Cutting Circles in Stained Glass

Have you ever seen in the movies a cat burglar cut a circle in the window and pull it out with a suction cup? Us glass artists know that it’s impossible. But how do you go about doing it?

I use the Glastar Strip/Circle Cutter but there are many out there that are just as good. The circle cutter setup may be different but the cutting technique is the same.

1. Make sure your piece of glass is at least 1 inch larger than the circle you need.
2. Place circle cutter in center of piece of glass.
3. Do a test run around the circle to make sure you are comfortable pressing down all the way around the circle but do not press down on the cutter. Also make sure the cutter stays on the glass.
4. Press down on the circle cutter and score the glass in circle making sure to have the start and stop points of your score line match up. (Don’t let the center point of the circle cutter move)
5. Break your score line all the way around the circle by using the Morton M80, Morton Safety Break, or flip your glass over with score side down on short pile carpet or rubber pad and press on score line to run the break all the way around.
6. Make 4 relief cuts from your broken score line of the circle to the edge of the glass.
7. Break relief cuts and circle should come out in one piece.

Circles from 4” to 20” will typically break out clean with this technique. Smaller circles than this will usually have flares that will need to be ground. Larger circles are just harder to handle by yourself.

What kind of lightbox do you need for stained glass cutting?

There are many different lightboxes out there to choose from. There’s even a tablet available that will light up in different shades. You don’t need anything fancy just functional. In fact, the hardier and bulkier the better because that way you don’t freak out if you scratch it. It’s meant to be worked on. And you might even progress to the point where you will cut straight on top of the light box and not just use it for tracing the lines.

You will need a box that you can press down on. Wood and clear glass work the best.

If you have a box with plexiglass change it out for real glass, preferably ¼” thick and clear. The reason is because plexi flexes when you press on it. When you score glass you don’t want any bowing when you press down and glass won’t do that. If you were to use plexi it can cause uneven scoring and even cause your glass to break prematurely.

You can easily get a sheet of glass at your local window glass store. They will even cut it to your specifications and polish the edges for you.

The reason you want the glass to be clear is because your pattern paper will be your diffuser. Brightness is your friend when you want to see through the pattern and the glass. Some dense glass will be hard to see through if you don’t have intense enough light. Florescent lights are fine but if you have a choice I would get LED strip lights (as intense as possible) because then it won’t be so hot to work over.

What size lightbox do you need?

Well, I’m very spoiled, I have a very large 5’ x 7’ light table for any and all size panels I might build. But you really don’t need it. Simply have a small lightbox, slightly bigger than your biggest pattern piece around 12” x 12”.

When you use your lightbox have two full sized patterns, one for your lightbox and have the second pattern on a worktable nearby. As you cut out a stained glass piece put it on your worktable pattern. That way your cut pieces are out of the way and you can see your pieces fill your pattern. This will allow you to nearly eliminate piece numbering which can speed up your process as well.

What if I don’t have a lightbox?

You can make a lightbox out of anything that will hold glass above a light. Have an old glass top table? No, go down to your local recycle store and find one. All you need is the glass top table and a portable shop light, a table lamp (with shade removed), or even a strong flashlight under the glass. Be creative: coffee table, end table, dining room table, table with removable tiles (replace with glass).

How do I transfer my stained glass patterns to the glass?

There are many ways to transfer stained glass pattern to your glass, pattern shears, tracing paper etc. I don’t cut out my stained glass patterns at all.

A lightbox is, in my opinion, the most efficient method for stained glass cutting. You can trace your pattern pieces directly on the glass. This will save you loads of time by not cutting out and numbering your pattern pieces. Plus you can get a look at the direction and variations of the glass before you cut it. The only time you will have to cutout a pattern piece will be for extremely dense glass like black (or you can use tracing paper). This is how I use a lightbox:

• Put your pattern on the top of the lit lightbox.
• Put your glass on top of the pattern and position the glass with the variations (streaks, texture, color density…) where you like it to be.
• Trace the pattern on the glass that you want to cut out. (if you are having a hard time seeing the pattern, lift up the glass and trace the pattern line with a sharpie to make it darker)
• Score the glass (inside the line) and break out your piece. At this point you can position the glass however you need to get a good score line because the pattern line is on the glass.
• Place your cut piece on a second full sized pattern on your worktable.
• Repeat

When you really start to feel confident in this process, you won’t even have to trace the pattern on the glass you can cut directly on the glass with the pattern underneath to guide you.

Next week I’ll talk about what kind of lightbox you need. You might be surprised how simple they are?

Stained Glass Maker's Quick Reference

I know there are a lot of how-to do stained glass out there. I wanted to give those that have taken a class and need a reminder or maybe it's been a long time and you need a refresh list. This is a quick bullet guide to help keep you on track.

• Have two copies of pattern. Cut pattern pieces out of one of the patterns.
• Trace pattern on glass and score and cut the piece. Repeat as many times as needed to cut all pieces out.
• Remember you only need 10 to 15lbs. of pressure to score the glass. You must go from one edge of the glass to the other. You can not stop in the middle of the glass. Cut your hard angles first then go to the other sides.
• After cutting out all the pieces of glass use the grinder to smooth and fit your pieces together.
• Foil all pieces of glass.
• After foiling, place all pieces on the pattern and fit together as tight as possible.
• Tack the pieces in place so they don’t move when you start to solder.
• Flux pieces at the joints.
• Tack solder the front side of the panel.
• Remove tacks and flux and flat solder the back side of the panel.
• Turn panel back to the front and “bead” solder.
• Add metal frame or filigree.
• After soldering, let cool enough to touch, and then wash with dish soap and natural bristle brush to remove any contaminants.
• Dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
• Add patina and wash panel again with dish soap.
• Add stain remover if needed.
• Finally, add finishing compound to panel, let dry and buff off.

Why 0000 steel wool is my best friend for stained glass art.

A grade of steel wool is called an “aught” so when you go to a hardware store to find it you will need to ask for 4 aught steel wool. This stuff is a must tool in your stained glass supply collection. Here are a few reasons to always have some on hand.

·         It can take off oxidation (white scum) off of the lead or solder without scratching the glass.

·         It’s perfect for repair work or clean-up jobs. Scrub the solder joints and damaged area (even the glass) with it to get “time” off of an old window. It’s good for cleaning off smoke damage on the stained glass panel.

·         If you don’t like your patina choice or you have old patina you need to take off you can scrub it off with steel wool and it still won’t hurt the glass.

·         It can take off old paint, marker or sticker residue. Simply rub it over the marked area and it will be cleaned. Be careful if you have a repair or a cleaning job has painted faces etc. If it’s painted and fired you will not be able to scrub it off (because it’s actually a thin layer of glass fused to the pieces) but if it is some other paint it can be taken off with steel wool. Make sure that you actually want to take it off. I suggest to test a corner of the painted area that needs to be fixed or cleaned. Or avoid it by putting masking tape over the painted area that you want to protect.

After using the steel wool to scrub away all that you need to do, make sure to clean it all off (simple soap and water) before you patina or you will have instant rust that will create a brown tint to your patina (unless you like that look).

I want my pattern marks to stay where I put them!

Marker stays well on glass if you want to wait for it to dry. The problem is, who wants to wait for marker to dry. Do we wait hours, days for each mark? It’s just not practical. So there are a few techniques that I’ve come up with to keep us moving forward with cutting and grinding.

I’ve tried all kinds of markers over the years and I found a silver sharpie has much better staying power. I’m not sure what they use that’s so different from the black but it stays so well when it dries sometimes I have to use 0000 steel wool to get it off.

I have also used gold paint pen. It has good staying power but only when you let it dry. Nice thing is it dries quickly.

To help these markers and paint pens stay even better, smear petroleum jelly over the marks to keep it from coming off too quickly while grinding or saw cutting. Make sure to apply a thin layer of the jelly. Excess jelly can get in the inner workings of your saw and bind it up or capture additional grinder grit where you don’t want it.

Why is stained glass worth it?

I talked about educating your buyers on why stained glass demands the price it does but why it’s worth it?

Stained glass takes a skill to design and create that not everyone has. It’s not merely a craft but an artisan craft that has spanned the ages. Many stained glass windows have lasted hundreds of years. If built properly, your windows could be around for generations as well. Use the best designs, tools and supplies to make your windows last forever. So, when you add a window to a home it will be a part of that home’s character for the rest of the home’s life. Here are a few ideas that you can share with your customers.

Stained glass windows last so long you may need to train your clients to think in decades. Is it worth the cost for something that will last 20, 30, 40 years or more and look as good as the day you made it? Make sure to choose a style that your client will love for that long as well. Try to steer them away from matching wallpaper because your window will outlast any wallpaper style.

Stained glass is a great privacy barrier that works better than curtains. It won’t fade, or trap dust and dirt or disintegrate like curtains. Stained glass can work in wet locations where a curtain or blind would not (triple glaze it and it can be in the shower). Specialty curtains can be just as costly as stained glass windows and last much less time, so you can use that as a base for your argument. Not to mention, in my opinion, it’s much more beautiful than curtains because it puts colors all over the room.

Stained glass windows can block intense light better than blinds. Keeping your floors and furniture from fading in the sunlight. You can use clear textures to tone down the light, opaque colors to block but add a glow of light, and use black or mirror to block light completely.

Well-made stained glass will add curb appeal to any home. When you make windows for a front door and sidelights it can bring style and life to a home even before you walk in. For example, a craftsman style home will be apparent as soon as you walk up to it. At night, a colorful stained glass window will glow in the dark and draw attention from all within sight.

What is your favorite argument for why stained glass is worth it?

When I foil stained glass what color backing do I choose?

There are three choices in foil backing, the original backing color of foil is copper. But there’s also black back and silver back foil. How do you know when to use which one?

When planning your project you choose your stained glass, do you also choose your patina color? Try to think of your finished product. Do you want your finished piece to have the lines disappear (black patina) or stand out (silver or copper)? If you know in advance what patina you will be using choose the same color foil backing.

Opaque glass won’t show the color of the backing so your choice won’t matter. Cathedral glass reflects the color on its edges. So if you want to see the reflections in cathedral then use copper or silver backing. If you want a shadow or no reflection then use the black backing. The silver back foil can be used with mirror to help with the reflection. If you use black back with mirror you will see an extra wide line as the black reflects in the mirror.

When I make a panel I tend to use a combination of cathedral and opaque glass. I also like the glass to stand out not my lines (not to mention I don’t want my messy line widths to show). I tend to use black back foil most of the time on standard panels so I don’t have to worry about reflections in the cathedral glass.

Now that you’ve chosen your foil backing what brand of foil do you choose?

I use Edco foil exclusively. Why? Many reasons. (I’m not getting paid to say this :))

1. It’s very sticky. They are the best at making a secure bond to the glass. If you are having trouble with you foil not sticking very well to the glass your foil brand is likely to be the problem.
2. The copper part of the foil is strong but not stiff so it’s able to be burnished tightly to the glass. This is particularly great for doing inside curves.
3. Their packaging is great for buying in bulk. Have you ever bought foil and it went bad (corroded, not sticky, etc.) before you had a chance to use it. They have a great sealed package and I have personally used unopened foil that’s over 10 years old. And when opened, it works as good as the first day I bought it.
4. Edco will put your store name on the packaging (when you purchase 144 or more) so that when you sell it your customers they will know where it came from. This also makes it a little harder to find the Edco brand sometimes since they don’t always sell under their name. Just look for the gold circle with blue lettering. Ask your local stained glass store if they carry it or if they can, you won’t be sorry.

Making stained glass windows is hard work and can sometimes can be very frustrating, every time you find something that works to make your life easier, use it. Feel free to share any tips you have on copper foil.

How do I price my stained glass windows?

When pricing your stained glass windows remember you want to keep making panels in the future so price accordingly. Supplies are a part of pricing your pieces but your time is also important factor. I suggest $80-$250 per square foot (depending on complexity).

If you make a 5 pieces angel ornament that’s ¼ square foot it’s practical to charge $80/sq. ft. for a total of $20 for the angel because it took very little time and maybe some scrap glass. If you are making a Tiffany style window that’s 6 sq. ft. for a bathroom with over 600 pieces you will definitely want to charge the $250/sq. ft. for a total of $1500 (installation not included). When I price pieces for a show I’m usually around $125/sq. ft. because I am making pieces that I hope will be appealing to a majority of the crowd. If I add a wood frame I add the cost on top of that price.

Pricing can be a daunting thing. You may not feel you are experienced enough to price high enough. Or you may not realize just how much goes into a panel. Just because you are a beginner doesn’t make the cost of buying supplies and time it takes to make the windows go away. In fact, you will probably use more resources than you will when you get more experienced. Beginners tend to use more solder because they tend to have gaps between the pieces of glass, as you get better at cutting and grinding you will have less spaces therefore less material cost. Beginners also tend to have more breakage when cutting glass. So don’t make your stained glass cheaper just because you’re a beginner.

Also, as a beginner you don’t want to devalue other designers work by pricing your pieces less than the cost of supplies and labor. People outside stained glass usually don’t know that you are a beginner or see a difference. They simply love the art you created.

Don’t worry, your buyer will love you and your work so price things so that other may also make their passion for glass come true as well. 

Don't forget to add in a little extra for custom pattern design. I can always help with that piece if you need it. We can work together as a great team. 

The cost of stained glass supplies.

Last week I talked about the cost of stained glass sheets but that’s just one factor that goes into making a stained glass panel.

Since it’s not just the sheets of stained glass that’s expensive, what makes creating stained glass panels so expensive? Metals again are the major contributor to cost.

The second set of metals that add to the cost (other than stained glass sheets) are copper foil, lead, solder and zinc. The chart below will give you some idea of the cost of the raw metals that go into our supplies.

Copper is going for about $2.89/ lb in its raw form. Then it has to be processed into copper foil.

Lead is going for $.97/ lb in its raw form. Then needs to be turned into came and solder.

Tin is going for $7.35/ lb in its raw form.  Then needs to be mixed into solder with lead.

Zinc is going for $1.07/ lb in its raw form.  Then needs to be made into u-channel framing.

I want to educate others to not only see the reason for the expense but also see its worth. These metals are also the reason that the windows you create will last a lifetime.

Next I’ll talk about pricing your stained glass pieces.

Why is stained glass so expensive?

In a word, metals. It takes metals to create the colors in stained glass.

Metals are responsible for all those wonderful colors. Below is a simple list of what metals make which colors and their relative prices to determine the cost of glass. The going rate of metals change constantly but you can get the idea of why certain colors are more expensive than others.

Cadmium Sulfide – ($1.00/lb) – makes yellow glass

Gold Chloride – ($1,193/ oz) – makes cranberry glass

Cobalt Oxide – ($13.74/ lb) – makes blue glass

Manganese Dioxide – ($1.03/ lb) – makes purple glass

Nickel Oxide – ($6.24/ lb) – makes violet glass

Sulfur – ($1.50/ lb) – makes amber glass

Chromic Oxide – ($1.22/ lb) – makes emerald green glass

Uranium Oxide – ($38.25/ lb) – makes red glass

Iron Oxide – ($.04/ lb) – makes green and brown glass

Selenium Oxide – ($3.82/ lb) – makes red glass

Antimony Oxide – ($4.30/ lb) – makes white glass

The metals below are also added to make other variations of colors:

Copper – ($2.89/ lb) – blue, green and red glass

Tin – ($7.35/ lb) – white

Lead – ($.97/ lb) – yellow

Borders can affect the way you view the image. To determine if you need a border you need to ask yourself where you want the viewer's eye to go.

My personal favorite style of pattern making is to give your pattern a photographic look. Your subject matter can act as a border. Use objects like trees, peepholes or columns to make a natural border. Another way is to make the subject itself become the focal point by zooming in on it until it’s the only thing you see. This technique will draw your eye naturally to your focal point making a glass border unnecessary.

 

A reason to add a stained glass border is to create a matting effect. It therefore gives your eye an edge to pull it back to the center focal point. This technique is especially helpful when you have a subject that may need to have too many background break lines (like feathers from a bird or petals of a flower). In this case you can cut the background down to practically nothing and add a border so it doesn’t feel so messy. Thus bringing your focus back to your subject and not all the messy cut lines.

To sum up, adding a border or not is more of an emotional choice. What kind of feeling do you want to convey?

Don’t sell yourself short. Try a new type of stained glass pattern.

Don’t be intimidated by the number of pieces in a stained glass pattern. Instead look how complicated the pieces are.

You can have a pattern that has less than 15 pieces and is very complicated, as in this abstract pattern.

Or you can have a pattern that has over 100 pieces but is much easier to build.

Always keep growing and challenging yourself.  How do you know you can’t do something without trying?

If you have only cut straight line patterns try waves. If you have done waves try curves.

There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing something you have never tried before.

No solder blobs in stained glass patterns!

When designing stained glass patterns, where lines intersect is a very important issue.  When more than two lines intersect solder can start to feel pretty heavy with every line added. Some subjects still require you make a pattern that brings everything to one point and it is hard not to have a huge blob of solder in the center of the piece. There are multiple ways to combat this.

I offset some of my break lines just slightly. This will make all of the lines look like they come together, but they actually do not.  By the time you foil it the slight offset will not show. This allows your solder have a little more space between the lines and not appear to be such a large blob. 

Another option is to shave your foil (on the face of the glass) after you wrap and burnish your pieces.  Use an Exacto knife to take a bit off of the foil and show the glass a little more. This will give the effect of a finer center point.  Shape the foil so that it has a finer point in the center of the intersection which will cause less solder to accumulate in the intersection. An additional perk to this technique is that you will use less solder!

Why is the mirror rotting in my stained glass project?

Mirror is made when one side of a piece of glass is coated with silver nitrate, making it into a mirror. A coat of copper sulfate is applied over the silver nitrate to protect it from damage, then a coat of paint is added to seal the back of the mirror from the elements. This prevents things like moisture and contaminants from coming into contact with the silver and copper coatings. The problem occurs when we cut up those pieces to use in our panel, mosaics or stepping stones. We break the layers of protection and expose it to our process of grinding, chemicals and water.

“Mirror rot” happens when those layers of silver and copper oxidize, and the result is black creeping in on the edges on your mirror. It is irreversible so we need to prevent it.

Mirror rot doesn’t happen overnight but you must reseal it as soon as you can. So, as soon as you cut the mirror you need to do something to protect it. Sometimes we can’t control how fast we complete a pattern but with mirror there is a clock ticking. Once mirror is contaminated you can’t reverse the effects.

After you cut the piece out try to grind the mirror as little as possible or use a mirror grinder bit to help minimize the damage to the backing. In addition you will want to flip the mirror over when you grind it so that the mirrored side is up, as not to scratch the mirror backing as you move it on the grinder surface. Clean each piece thoroughly with a non-ammonia cleaner. I use Sprayway cleaner (I have found it at Walmart on the top shelf). Then you need to spray or paint each piece on the edges and back (try not to get any on the front because it’s hard to get off) with mirror edge sealant. Don’t miss any spots or it makes this whole process pointless. You will need a well ventilated area. I lay all my pieces face down on paper outside because whoa, it has a smell! Then I spray with CLR mirror edge sealant but you can use the paint on kind as well.  Let the pieces dry fully. Now you can take your time with your piece and foil, lead or insert into your project where needed.

Why are there so many curvy lines in a stained glass window pattern?

The goal in pattern making is not only to make a pretty pattern but to make a strong one that can stand up to the rigors of flipping, framing and hanging.

Curved lines are stronger than straight lines. Glass wants to break straight so when you make it curve it makes the piece stronger. When you make a straight line all the way across the piece, it creates a weak spot. Some of these are necessary (i.e. horizon line) but I try to keep them to a minimum. If you want a lot of straight lines, like a double boarder, stagger your cut lines so that none of them go all the way across. Even putting one piece across a straight line can make the piece much stronger, but multiple pieces make it like there wasn’t even a straight line.

If your design requires multiple straight lines a great way to add strength is to add strong line in between your pieces so that it is perpendicular to the straight line. This will reduce the risk of folding on the straight line. 

I would be happy to help if you have questions designing stained glass patterns. 

My Favorite Stained Glass!

There are so many great stained glass manufacturers. They each have their own styles and evoke such diverse feelings in me when I look at their sheets of glass. I decided, I have to have a sheet of everything from every manufacturer to choose from when I do a project. I can’t miss anything! So started my stained glass collection. The problem started when I realized I now needed at least 2 sheets of everything because each one was a little different, how do you choose? Then…I found out that the manufactures let their glass makers have fun and make whatever they want from time to time. Amazing one-of-a-kind stained glass sheet glass. It was then I realized that I truly was a full blown addict.  

Over the years I found that I did have to have some specific staple sheets of glass. I could have 100 other sheets but if I didn’t have these I was “out of glass”. I wanted to share my must-haves with you. (I put them in alphabetical order because I don’t have a number one.)

Armstrong – 0124SR – Amber, Clear, White Iridescent -- This is the best glass for seashells ever!

Bullseye – 3126-30 – Cranberry Pink, Royal Blue and Spring Green – This glass is stunning. It looks like a Monet watercolor.

Desag – GNA – This texture comes in many colors. It has a pure color and a clarity that few have. It has slight lines that reminds me of old window glass. It’s wonderful for cabinet windows. Plus it cuts like butter. (Desag doesn't have a website in English that I could find but there are quite a few places that carry them.)

 

Kokomo – 142LL – There are different densities to this glass and I love all the variations. I especially like to use this glass to make a stream. Dense for the back, translucent in the front.

Pilkington – Everglade – They have the most unique clear textures. (They are a global company with an extensive website to see their textures click on the picture of the woman after you click on the link.)

Saint Just – Flashed glass – This glass is hand blown then rolled flat with the color only on one side. It makes sandblasting incredible. Once you blast the color away it leaves another color. Not only is it made on clear but you can get colors like blue on yellow. So cool! (The link is a YouTube video on how the make their glass.)

Spectrum – 602383CC – Aqua lime and clear – Pearl Opal Collection - This glass has a unique glow that is amazing for seawater.

Uroboros – 65-95 – I use this everywhere. Fields of flowers, sunsets and lamps. Some people are scared of its texture but cut it on the back and it cuts great.

Wissmach – English Muffle- Ok, I know this isn’t one color but this texture is integral for making traditional panels.

Youghiogheny – Neodymium SP-Stipple Art Glass Collection- Pale Blue that changes to pink under incandescent light or natural light. It looks like ice and it changes colors, enough said! They also own Oceana glass which is hand cast mottles in the Tiffany tradition a must for lamps.

Thank you to all the stained glass manufactures out there. You make amazing art so I can make mine.

What’s your must-have glass?

How to simplify a stained glass pattern.

As a stained glass artist we are always growing and trying new things. As such, we should not be afraid to try a new pattern and a new level of difficulty. What if you just want to make a certain pattern but it seems beyond your ability? Or you bought a pattern that ended up being more than you intended to do? Here are some techniques that will help you to make that pattern more to your liking.

Take out some break lines and blend pieces together. Less detail will simplify a pattern without losing its overall appearance. For example, do the windows really need individual panes? Can you just split it in two? Can it be one full piece?

 

Straighten some of the break lines. Curvy lines added movement and strength but it also adds complication. Straighten the lines to make them more manageable for your ability or preference. 

Add more break lines. More pieces is not always a bad thing. Some additional lines can make a piece easier to cut. Some patterns have large background pieces that leave some very difficult inside curves or many cuts to match up on one piece split it into 2 or more pieces may make it easier be able to use smaller pieces of glass.

Make your pattern a freeform. Taking off the background can, of course, make your pattern simplified and use less stained glass supplies. It can also create a completely new feel that you might like better.

But remember to always push yourself to try something new. Look back at how far you’ve grown and how much satisfaction you get perfecting your craft.

Are you having trouble with your stained glass not break right?

Are you having trouble with your stained glass not break right? There are many things that go into a good score line; the pressure, your technique, glass cutter and type of glass.

When you score, the line is creating a vent crack of micro fractures in the glass surface. As the wheel tip wedges the crack open, the wheel pushes on alternate sides of the crack making a score line. The most common mistake after a score line doesn’t break the way you want is to press to harder (just force it to go the right way). When you press too hard you create more lateral fractures and chipping in the surface, so when you break your score line it may choose one of those other fracture lines that you did not intend it to make. Just remember that you are not trying to cut through the glass with your cutter but trying to guide the glass in the way you want it to break.

(Scoring too hard)

(Comparing too hard vs. normal scoring)

When scoring, try and stay as perpendicular to the glass a physically possible. If you score at an angle your glass will break at an angle. Staying perpendicular will give you less to grind and less unintentional breakage. When I cut, I try and use my body instead of moving only my hand.  I move my hips and shoulders, which helps me stay perpendicular to the glass especially when I’m going around curves. Also, pay attention to where you are on the table. Make it easy for yourself, move your pattern around to make each piece the most reachable for cutting.

Spend the money and get a carbide wheeled cutter, you’ll save money on glass breakage and your sanity. Steel gets dull fast and your line won’t be as precise. If you find yourself still pressing too hard try using a pistol grip cutter. The pistol grip’s shape will make it tougher to press too hard and make you use a more uniform pressure. I also use my right index finger (I’m left-handed) to guide my cutter along the path I need. Cutting oil is a must but not for the reason you might think. Cutting oil gives you a better score line by helping your cutter wheel not age and get dull as quickly. Plus it helps the wheel not bind in the head so you get a nice push of the cutter (would you use you sewing machine without oil?). I don’t fill the handle of my cutter it usually dispenses too much oil per cut.  I use a little cup with a sponge on a container with a little oil and I run my cutter over it periodically.

Stained glass is not only different from each manufacturer but is also different from each color and texture within each company. Glass made a long time ago is hard to cut but not because it’s old but because the techniques used to make it were less reliable and more flawed. We are spoiled by all the wonderful glass manufacturers making glass today. If you are a new to stained glass try cutting new glass don’t try taking old glass from windows and making things, you will be very frustrated.

In conclusion, use the right amount of pressure, keep your hand straight, use a good cutter and good glass. Keep in mind that even doing all these things, glass will still break the wrong way. Even the best stained glass artists have around 20% scrap. If doing this was easy, everyone would do it. But, when you see all your hard work in your finished stained glass piece you’ll know that it was worth it and know that you are one of the few that can do it. :)

How to use Dichroic in your Stained Glass Patterns

I feel that dichroic is a very underutilized glass in the stained glass world. It comes in a wondrous variety of colors and textures.  Those of us that have been doing fused glass and bead making have been using it for some time but did you know that you can use it in everyday patterns as well?

“But Sonya, dichro is too expensive to use in large amounts!” I say, you don’t have to use it in large amounts (although I have seen amazing pieces in all dichro). Use it in your patterns sparingly and strategically. How about using it the light in the lighthouse. What about flower centers. Or even use it as an abstract focal point.

 

The amazing thing about dichroic is its unique ability to change extreme colors based on the lighting. Dichro on clear with no texture can be two completely different colors from day to night. Clear Dichro will change colors based on the amount of light transmitted (backlit) through the glass and the light reflected off of it. What was yellow in the daylight will be blue with no transmitted light. Dichro on clear with texture can show you all those colors at once plus be drastically different in low light. Dichro has a third option that other glass doesn’t have, patterns. From lava to lightning bolts there is a dichro out there for all of your imaginings.

So you’re done cutting out your pieces for your stained glass pattern what do you do with the scrap dichro? You can still use it to fuse and/or mosaic with the leftover pieces. If you are plan to fuse with it later, make sure you watch your COE when picking out colors.

Stained Glass Can Go Anywhere

Have you ever run out of window space for stained glass or not have an idyllic location to hang the piece to get sunlight? Try hanging your stained glass piece on the wall. The process of putting glass on the wall is the same as window panels and it can be quite fun to look at glass with a new perspective.

I walk through my house and think of all the places I want glass to be (which is everywhere). I have an outside wall by the patio that is just screaming for something interesting. I like putting a set of small framed pieces together on a wall in the bathroom.  Stained glass is more water resistant than framed pictures. My new house doesn’t have a transom above the door but there is a space for one. This will be a perfect place for a wall mounted stained glass piece.

Small or large, any stained glass pattern can be wall worthy. When I choose glass for my pattern I put it against the wall and see how I like it. Try looking at it with light shining on it as well as putting the glass in indirect light so you can get a feel for what it will look like. Iridized and dichroic glass is a wonderful option to give you a shimmer that will change all throughout the day. Heavy textured glass can be really amazing on the wall too. It can bring the color forward and have more depth, like thick oil paint. Colored mirror can be another great thought. Spectrum has a great selection of textured mirror in many colors and Desag has some beautiful GNA (German New Antique) textured colored mirror.

Finally, I’m always on the lookout for nice heavy duty frames. You can just stay with the original zinc frame but a wood frame will give you a more finished look for a wall. Whether you find frames at yard sales or Michaels, you can use anything from small silver frames to large wood ones. Make sure your stained glass pattern fits within the frame with the normal zinc frame included for strength. Then, solder the metal teeth hangers, which you would normally put on the wood frame, to the zinc (again for strength). Then caulk the zinc framed piece inside the decorative frame you chose. Once dry it will be very secure and you can hang it on the wall with a few nails. I wouldn’t use the wire version to hang the stained glass because it will be quite a bit of weight to hang from one point. It may not fail but who wants to risk it after all that work.

Send me some pictures of your unusual stained glass places.

How do I use all of my small pieces of stained glass?

We all want to save money or we are so in love with our stained glass we want to use all of it. Mosaics are not the only ways to use your small pieces. There are other options that allow you to still use them for stained glass.

First, you can start with the pattern you choose. Big pattern pieces create big scrap. A tiffany style pattern with many small pieces will end up with less scrap because you can use a lot of your smaller scrap pieces to begin with. This style of window or lamp can be daunting to look at but you can, many times, interchange the glass so that you can use little bits of different colored scrap. For example, this cherry tree doesn’t have to have only one kind of white and only use it where the pattern suggests. You can add different shades of white, ivory and even brown to use up some of your scrap. Which will give you more realistic tree because you see all of those colors in real life.

Second, you can find a pattern that has multiple colors already and adapt it further. This Mount Rainier pattern is great for adding arbitrary colors. You can either fill the pattern entirely with random colors or just a few pieces of random color. Here I’ve changed the pattern and added just a few haphazard colors on the top mountain. The bottom reflection is unchanged so that you can see the difference and I think it still looks amazing.

Another way to adapt a pattern is to make more pieces from a larger piece. A butterfly pattern can be cut to fit all your random small pieces and colors. Lay your pieces out and draw lines where this and that unplanned shape will fit. This creates a patchwork effect that can be really fun. The way to make this still look right is to not make every piece a different color. You can see here that I used balance by making the outer border only black and brown (use can use any colors) but I didn’t use those colors on the inside. Then I made sure to use the same color on each side of the wings somewhere to add extra balance. This makes it feel intentional and not just messy. This technique will take a little planning but is a great way to use up all of your scrap and is very impressive when you’re done.

These are window panels that you can make in stages as you have extra scrap. If you are selling them don’t discount them remember how much time and forethought goes into this technique. And you are saving your scrap from a trash fate.

Small pieces are more time consuming but not necessarily harder. The work and thought you put into a piece will show through. And remember when you’ve finished a new stained glass window you get a sense of accomplishment that nothing else can compare.