvergleem, made by Canfield) includes a bit of silver, creating a lovely luster that looks much like sterling silver. Working with this type of solder requires some adjustments. Lead-free solder does not mix well with solder containing lead. For this reason – and to ensure that I am working entirely lead-free – I use a dedicated soldering iron and soldering surface for my jewelry work. Additionally, a higher temperature is necessary for lead-free solder, so a rheostat or built-in temperature control on your iron is useful. Sterling silver can be soldered neatly with lead-free solder, so I use sterling wire and jump rings. The smaller size of jewelry pieces also requires some simple tools and techniques. You might want to switch to a smaller 1/8” (3 mm) soldering iron tip. Small needle-nose pliers will aid in holding small parts in place while you solder. Decorative soldering can add a nice textural element to jewelry. Here’s how to add some small dots. First, clean your iron tip so that it’s bright and shiny. Pick up a small amount of solder with the iron tip, and touch the corner of the tip down onto the edge bead. Touch down long enough for a dot of solder to adhere to the bead, but not so long that the edge bead is heated enough to liquefy and swallow up the dot. Once you get the knack, it’s a piece of cake.

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PROJECT 8

Pressed Flower Posy SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Dried and pressed-flat flowers and leaves. I love to use Queen Anne’s lace, hydrangea, and ferns for these little romantic posies.

■

Thin clear float glass (2 mm thick)

■

Thin colored glass (I recommend Bullseye’s thin 2 mm)

■

All-purpose glue and a toothpick for application

■

Wide foil: ¼” or 3/8”

■

Wire for hanging loop, 18 or 20 gauge PATTERN

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One copy of the Pressed Flower Posy pattern on page 157 at 100%

a

b

c

INSTRUCTIONS 3 Grind gently to preserve your very straight cuts.

1 Stack the pattern upon a second piece of paper, and use a straightedge and craft knife to cut the pages simultaneously into two identical templates.

4 Clean both glass pieces thoroughly with glass cleaner and allow to dry completely.

2 Cut one glass piece in colored glass and one in clear (though both clear is pretty too), using a straightedge (a) to make a perfectly straight score (page 34 for tips on cutting with a straightedge).

5 Arrange your leaves and flowers in a pleasing composition upon the backing piece of glass. For now, leave any overhang.

d

e

8 Stack the front and back pieces together and foil with a wide foil (d).

10 Solder a neat rounded edge bead (e).

9 Apply flux sparingly so that none gets between the pieces of glass.

11 Bend the wire into a small hanging loop and solder neatly at the top (f).

6 Use the toothpick to apply tiny dabs of glue near the edge of the glass (which will be covered by foil) to hold the items in place (b). You don’t need much glue, just enough to prevent the petals from shifting while you arrange and foil. Allow the glue to dry before moving on. 7 Trim any overhanging ephemera (c).

f

12 Clean, patina, and polish very carefully, taking care that no liquid seeps between the pieces of glass.

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SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Small peacock feather

■

1 inch (2.5 cm) faceted clear glass jewel

■

Small amount of thin opaque glass for feather backing (Bullseye’s thin 2 mm glass is recommended)

■

Wide foil: ¼” or 3/8”

■

Spray mount adhesive (light) PATTERN

■

Two copies of the Peacock Feather pattern on page 158 at 100%

PROJECT 9

Peacock Feather Suncatcher One of the most ambitious windows I’ve created portrayed a majestic, flamboyant peacock. This design was painstakingly detailed, and in my efforts to capture the riot and movement of the fan, I created a series of peacock feather suncatchers as studies. In this version, the eye of a real peacock feather is set dramatically beneath a faceted jewel and surrounded by jaunty plumes.

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a

b

c

1 Cut, grind, and foil all pieces as usual, except for pieces ‘1 front’ and ‘1 back.’ These must be cut from thin glass (if using a jewel, it will serve as piece ‘1 front’), and you should not yet foil these two pieces (a).

little barbs of the feather from going askew. Spray the back of the feather with just the lightest whisper of spray adhesive. Then, lay the feather over the glass piece ‘1 back’, centering the beautiful eye spot. Press gently in place and allow the adhesive to dry. Finally, use small scissors to trim away the overhanging feather (b), and continue following the instructions to apply the jewel and foil it all together (c).

3 Lay out and solder the project as usual (d), taking extra precautions to keep all liquids away from the feather inclusion (review the precautions in the Pressed Ephemera section).

INSTRUCTIONS

2 To encase the feather between the jewel and the backing, follow the instructions in the Pressed Ephemera section on page 100. Before trimming the feather to fit the shape of the back, you’ll need to use adhesive to prevent all those

d

4 Solder a neat rounded edge bead on the perimeter (e). 5 Solder a length of wire into the seam where indicated in pattern, form a hanging loop, and solder it closed. 6 Clean, patina (if desired), and polish with minimal liquid and extra care.

e

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PROJECT 10

Comet Moth Let’s make a fantasy piece. This project is inspired by the audacious tail of the Madagascan comet moth. Though they only live for about six days in winged form, these creatures take the time to grow beautiful tail ribbons entirely for the purpose of mesmerizing predatory bats and, tangentially, humans! We will stack spectacle upon splendor, giving our project wings, antennae, and tails of curios and ephemera.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Thin glass if using ephemera for wings, antennae, and tail

■

Wide ¼” foil for the layered glass

■

Wire: 18 gauge for hanging loops, 22 gauge for the tail attachments (or use small 1/8” or 3 mm o-rings)

■

Craft chain and jump rings for the tails

■

Pressed ephemera and curios: use whatever inspires you. In the instructions, I show two ferns for the antennae, two Queen Anne’s lace for the wings, and two ammonite fossils for the tails. You can also use pretty glass cabochon teardrops, crystals, or other curios for the tails. PATTERN

■

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Two copies of the Comet Moth pattern on page 159 at 100% scale

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INSTRUCTIONS

a

Review Pressed Ephemera and Incorporating Curios (pages 98– 102) for special techniques if you wish to include those items. 1 Cut templates using foil pattern shears. For any pieces that will be sandwiched – the wings, antennae, and tail – place an additional sheet of paper under the pattern and cut both pieces of paper at the same time: since you’ll be using two pieces of glass at these locations, you’ll need two identical templates. If you like, make your own custom pattern pieces for the antennae and/ or tail based upon the shape of your ephemera.

6 Solder as usual, and embed the hanging wire as indicated in the pattern. Twist it once around your flux brush to make a hanging loop (b).

b

7 Solder hanging loops and the o-rings for the tail chains deeply within the solder (c). 8 Run a neat rounded edge bead around the perimeter of the project. 9 Also run a solder bead on the copper foil on the tail items, and use needlenose pliers to solder an o-ring for hanging at the top of each (d).

2 Cut the glass, remembering that the sandwiched pieces must use thinner glass to avoid being bulky (a). 3 Cut and grind all pieces. For the layered glass, be sure that the two pieces are ground to eXacTly the same shape and size.

5 Now you’re ready to solder, but remember to be very careful with flux, as you want to avoid seepage of flux into the layered glass pieces.

c

10 Now clean, patina, and polish the piece, using minimal liquid to avoid fouling the layered glass. Attach the chain to the tail pieces using jump rings and needle-nosed pliers. 11 Finish the tail, using jump rings to attach the chain to the wire loops. If your tail items are bulky, you can stagger them using different lengths of chain: 2¼ to 4 inches (5–10 cm) recommended.

4 Foil and burnish. To foil the layered pieces, follow the directions in Pressed Ephemera on page 100 to create the sandwiched piece. Don’t forget to foil around any tail curios so that the chain can be attached.

d

12 Use your imagination and your stockpile of found objects to create variations of this boisterous comet moth!

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PROJECT 11

Oysters on Aspen Sometimes your stash of treasures calls out to you to inspire a project. This one was motivated by a glass eye – found in an awesome local antique shop – that I’d been hanging on to for ages. I thought it would be neat to use it as one of the eyes (actually branch scars) in the white bark of an aspen tree. I’ve also selected a lovely dark smoky quartz cluster to be a crazy mushroom cap, two ammonite fossils for little snail buddies, and some fl ashy labradorite eye-shaped cabochons. This project targets the perfect balance of weird and beautiful – just like me, and probably you, and life itself. I hope that you too have boxes and drawers full of lovelies to incorporate into your work. Gem shows, fl ea markets, walks on the beach or in the woods, and shops on Etsy are all great places to fi nd items to inspire you. Just remember – as long as it won’t burn or melt and can be wrapped securely in the foil, you can use it! This pattern can be easily adapted to accommodate your particular stones. Refer to Incorporating Curios for tips. If you prefer, go ahead and skip all the stones and make the piece entirely with glass that speaks to you.

INSTRUCTIONS

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Zinc came and tinned copper wire for framing and hanging

■

An assortment of oddities: I’m using two ammonites and two petal-shaped labradorite cabochons (all 1–2” or 25–50 mm), and a crystal cluster (a geode slice would work well too). Select your own items that are relatively close in size and shape to the lettered pieces (after enlarging the pattern). PATTERN

■

a

Since we’ll use found objects in this project, review Incorporating Curios on page 98. 1 Adapt the pattern to accommodate your curios (suggested locations are indicated by letters on the pattern). Use a brightly colored thin-tipped marker so you’re not confused later about which line to cut (a). 2 Trace these edits onto the second copy of your pattern. A light box is useful for tracing accurately.

Two copies of the Oysters on Aspen pattern from page 160 enlarged at 200% (finished project will measure 8 × 16 inches, or about 20 × 40 cm).

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b

3 Cut all the glass; grind and foil as usual (b).

e

4 Foil the curios carefully, making sure that they are securely wrapped (c) and that the foil extends to the front and back just as it does for the glass pieces (d). 5 Pin straightedges or layout strips to the pattern to keep your edges straight and hold everything in place.

c

6 Solder as usual, including flatter curios. Thicker ones (as in the crystal cluster shown here) should be placed in position as placeholders, but should not be soldered in yet (e).

f

7 When you have finished soldering the front, remove any unsoldered curios, flip the project, and solder the back. Use care to not let solder run into the voids where your curios will be placed.

d

8 Now that the back is soldered, flip the project to the front, and solder the thicker curios in place, creating a neat bead of solder (f). 9 Finally, flip and raise the project up off the work surface a bit, using some wood blocks or rolled-up towels, and solder the backs of the larger curios (g). 10 Frame with zinc came and attach hanging loops (see Finishing on page 62). 11 Clean, patina (if desired), and polish as usual.

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g

Helena Rakhuba I am so drawn to the creations made by Helena Rakhuba of Here and Now. These tiny wearable 3D creations pair unique ephemera and curios with a playfulness and impeccable craftsmanship. How do nature and glass interplay in your work?  Nature brings me joy and inspiration – it is imperfectly perfect, fascinating and never boring. I love the idea of collecting treasures that later become a reminder of that perfect day, or wonderful adventure. Clear glass – that can ‘frame’ nature and is nature itself – felt like the only right choice for my early experiments with creating something to hold my beloved souvenirs. There is something truly magical in the way clear glass reflects the light and blends in the scenery at the same time. Winter berry encased in ice, feather floating in the water – I can capture and replicate those natural wonders in glass, preserving their beauty forever. What’s one of your victories in glass? One of my greatest victories was the crystal-shaped mini-planter necklace that I made of ten teeny tiny pieces of glass. The project started with a small potato that I shaped with a knife, then I traced each facet to paper to make a template. I had so much fun creating this one-of-a-kind geometric piece, and it still makes me very proud of myself. What are your favorite tools? I love stained glass for its minimalism – honestly, you don’t really need a lot of tools, especially when you are just testing the waters. Of course, you will not be able to start without a glass cutter and a basic soldering iron, but I found that the handle of my scissors works much better for smoothing the foil than all those specialized fids and burnishers. Likewise, my own hands do copper foiling more quickly and precisely than all those foiling machines. The lead-free solder that I use for my jewelry is quite tricky to apply, so a soldering iron equipped with a temperature controller became a true turning point as this tool makes the whole process easier, and also helps you with those decorative soldering effects. Cleaning and hand polishing my pieces used to take a lot of time and effort. My friend who is a metalsmith once suggested that I try a Dremel machine for my polishing – and that was an absolute game changer for me! Later I also added a miracle cloth – a special polishing cloth for windows and mirrors – to my arsenal of the tools. It does magic and helps me save time.

HELENA R AKHUBA Kingston, Ontario @here.and.now

3D CONSTRUCTION Creating three-dimensional stained glass projects that seem too delicate to exist is possible because of several characteristics of the medium. Glass, though fragile, is structurally rigid, strong, and durable. Solder allows for connections at almost any angle. Reinforcement can be hidden within elegant solder lines. As long as we adhere to sound design and structural principles, stained glass constructions can fill three-dimensional space with beauty that ranges from the solid geometry of a jewelry box to the ethereality of a fluttering glasswing butterfly. That said, 3 D construction in glass also presents unique challenges. You’ll wish for a third hand to hold pieces at the proper angle for soldering. Some projects remain precariously weak until a final few joints are soldered, rigidly locking the whole structure together. You’ll need to control heat to prevent solder dripping through joints that are not lying on the flat work surface. You may need to solder INSIDe tiny little spaces and be careful about cracking glass with too much heat. You’ll need to respect gravity to discourage solder from rolling off the glass and onto your foot. In short, you’ll need to develop some new techniques. Sound design, though, is the most crucial aspect of 3 D construction. Most failures down the road – cracked glass, flimsy joints, foil detaching – are the result of improper design. Good design avoids hinge joints and uses angles and multiple contact points (and reinforcement wire) to provide strength. For example, in the Glasswing in Flight on page 134 the slight angle of the joint between the fore and rear wings, once tacked at an additional angle to the body and to each other, provides strength for the entire project. Always remember that the foil (and its adhesive) will not hold your project together; it is just a surface upon which you build a matrix of solder that provides structure by forming a channel that hugs the glass. Solder is only so strong, though, so be aware of stress points and long lines in your design, and add wire reinforcement in those seams. Make models using paper or cardboard, find weaknesses (and check for size and angle), and adapt the design to alleviate problems. Be creative and experimental, but don’t skimp on structural soundness.

3D Soldering Techniques TACKING When assembling parts of 3 D projects, you will usually want to lightly tack many of the junctions together before creating strong solder lines. Tacking applies just a dab of solder in several spots, holding the parts together, but allowing a bit of flex so that angles can be adjusted and perfected. Additionally, tacking can be easily undone by quickly heating and pulling apart, which is efficient if you find that you’ve attached a part in the wrong orientation or two edges aren’t flush. It’s handy to have an assortment of wood blocks, vice grips, rolled towels, and other tools around that can act as extra hands to hold pieces in position as you tack. Once you tack three pieces together at different angles, you’ll often find that the pieces lock together structurally and the project becomes easier to rotate as you solder it. However, be careful with your project when it is only tacked – you’re relying upon the foil adhesive to hold things together at this point, and the foil can easily tear if stressed too much. KEEP IT ON THE LEVEL As we solder, we’re nudging solid metal into liquid form for just a moment, so that it will flow where we need it, but will then quickly set into an elegant frozen bead. In that moment of fluidity, solder loves to run, downhill, as fast as it can. So, as you solder 3 D projects, you must be ever vigilant about keeping the seam that you’re soldering level, so that the solder won’t drip. Take the time to solidly prop up the project, and reposition each time you move to a non-level seam. And, as a precaution, never have any unprotected skin beneath your project, and check that hot solder balls won’t be able to roll into your boots! DRIP-THROUGH As you work on a 3 D project that is not resting flat on the work surface, you may find that the solder will drip through the seam rather than form a bead. If this happens, stop, let the area cool, and turn down the heat on your iron slightly. Go back and apply solder to a shorter length of the seam. Let it cool again, and then blend another short length into the seam. Repeat until the seam is done. If solder drips through excessively, a damp paper towel can be held on the interior of the seam; this will cool the solder more quickly and enable a bead to be formed on top. In a tight spot, you can try using some masking tape on the underside of the joint to discourage drip-through. Finally, clean up any drops on the inside of the piece – they can usually be flicked off the glass very easily.

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TINNING Tinning is a simple step, done before tacking and soldering, that you’ll find especially useful in certain areas of a 3 D construction. To tin an edge, use the soldering iron to apply a thin layer of solder to the copper foil – as if you are painting the copper with a coat of silver. Tinning is a must for certain pieces when using transparent glass. In butt joints, where the edge of one piece of glass butts against the face of another, you will not be able to apply solder to the copper after the pieces are tacked in place, and un-tinned copper will be visible. Sometimes a joint will be too hard to reach with a soldering iron once tacked together – think of an interior joint in a tiny crystal or terrarium. Tin these pieces before assembly so that they will match the exterior solder lines.

Basic Box

PROJECT 12

I have made thousands of little stained glass boxes in my career. Their construction is fun and relatively easy – a great weekend project. They sell very well at craft shows and are popular gifts. The design possibilities are endless. Use pressed flowers or real butterfly wings in the sides. Put shells, branches, or crystals on top. Design a beautiful tiny stained glass window for the lid. Here are instructions for constructing a simple rectangular box with a hinged top. Use these instructions as guidelines for building boxes of your own design. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Brass hinge tubing – usually 3/32”, found at stained glass supply shops ■ Tinned copper wire, 16 gauge ■ Straightedge and drafting triangle PATTERN ■

None necessary – the instructions below will teach you how to build a box based on your own dimensions.

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a

6 Draw your cover design directly upon the top piece of glass and cut the glass (a). 7 Grind carefully, keeping your straight edges straight and your corners sharp and square. INSTRUCTIONS 1 Decide upon the dimensions of the box. 2 Sketch a simple design for your box cover. The cover for this project will be constructed from one piece of glass that you can cut into several pieces. Your design will need to include interior solder lines extending to the back edge to anchor the hinge (see Hinges on page 120). If you The sides must be cut thana crystal would like to affi x ashorter curio like the bottom to fit. Subtract the glass or shell, see Incorporating Curios on thickness of the front and back from page 98. the depth of the bottom. glass thickness front side bottom depth

Butt joint construction

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3 Use a straightedge and drafting triangle to cut perfect rectangles of glass for the top and bottom according to your dimensions. 4 The walls will be constructed using butt joints (junctions where the edge of one piece of glass touches the face of the other), so they won’t all match the overall dimensions (see diagram). The front and back walls will be cut to the width of the box base, but the left and right walls will need to be shorter, as they will be inset between the front and back. Thus, to find the length of these two walls, subtract TWIce the thickness of the glass from the depth of the base. All the walls will be the same height. 5 Cut these pairs of walls, again using a straightedge and triangle so all of the corners are perfect right angles. Check for proper sizing and a snug fit by arranging the walls on the base.

8 Foil neatly (b). On the cover pieces, start and end the foil in an area that will be an interior solder line, not an outer edge. On the walls, start and end the foil on the ‘height’ edges – you don’t want an overlap on the top edge, where it could possibly separate as you solder the top edge bead. 9 Flux and tin all of the foil. Don’t skip this step on the side walls if using transparent glass; you won’t be able to get solder onto the copper in the butt joints later (see Tinning on page 116).

b

c

d

e

10 Make a right-angle jig on your work surface using layout strips or a few small wood blocks (c). Position the front wall all the way into the corner of this jig, then butt a side wall up to it, so that the edge of the side wall touches the face of the front wall. Tack solder at the top surface, and again halfway down. Turn the project and repeat, making sure that you have the two side walls set inside the front and back walls.

11 Place the assemblage of four joined walls onto the base piece (d). They should line up perfectly, though if walls are out of square, you can GeNTly wiggle them to conform to the base. Tack the walls to the base at all four corners.

12 Solder the junctions, going over the tacking with a strong bead, but at the back vertical junctions where the hinge wire will later be embedded, leave the top ½” (1 cm) unsoldered (e). As you solder, prop the box up on its side so that the seam you are soldering is level with your work surface (see 3D Soldering, page 116).

f

13 Create a round, thick edge bead along the top perimeter (where the cover will lie) to prevent the foil from pulling away from the glass with later use of the box (f).

g

14 Lay out the cover (g). Use a layout strip pinned to your work surface to create a perfectly straight edge on the hinge edge of your cover (see next page). It will be very difficult to attach the hinge neatly if you have an uneven edge.

h

15 Solder the interior and edge lines of the cover, but leave the hinge edge unsoldered (h). Flip, and solder the back. 16 See Hinges (overleaf) to install the hinge.

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HINGES

a

We will create a hinge using a small 3/32” brass tube and a length of 16 gauge tinned copper wire. It will be durable and nearly invisible – a simple solution that won’t steal any attention from your beautiful design and crafting. Use of a hinge requires the following considerations and techniques. ■

Cover design The use of a hinge affects design; if the hinge edge is longer than a few inches, then you must include several interior solder lines that run to that edge. These will anchor the hinge to the lid, preventing the hinge from pulling away from the edge over time. Include at least two of these interior solder lines, about an inch from each end of the hinge.

■

Cutting The hinge tube cannot be cut with regular wire-cutters or lead nippers (they will crush the opening). Instead, put the hinge on a cutting surface and score the tube with a craft knife, rolling the tube back and forth under the blade with moderate pressure. You don’t need to cut clear through with the knife; just make a deep groove and snap there.

■

A perfect edge The edge of glass where the hinge tube will attach must be PerfecTly straight for proper attachment, function, and durability. Be sure to use a straightedge when cutting, and use a gentle hand when grinding. If the cover is several pieces, pin a layout strip to your work surface to represent the hinge edge, and snug the pieces up to that edge, confirming that they line up perfectly. Then lay out and pin the rest of the cover, locking everything into place before soldering. As you initially solder and assemble your project, do not solder the hinge edge of the cover. Also, do not solder the top inch or so of the back vertical junctions where the hinge wire will later be embedded.

hinge interior solder line

t corner

cover front

to p view o f box

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b

c

1 Prepare the brass hinge tube by rubbing with steel wool until shiny to remove oxidation and gunk. Roll the tube under a craft knife to create a score (a).

d

5 Insert 16 gauge tinned copper wire through the hinge tube. On each end, just past the end of the tube, bend the wire to a right angle, and trim to ab0ut ½” (1 cm) (d).

2 Insert a toothpick into the tube’s end to prevent solder from filling the opening when you solder the tube to the box lid (b). It will be impossible to remove solder once it enters the tube.

6 Align the cover carefully on top of the box. Holding the cover firmly in place, bend the wire to sit in the seams left unsoldered on the back of the box (e).

3 Flux, and tack the brass tube perfectly into position on the cover (c).

7 Solder the wire into the seam, and blend the whole seam into a smooth bead. Do this on both ends of the hinge. Be careful not to solder the cover to the box, and avoid getting solder in the hinge tube. Check that the cover opens and closes properly.

4 Solder a strong bead along the hinge joint. Work slowly and patiently, a short length at a time, and let the joint cool periodically. You will probably experience drip-through, so refer to the Drip-Through section on page 116.

e

8 Clean, patina, and polish.

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PROJECT 13

Butterfly Plant Stake Let’s capture the flight of a little butterfly. I’ve finished this project with a piece of brass tubing to create a plant stake, but you can use a loop of wire instead to turn it into a cute ornament or suncatcher. We’ll use these same 3 D butterflies in the Butterfly Alights and Moths to a Flame projects that follow. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

A piece of brass hinge tubing (or other brass or copper rod) PATTERN

■

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Butterfly pattern from Moths to a Flame Porchlight on page 166 (pick any size, or make a variety)

a

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut, grind, and foil your glass. As always, match your copper foil backing to the patina you plan to use. 2 Flux all pieces, then solder. Hold the fore wing at a slight angle to the rear wing and tack solder in the center of the joint (a). Use just a dot of solder so the joint holds, but still has a little flex.

b

3 Do the same for the other wing, attaching fore and rear at the same angle as the first wing (b). 4 Hold the two wings together at an angle and tack solder in the center where all four pieces meet (c). Confirm that the wings are all at a natural and appealing angle. Adjust if necessary by reheating the solder, pulling the pieces apart, and resoldering.

d

build up a bead (d). Apply a bit of solder, let it cool for a beat, then move on to the next area, rotating the piece to level. It can be helpful to turn down the iron temperature. The butterfly will get hot, so take your time and let the whole thing cool down (e) periodically.

c

5 Run a neat bead of solder where the wings touch, fore and rear, but leave the center of the junction (where all four wings connect) unsoldered. This little hollow is where you will securely embed the brass tube. 6 Edge solder the wings, moving the butterfly around so the section that you are working on is level to your work surface – otherwise, molten solder will run off and you will not

e

7 If using a brass hinge tube, flux and tin it entirely, holding one end with pliers (it will get very hot). 8 Position the rod in the little hollow on the butterfly’s belly, where the wings meet (f). Secure it by building up layers of solder around and over the tube. Apply a short bead of solder,

f

let it cool a bit, and then add another short bead of solder. Use patience, and let the joint cool a bit between applications; otherwise, you run the risk of the entire solder line liquefying and the rod falling out of position. 9 Clean, patina, polish, and set free!

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PROJECT 14

Butterfly Alights This adorned box combines the previous two projects, Butterfly Plant Stake and Basic Box, and will allow you to tie your 3 D construction skills together. Add as many butterflies as you like (or can fit) to the top and sides. Arrange them so that their wings barely touch, and a dab of connecting solder will provide extra strength. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Brass hinge tube PATTERN

■

Two copies of Butterfly Alights pattern from page 161 at 100%

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut, foil, and grind the glass pieces, using templates and straightedge. 2 Construct butterfly using the Butterfly Plant Stake instructions on page 122. 3 Construct the box using the Basic Box instructions on page 117. Do not attach the cover to the base yet.

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4 Attach the butterfly to the cover, soldering it neatly and firmly to the junction of the interior line and the edge, as shown in the photo. Anchoring to the interior line creates strength, preventing the weight of the butterfly from eventually tearing the foil and solder on the front edge.

5 To add butterflies that are still ‘flying’ attach a short length of tinned tube as we did in the Butterfly Plant Stake project. Solder the free end of the tube to a strong solder line on the box and solder the edge of a wing to that of another butterfl yfor support. 6 Attach the cover to the base (following the instructions in the Hinges section on page 120), then clean, patina, and polish.

PROJECT 15

Home Sweet Home In the year or so that it took me to build up the courage to start construction on my glass cabin, I filled a sketch book with drawings of little houses. A simple house silhouette became my totem for the project, and it wasn’t long before I started making glass boxes in this form. It is such a simple shape, yet so symbolic, representing (for me) safety, home, family, love, memories. Let this little glass box project be just a starting point to express what this familiar shape means to you. Incorporate some pressed ephemera – photographs of your ancestors, dried flowers gathered on a special day. This little house makes the perfect sentimental gift.

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Brass hinge tube ■ Any ephemera that you might like to add to the house PATTERN ■

One copy of the Home Sweet Home pattern on page 162

a

b

1 Use a straightedge and templates to cut, foil, and grind your chosen glass.

4 Solder a neat rounded bead around the edges of the house (c) and an edge bead along the exposed edges of the opening (d).

c

INSTRUCTIONS

2 Follow the instructions for Basic Box on page 117 to create and assemble the base and walls. When tacking, note that the front and back walls in this project are butted INSIDe the left and right walls (a).

5 Attach the hinge tube to the top edge of the roof section that will open (e), following the instructions in the Hinges section on page 120.

6 Run wire through the hinge tube and fit the second roof piece to the house. Tack the wire to the house along the roof seam, pressing to incorporate the wire into the solder bead on the roofline (f). 7 Polish that little house up and fill it with tiny treasures.

3 Tack on one roof section (b).

d

e

f

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PROJECT 16

Curio Catch-all As I walk pretty much anywhere outside, my eyes are grabbed by the little wonders strewn everywhere by nature. I come home with my pockets full of curiosities. This project will incorporate your own curio, and will give you a place to put others as you gather them. If you like, make a series in different sizes. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

A crystal, stone, shell, or other curio PATTERN

■

Two copies of the Curio Catch-all pattern on page 163. If you like, make copies at 100%, 115%, and 128% for a set of nesting catch-alls.

a

b

c

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut templates using a straightedge and craft knife. 2 Cut glass, again using a straightedge. Every effort you take to make sure your lines are perfectly straight will make assembly and soldering easier. Wonky lines will create gaps that are difficult to solder or will prevent the project from fitting together properly. 3 To accommodate your curio, trace the outline of the item onto the templates at the spot where you would like to include it. You can see here (a) that I’ll have my crystal in the corner where pieces 4 and 5 meet, so I’ll remove a bit of excess glass from a corner of each piece.

4 Remove the excess template paper by cutting with a craft knife and peeling from the glass. 5 Cut any excess glass to the new template with glass cutter. 6 Grind. Continue to focus on keeping those edges straight. Number your pieces with a Sharpie immediately after you remove the pattern piece and dry the glass. It is really easy to mix up these similarly shaped pieces and it can be a challenge to put the puzzle back together properly if they are not marked (b).

7 Foil. Start and stop your foil on a side or bottom edge, not on an edge of the glass that will become the top rim of the dish. 8 Foil the curio carefully, taking care to press the foil into all facets of the object as explained in Incorporating Curios on page 98. 9 Flux and solder. Start with two adjacent side pieces, touching their bottom edges to the pattern, aligning them to the pentagonal base. Their top edges will lean outward to conform to the geometry of the project (c). Tack solder lightly, so the pieces hold together, but still have a little wiggle to them.

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d

10 Continue tacking the side pieces together, making sure that the bottom edges rest flat on the work surface (d).

g

11 Set the tacked side walls onto the base piece. There will be some flex in the tacked joints, which will allow you to adjust the walls slightly to conform perfectly to the base geometry, but be gentle and avoid tearing the foil away from the glass.

e

12 When properly aligned, tack solder the sides to the base (e). 13 Hold the curio in its proper place and tack solder it into position (f). 14 Without worrying about appearance, roughly solder the seams in order to put a bulk of the solder into the seams where it will be ready for a careful reshaping. 15 Let the piece cool to avoid dripthrough during the next step.

f

16 Now go back over each seam with the soldering iron, slowly and steadily drawing out a neat rounded bead along the entire seam. As you work on a seam, hold it flat and level to your work surface so that the solder won’t run. Allow the solder to cool and harden before you rotate the project for the next seam. Patiently build up solder around your curio so that it is fully embraced and neatly incorporated into the solder seams (g). 17 Solder a thick edge bead along the top edge of the project (h). 18 Clean, patina, and polish as usual.

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h

PROJECT 17

Moths to a Flame Porchlight As the summer warms up and I spend more nights reading and drawing in the cabin, I fancy that I’m sitting in a giant lantern, drawing all the moths to my light. This porchlight project is inspired by those peaceful nights. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

Wire-cage metal lampshade, about 10 × 8 inches (25 × 20 cm) ■ 3 or 4 (or more) shades of opalescent glass PATTERN ■

Three copies of the Moths to a Flame pattern on page 166

A wire-cage pendant lampshade and an elegant Edison bulb provide an airy perch for this eclipse of moths. (Yes, a group of moths is referred to as an eclipse…isn’t that lovely?) You should be able to find an appropriate lamp by searching for ‘industrial cage pendant light’ at your favorite online mega marketplace. The one I’ve used here measures 10 inches tall by 8 inches across at the widest and comes with the cord, socket, and bulb. The metal is powdercoated steel. I like to use an opalescent glass for the moths because it glows beautifully in the light of the bulb. The opacity also minimizes the busyness of the wire cage and bulb. I like to use a variety of shades of white, but I’ve also made beautiful colorful versions.

a

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut and grind 12 moths, 3 of each size. (More if you have a larger shade, but keep in mind that it takes a while to make up all these moths, so you might not want to get overly ambitious.) 2 Foil. Match your foil and patina to the color of your wire frame lampshade (probably black). When patinated, the metals will blend nicely in appearance. 3 Construct all moths as directed on page 123. Vary the angles at which you join the wings to create a lively fluttery effect. Leave the center belly spot where all the wings come together unsoldered so that the wire of the shade can sit in that seam for secure soldering (a).

d

b

c

4 Solder will not adhere to the powder coated steel frame, so you’ll need to apply foil where the butterflies will be attached (b). Criss-cross the wire with foil in an × pattern at a few places around the shade where the wires intersect. If the foil won’t stick, clean the spot thoroughly with glass cleaner or alcohol, let it dry, then try again (c).

7 Now attach the smaller moths. Each should be adjacent to a large moth so that their wing edges touch, and the small moth body touches a lampshade wire (d). This creates two anchor points: wing to wing, and body to wire. Wrap foil around the lampshade wire at the spot where the small moth body will sit. Now solder the pairs of contact points, and the little moth should be held firmly in place (e).

5 Attach the larger moths, evenly spaced around the lamp. Hold a moth to the foil × and tack solder at a graceful angle. Add a bit more solder, patiently allow it to cool, and repeat, slowly building up enough solder to create a secure connection and a neat seamless bead that melds into the solder lines of the moth. 6 Keep adding the larger moths at × junctions. Create a look of random distribution, but also consider balance so that the shade will hang level.

e

8 Clean and patina (f). I love this magic moment when it all comes together – the black patina with the black wire creates such an elegant finish. 9 carefully polish. Don’t do these final steps when you are in a hurry – there are so many nooks and crannies to get the polish into and out of. A stiff bristle brush can be helpful. 10 Hang on your porch and wait for the moths to come check it out.

f

PROJECT 18

Glasswing in Flight This oversized butterfly in flight will amplify some of the challenges of working in three dimensions because of its larger scale. To provide necessary reinforcement, we will run wire throughout the project, creating a rigid armature that allows the butterfly to hang in a lovely midflight flutter, or to perch gently with beautiful wings on display. The design considerations of this project also add strength – note how the fore and rear wings are assembled at a slight angle, and the rear wings touch, creating a rigid structure. This project is inspired by the glasswing butterfly, whose gorgeous clearpaned wings look remarkably like living stained glass, and I suggest that you have fun with an assortment of clear and iridescent textures. I have made this project so many times, in many different colors, from earthy and natural to bright and bold. Pressed flowers can be featured in the central teardrop shapes of the wings, or those shapes can be replaced with agate slices. Get creative with this one, but if you make design changes, be sure to retain the solder lines that are marked for wire reinforcement.

This project has some difficult cuts, including lots of concave curves. Refer to page 37 for tips on flawlessly cutting those curves. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■

16 gauge wire ■ Two rag towels PATTERN ■

Two copies of the Glasswing in Flight pattern on page 164 at 200% ASSEMBLY

■

Refer to the diagram opposite

a

b

c

INSTRUCTIONS 1 When choosing glass, select an opaque glass for the body (pieces 1–5) to hide any wire reinforcement that might overlap the glass. 2 Cut, grind, and foil as usual, but you should foil those five body pieces with a foil wider than you would normally select. The wider foil will accommodate the wire reinforcement.

3 Construct each of the four wings separately as if making four suncatchers. Solder the fronts neatly, leaving unsoldered the areas (indicated by the dotted lines in the diagram) where the wings connect to each other and to the body (a). 4 Tack solder the five body pieces securely, but don’t fully solder them (b).

5 Flip each wing over and tack 16 gauge wire reinforcement into the seams as indicated by the dashed lines in the diagram above. To do so, lay the wire in the small indent created where the two pieces of glass meet and tack into place every inch or so along the seam (c).

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d

e

6 As you do this, create the hanging loops with the reinforcement wire (d) where indicated in the diagram. To do so, simply bend the wire around a pencil or brush handle, then back down to the seam, creating a loop, and continue tacking the wire along the seam. Incorporating the loop into the reinforcement wire will ensure durability. 7 Cut the wire, leaving about 6 inches extending towards the body, from the wings, as shown (e).

g

h

8 Run a neat bead over the wire. Use enough solder that the wire is completely encased, making it nearly invisible. 9 Finish soldering the back.

f

10 Line up the left wings and bend the wire from the rear wing to meet the adjacent seam on the fore wing. Lift the fore wing up at a slight angle and prop up with one of your rolled towels. Tack the wire (lines A and B) to the fore wing and tack solder at the next point where the solder seams line up (f). Trim excess wire. Repeat for the right wings at a matching angle. Run a neat solder bead over the wire (g). 11 Now use rolled towels to prop up the right and left sets of wings alongside the body at a roughly 90 degree angle to each other (h). Align the wires with the lines of the body according to the diagram. 12 Align the wire at the bottom of the left rear wing (line C) with the matching spot on the right rear wing and tack the wire to the right wing, running the wire into the seam up to the next intersection as marked (i).

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i

j

k

m

13 Arrange the wires (lines D and E) across the body. They will cross over each other for additional strength (j). Tack each wire to the body where the wing meets the body, and again in the center of the body, and again where the wire meets the opposite wing (k). Trim excess wire. 14 Check that you are happy with the angles of the wings as you go – at this point there’s still a slight flex to the wings that allows for minor adjustments. Continue to use the rolled towels to support the wings as you work.

n

15 Now that all wires are tacked in place, run a neat solder bead over each, completely encompassing the wire, hiding it and providing strength (l). Do this at all points where the wires run from wing to wing.

l

16 Solder a bead along the long seam where the fore and hind wings meet (m). Repeat on the front. Finish up any edge soldering where you had previously left the foil exposed, both along the body and where the wings connect (n).

o

17 Clean, patina (if desired), and polish (o). 18 Perch your butterfly on a sunny shelf, or let it flutter from the rafters. Use the four loops to hang securely at your desired tilt.

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FL ANNERY CRONIN Brooklyn, New York @friendofallglass www.friend-of-all.com

Flannery Cronin Flannery Cronin is the artist behind the hip and popular brand Friend of All Glass. Her gorgeous lamps light homes all over the world. What is your design process for 3D projects?  My process typically starts in my sketchbook, where I fill a few pages with quick, non-judgmental little sketches, then set them aside for a day or two. Usually when I come back with fresh eyes I will see a silhouette that looks promising. Then I just dive in! Sometimes I will start with cardboard or paper, but usually it’s quicker just to start with glass. I learned early on that if I think of this first attempt as a ‘prototype,’ I feel free to explore and to make mistakes. Typically, once this first one is fabricated the second version will be perfect!  How do you prevent solder dripping through on 3D pieces like lamps? Take time to prop your piece up with wedges, blocks or whatever you have handy so that the seam you are soldering is totally level (I suggest actually using a level for this until you get the hang of it). Be sure you are not overworking any given area. I like to do two ‘passes.’ Do a first pass on each seam, taking time to let it cool thoroughly before turning. When you get back around to where you started, wipe the piece down with a wet sponge or rag. Then lay down the second and final pass, focusing on a nice smooth line. Use a dabbing motion rather than dragging your iron along the entire seam. Remember, the more the iron physically touches the glass, the more likely it will heat up and cause drip-through!  What steers your color combinations and glass choices? I typically start with one glass that really inspires me – often a special tone that’s not an ‘out of the tube’ color – and then use good old-fashioned color theory to bring it all together! Less transparent glass works best for my lamps, especially for the section directly in front of the light bulb, but you can get some really lovely shadow play with transparent textured glass if positioned properly. Ironically, I drool the most over beautiful clear or transparent textured glass because I don’t get to use it much in my lamps. How do you arrange your studio for production?  I find that my studio environment is the most efficient when everything is in its place. I also think it’s wise to have a dedicated workstation for each stage in your process. We also try to be diligent about cleaning everything thoroughly at the end of each day. This way the mornings begin with a nice tidy studio!

Kara Bussey Kara Bussey of Glimpse Glass is a true innovator when it comes to creating stained glass three-dimensionally. These intricate, impeccably crafted wreaths push the limits of what can be done with stained glass. What inspired you to bring stained glass off the table from flat to 3D?  The second thing I ever made in glass was a Tiffany-style lamp. I was 16, and from that point on, I was obsessed. I was always inspired by nature, so in 2013 I started my business selling 3 D flower garden stakes. That same year, I made my first 3 D wreath. It was a collaboration with my mom, who I was visiting on Vancouver Island for a weekend. We both showed up with different ideas of what we were actually making, but together we came up with a really cool and extremely unique 3 D holly wreath. Whether or not we were the first people to actually do it, we invented our own technique that weekend! Do you work from a pattern and plan or do you work more spontaneously?  Depends on my mood! I sometimes use little doodles, sometimes I draw complete patterns on my tablet, and other times I’ll go in with an idea and kind of wing it when I’m soldering. I love that 3 D work – like that in my wreaths – can be so free! I can design and redesign on the spot to find what really sings to me. What is your process for building up layers of leaves on your wreaths? Copper wire is the magic ingredient – it’s both decorative and functional in the construction process. Each leaf is soldered onto a piece of copper wire and then attached to the frame. I move the leaves and wires around as I go, seeing where they look best. When I’m done, I solder them together where possible to add strength. How do you clean, patina, and polish all of those petals?  Unfortunately, there’s no magic button – it’s a lot of work! I use a long, fairly stiff-bristled paintbrush (which I ‘borrowed’ from my kids) to get into the nooks and crannies of the flowers when cleaning and applying patina. For polishing, I get in between the pieces with a small piece of paper towel and push it around with the thin end of a paintbrush. What do you wish you could build someday? I’d love to one day collaborate with another artist to make a wedding arch full of stained glass flowers. I really love the idea of combining real greenery and wood with glass, and I think it would flow well with the vibe of a wedding.

K AR A BUSSEY Calgary, Alberta @glimpseglass www.glimpseglass.ca

RECLAIMED WINDOWS

PROJECT 19

Firefly Cabin Window I love using salvaged window sashes as frames for stained glass windows. Their vintage vibe is fun and their strong wooden frames provide structure and reinforcement. The divisions created by the muntins between the individual panes provide an opportunity to pull off some neat tricks that are usually impossible in stained glass design, like a spiral form or a line ending in middle space. Using old window frames requires some extra preparation, sometimes extensive, but the result is worth the effort. All of the panels of my stained glass cabin – all four walls and two roof sections – are housed in reclaimed sashes. I have just three panels left to fill, and this cool window, with its unique house-shaped peak, is calling out to me to be included. I’ve never found another one like it – I wish I could see the house it came from! Looking out the back window of my own home, I consider a design possibility… We’re deep in winter here, and we just had a huge 30 inch snowfall. So of course I’m thinking about my favorite days of summer, when it stays light until around 9:30 p.m., then dusk descends, and the fireflies start flashing. The multitudes of fleeting, floating lights create a truly magical scene – if you had never experienced it and someone were describing it to you, you would think they must be making the whole thing up. This project will show you the basics of preparing, designing, and installing stained glass in a reclaimed sash, so find a great old frame, let it inspire your own design, and follow along as I create mine.

PATTERN

SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Personal protection: mask, eye protection, gloves Window sash Heat gun Paint scraper Paint or stain for the frame if desired Glazing points Glazing putty Putty knife Large paper sheets and drawing materials (ruler, pencils, marker, eraser) Lightbox for tracing

■

You’ll design your own pattern, fitted to your window sash

RECL AIMED WINDOWS

141

PREPARE THE WINDOW The old glass and glazing putty will need to be removed. Older windows may have been painted with lead based paint and glazed with a putty containing asbestos, which can create a hazardous dust during stripping. To be safe, assume that your window contains hazardous materials. Always wear a mask, gloves, and eye protection. Be sure to clean your workspace thoroughly after stripping the sash, and dispose of materials properly. Remove the old glazing putty with a paint scraper. Sometimes the putty is loose and crumbly and breaks apart in chunks as you chip away, but sometimes it can be really stubborn. The stronger stuff can be softened with the help of a heat gun; warm a small section at a time and scrape away the old putty right up to the edge of the wood. The heat gun can crack the glass if held in place for too long, so be very careful if you are planning to reuse the old glass (some older clear panes have gorgeous ripples and pips that you might want

Small metal glazing points are hidden under the putty and must be removed

to incorporate into your new design). The heat gun might also cause the paint to bubble up, so avoid this method if you are hoping to preserve the paint. Remove the glazing points with pliers. These are little diamond or triangle shaped pieces of metal that hold the glass in place under the glazing putty, usually at the mid point of each edge.

or stain the sash. No need to paint the rabbets you just cleaned out, the glazing putty will cover that wood, and the oils in the glazing will protect the wood.

Remove the glass. At this point it should be loose and easily pushed out from below, but use caution. If it does not release, check again that all glazing putty and points have been removed.

DESIGN THE PATTERN

When all of the old material is finally removed, the rabbets (the grooves in which the glass was seated) should reveal bare wood. If you desire, you can now patch any damaged wood with wood filler, then sand, clean, and repaint

142

KICKING GL ASS

If your window is large, it might be useful to start with some thumbnail sketches. Draw a small sketch of the window and roughly draw your plan to get a sense of the overall layout. Do a few sketches until you have a composition that you are happy with. You’ll be creating individual panes, but will probably want one unified design. Use the muntins to aid in the creation of your design; note how my fern fiddlehead spirals around the cross bars and other fern leaves end

at the edge of a pane. Near muntin lines, avoid small details that might get covered up by the muntins and glazing putty when the pane is installed (see Designing Patterns, page 71). When you have zeroed in on a great design, it’s time to work at full scale. Lay your prepared window sash on a sheet of paper and trace around the openings. (I trace, rather than measure, because old frames are often out of square.) Be aware that you’ll want a good fit for each pane: not super tight, with about 1/16” (1.5 mm) wiggle room all around. Start full-scale sketching on the paper where you traced the pane openings. Stay loose and work your way to the desired lines. Use pencil hatching and

shading to rough in the color values and indicate the background. Begin to visualize in colorful glass. Unless the individual panes are very large (over 18 inches on a side) or the design has a lot of hinge points (see page 74), I don’t use lead or zinc edge reinforcement. The wood window

frame and the putty will provide the necessary structure. If you do decide that you need an edge treatment, be sure to account for the additional width in your pattern. When you have your full sized sketch, go to Finalizing your Pattern on page 74 to create your final patterns.

CREATE INDIVIDUAL STAINED GL ASS PANES Prepare your templates, then cut, grind, and foil your glass as usual. Remember that you are creating individual panels that will be inserted into the frame, so do not solder the edges, and don’t solder the individual panes together. Do use layout strips to ensure straight edges for a proper fit. Clean, patina, and polish before installing the panes in the frame.

RECL AIMED WINDOWS

143

a

b

c

INSTALL THE PANES 1 Grab a blob of glazing putty about the size of a ping-pong ball and knead it in your hands until it becomes smooth, soft, and pliable (be sure to follow any directions on the putty container).

these smaller panes I only used two, one at the center point of each longer side. Push carefully, straight into the wood, without angling down towards the glass.

2 Press a thin bead of putty into the inside ledge of the rabbet (a) as a bed to set the glass into (b). Lay the panes in place and press gently and evenly into the glazing. 3 Set the glazing points. Push them into the wood frame with a putty knife at the center point of each edge (c). For larger panes, do all four sides. For

d

4 To glaze the outside surface, roll the putty into a long rope and lay along the edges of the pane (d). Push into place with the putty knife, with a swiping motion along the glass towards the wood. Then clean up the line and remove the excess putty by running the knife at an angle with one edge of the knife on the glass and the rest of the knife resting on the wood (e). The putty line should

match up with the wood on the other side of the glass. Basically you are making a triangle out of the right angle between the glass and wood. Try to go in one steady movement along each edge and remove the excess as you go. 5 To avoid messing up your perfectly neat putty lines, wait a day or two for the glazing putty to harden before cleaning up any errant bits of putty or smudges that have been left behind. Wait a week for the putty to set up completely before painting it to match your window frame.

glazing putty

e

stained muntin

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KICKING GL ASS

glass sash

PATTERNS

A

B

Circular Crescent

p. 45

147

2

1

5

6

3

4

Square Crescent 148

p. 45

1 4 2 5

3

6 7

First Feather

p. 82

149

2

1

3 4

6

5

7

10 8

9

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz 150

p. 84

2

3

5 6

4

7

8 9

1

11 10 14

12

15 13

Pink Moon

p. 85

151

1 2

8 3 4

9 5

10 6 7

Catenary 152

p. 86

3 1

2

7 6 4

5 8 10 9

11

16 12

13

14 15

Wisp of a Wing

p. 88

153

z i n c a n d w ire l o o ps

13 12

16

19

17

15

14

18

21

22 24 29

20

23

25 28

30 27 31

26

32

33 34

35

Honeycomb Cluster

Honeycomb Cluster 154

p. 90

z i n c a n d w ire l o o ps

2

1

4 3

5

6

7

9

8 11 10 155

1

3

2

5

4

10 9

6 8

7 11 12

51 50

13 14

17

48

15

49

16

46 47

18

26

25 20 21

37

38

24 29

28

41 42

39 36

27 30

31

32

35

34

33

enlarge 129% to AA3 or 11" x 17"

Katonah Moth

Katonah Moth 156

44

45

40

23

22 19

52

p. 92

43

Stack this pattern atop a second sheet of paper, and cut both simultaneously using a cra ft knife and straightedge to create two identical templates

Pressed Flower Posy

Pressed Flower Posy

p. 104

157

1 back

11

12 10

9

1 front

2

3

4

5

6

Peacock Feather 158

7

p. 106

8

dashed lines indicate hanging loops and reinforcement wire embedded in solder line

1A and 1B

7 6

3

5

if using pressed items for antennae and tail, outline your specimens on paper to create your own patterns pieces, and cut two of each in thin glass to press items between.

2A and 2B

4

p. 108

Comet Moth

159

2

1

3

4

5

A

7 6

B 10 8

11

9

12 13 15

14

C

16

18

17 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

19 29

31 30

37 38

28

27

39 40

41

32 33 34 35 D

36

43 44 45

42

46 47 48 49

E

50

52

51 l e t ters i n d i c a te s u g g e sted l o c a t i o ns f o r c u r i o s

enl a rg e 2 00 % o n 11" x 17" o r A 3

Oysters on Aspen 160

p. 111

2

1

3

4

use pattern shears for interior lines and cra f t kni fe for exterior

top 2

bottom

3

1 up

up

side 1

side 2

up

up

back

front

Butterfly Alights

butterfly alights

p. 124

161

back

front

le ft roo f

right roo f

le ft side

right side

Home Sweet Home 162

bottom p. 126

1 E

A base 2 B

A 3

E E

5

B

C

1 A A

D

D

4

base

2

B

C

D

B 3

C

C

4

Assembly

5 D

3 sizes - copy at 100%, 115% and 128%

E

Curio Catch-All

Curio Catch-All

p. 128

163

17 11

18

7

12

19

6

8

13

9

14

10

15

20 21

16 22

25 23

24 28

26

27 32 30 33

Glasswing in Flight 164

29

31 34

p. 134

35

52 46

40

51 45

36

39

1 2 3

44

38

4

43

37

42

5

41 47

53 56

50

49 48

65

54 55 60 57 61

58

64

59

62

63

enlarge 200 % o n 11" x 17" o r A3

Glasswing in Flight 165

D1

D2

D3

A1

D4

B1

A2 A3

A4

B3

C1

Moths to a Flame 166

p. 131

B2

C2

C3

C4

B4

RESOURCES & SUPPLIERS For advice and community online, join the Modern Stained Glass Artist Collective on Facebook. Here are a few trustworthy stained glass suppliers. These shops will have everything you need to get started and continue on your stained glass journey online or in person (most offer classes too!). USA

CANADA

AUSTR ALIA

Delphi Lansing, MI delphiglass.com

Lucent Glass and Art Guelph, ON lucentglassandart.com

Australia Stained Glass Supplies Sydney asgs.com.au

Anything in Stained Glass Frederick, MD anythinginstainedglass.com

Stained Glass Stuff Ottawa, ON stainedglassstuff.com

Perth Art Glass Perth perthartglass.com.au

Warner Art Glass Whitehall, PA warnerartglass.com

UK

The Lead Light Workshop Kempsey theleadlightworkshop.com.au

Ed Hoy’s International Warrenville, IL edhoy.com SW Art Glass Phoenix, AZ swartglass.com

Lead and Light Camden, London leadandlight.co.uk Creative Glass Guild Bristol creativeglassguild.co.uk Tempsford Stained Glass Bedford tempsfordstainedglass.co.uk