How It's Made

Design

The first step is to design your stained glass item. You can find patterns on the internet or in books, and it is advisable to start with patterns made by someone else, until you understand how glass behaves.

Difficulty increases with:

the size of the finished item (bigger= more difficult)
the size of the individual glass pieces (smaller = more difficult)
the shape of the individual glass pieces (inward/concave curves are tricky, and concave angles are near impossible without a glass saw)
hinge points. A hinge point is when 2 pieces of glass are assembled together, but no other piece touches that assembly line. This creates weakness in the design, and is likely to result in breakage, if not properly reinforced.

My preferred method of putting my design onto glass is to draw my idea, determine where the different colours should go, and draw the individual segments based on this and on general shapes.

Once my design is drawn, I number every individual segment on paper, and make a copy. I use one drawing as reference and I cut the other to stick the shapes on the glass, as a template to get each piece right. I cut the paper with special scissors that remove a thin line between segments, to allow for the thickness of the materials used in assembly. The pieces of paper go on the glass with double-sided tape after I choose my glass.

There are other methods, that's just what I find works best for me. :)

Select Glass

Not all glass is created equal.

I've tried a few different sources for my glass, and a reputable supplier is essential. Sure, you will find cheaper glass on some big retail websites... It's likely to be smaller than you expected, uneven in thickness, not a smooth finish, and generally lower quality.

I like to order from Pangur Glass, as they are located in Ireland, which reduces shipping costs. They have a reasonable selection of good quality glass from reputable manufacturers, they ship fast and secure the glass very carefully.

There are many varieties of glass, with texture, colour and transparency being the main aspects I look out for. It is fascinating to browse all the options, and difficult to restrain oneself from buying everything!

I prefer glass that has unique qualities, such as crackle, ice crystal or raindrop textures, or opals and wispies, that mix colours and opacity in one sheet of glass. I like to use the patterns in the glass as part of my design.

I place my pattern pieces on the bit of glass I selected, always keeping in mind that once I start a cut, it'll go to the end of the glass. Placing the pattern pieces can be tricky, especially when trying not to create waste!

Cut

Once you have selected your design and glass, it's time to cut!

First step is to use a glass cutter, which is in fact badly named, because it does not cut the glass, it scores it. It's a pencil-shaped tool with a tiny little wheel that creates a small groove in the glass when applied with the right pressure. Cutting oil is used to make the wheel glide on the glass smoothly.

If the rest of the steps go well, the score is where the glass will separate. It needs to be continuous and without angles. Curves are fine but make the job more difficult.

To get the glass to actually cut along the score, I use either a tapping method or a selection of specialised pliers. The tapping is done with the other end of the cutting tool, which has a solid metal ball. I tap that gently on the opposite side that I scored, and it weakens the glass, which is sometimes enough to make it separate along the score. This tends to work well for fully translucent glass.

If the tapping method is not suitable for the glass I work with 3 pliers:

running pliers: these have one flat side and one curved side, which separate the glass when applying pressure along the score.
grozing pliers: these also have a flat side and a curved side, but the curve is in the other direction from running pliers. These are used to snip little bits of glass that remain on the cut part and are too small for pressure from running pliers to work.
Silberschnitt pliers: these are technically running pliers, but they are super special. The plier ends have rubber parts, and the top one swivels, so you can orient the pliers with a lot more flexibility than regular running pliers. A game changer for cutting curves!

Do I get cuts to my hands when cutting glass? That does happen occasionally. It helps to pay attention, and you get better with practice. :)

Grind

Once my glass pieces are cut as close to the pattern as possible, it's time to grind!

A good quality grinder makes all the difference, but I managed with the cheapest one I could find for the first year or so. Grinders typically have a rotating bit on top of a plastic grid, and a water reservoir that cools the glass and prevents glass dust from going everywhere.

Grinding is time consuming, and because of the water, fingers get pruny after a while. I tried wearing latex disposable gloves, but I lose precision and agility with them, and sometimes they get caught by the grinder and get holes in them. I never got hurt, with or without gloves, but many a manicure gets destroyed. XD

Even though the water prevents glass dust from dissipating in the air, it creates a wet paste that tends to get splattered around the place. It's safer to wear eye protection and a respiratory mask, and set up a shield around the work surface to avoid having to clean too much.

The water also goes on the paper pattern, so I have a couple of minutes to get the right shape before the paper dissolves and the tape falls off.

I place each piece on the reference pattern to keep track of where they go within the design.

Some of that glass dust + water residue also stays on the glass, and needs to be cleaned and dried before the next step.

Foil

Are all my glass bits in the right shape? Do they fit together? Are the edges of the design level?

If not, more grinding may be required.

If it is, I then use a copper sticky tape to foil each piece. It's a thin bit of copper that goes around each glass piece, and covers the edge and folds over a tiny bit of the front and back.

The purpose of the foil is to get the solder to adhere and form a solid bond between pieces of glass. It needs to be applied evenly and pressed on firmly in order to obtain a good, solid finished product. This is done with a fid, which can be wood or plastic, and is a shaped, flattened tool with a bit of flexibility.

Some people like to use a foiling tool, which has little guide wheels to apply the foil, but I find my fingers do the job fine. It just takes patience and precision.

Once the foil is on a glass piece, I place it back on my reference pattern and check that they still all fit snugly.

Solder

All foiled? Time to assemble!

While my soldering iron heats up, I pin the foiled glass pieces in position on a piece of cork, to prevent them from shifting and getting stuck wrong. Then I apply flux with a paintbrush; that's a type of grease that helps solder flow properly.

Stained glass solder is typically 60% tin and 40% lead, as this is the easiest to work with. It also exists in various proportions for different melting points, and you can find lead-free solder. The lead component is not toxic when touched, but I wouldn't recommend licking it or rubbing it on your skin either. Lead-free solder is used for jewelry items for this reason.

Solder should be applied in a thick line, called a bead, as it should be curved. This improves solidity as well as esthetics. I try to make my solder lines as smooth as possible to give a nice, shiny finish. If an item is not meant to be displayed on both sides, I might spend less time fussing about the back.

It takes quite a bit of solder to complete a stained glass project, and the end result is heavy.

I quite like using supports like metal rings or frames to complete the design and add robustness. If using metal elements, I solder them to the piece too.

Patina

This is an optional step. The finish of the solder looks silver, and patina can be applied to change that to black or copper. Patina is a liquid chemical that corrodes the solder in a specific way, to result in a different colour.

I quite like the silver finish, but on some creations, black or copper looks better. I make a judgement call based on the colour of the glass, the contrast I want between glass and solder, and the overall esthetic.

Add Display Finish

Whether patina is used or not, the stained glass piece needs to be cleaned and polished. The flux is difficult to clean off, and a flux remover liquid is very helpful to remove those greasy fingerprints from the glass.

Polishing with wax or a finishing polish prevents the solder from tarnishing over time, and gives it an extra bit of shine.

In addition to cleaning and polishing, I may add a chain to hang the piece from, or a wooden stand, or place the stained glass panel within an object like a lantern or a box. That does add difficulty to fit precisely, but I do love the effect, and also the practicality of the finished product.