Blog / Category_Misc.

This is the 2022 1^st place winter in the CBS Dichroic by Design Contest

The artist is Jackie MacDonald of New Zealand

This piece is called “Memories of Christchurch.

2022 Winners | Dichroic Glass Manufacturer | Coatings by Sandberg (cbs-dichroic.com)

Below is a link to an amazing display of her work along with Stephen Coote:

(64) JackieMac Art, Nelson New Zealand - YouTube

SO MANY PLIERS! When customers are new to stained glass, it can be overwhelming figuring out which tools to buy. As if choosing a soldering iron wasn't complicated enough, something that seems as simple as pliers ought to be easy, right? Maybe not! There are several tools that are used for breaking glass along a score. We suggest beginners start with a combo breaker/grozer. It is like two pliers in one. You can use the pliers to break the glass on the score line. Position the edge of the plier parallel to the score line with the curved jaw on the bottom. Holding the glass on the other side of the score with your hand, snap up/pull the piece apart. (Use a pair of grozing pliers on each side to break narrow pieces.) Once you've cut a piece, small bits that stuck to the score can be "chewed" off with the tips of the pliers. Just nibble those little bits right off to reduce the amount of grinding in your future. Then we suggest a runner. The jaws of a runner are slightly curved to create a fulcrum. There is a line on the tip of plier that you'll lay over the score line. Some runners have an adjustable screw to control pressure; the screw should be on the top side of the pliers (screw points up so you don't screw up!) Squeeze gently to start; you'll feel the score "running" away from you along the cut. The rubber tips eventually get torn up by the sharp glass and it really does make a difference in the pliers' performance. Get reasonably priced replacements here. There are other variations of running pliers that run the gamut of cost and function. The Silberschnitt pictured on the right is a high-end plier designed to be very exact and can break up to 5mm of glass. They can help with inner curves and small glass strips. Some people really like a plain breaker. These pliers have a smooth jaw for snapping the glass apart. They often have a wider jaw than a grozer. What are your go-to tools for breaking glass along a score? Which tool did you wish you had as a beginner?

Temperature controllers are generally separate units that the iron plugs into. They are small, easy to use and relatively inexpensive.

It operates similar to a light dimmer switch. By dialing the control to a higher or lower setting, more or less electricity is fed to the iron. This increases or decreases the iron temperature, allowing the tip temperature to be controlled.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/Glass-Tools/Soldering-Irons-and-Accessories/soldering-iron-temperature-controller.html

Ceramic Heating Element Irons

A temperature control/iron combination offers you greater control and flexibility than a temperature controlled tip iron when working with different metals and solder mixes. Look for one that is at least 80 watts. Since the flow of electricity to the tip is consistent and never completely stops, encounters with cold spots are nearly eliminated.

Hakko Soldering Iron FX 601 (stainedglassexpress.com)

These irons are relatively new to the stained glass trade. They are made with highly efficient ceramic heating elements. Like a ceramic room heater, they produce a consistent temperature using less electrical wattage during operation. When initially heating and when reheating during "recovery" periods, they can draw a "burst" of power exceeding100 watts and then efficiently reduce electrical consumption, often below 60 watts, during the soldering process. The result is efficiency and economy.

A remarkable feature of ceramic heater irons is they generally reach operating temperature in less than 60 seconds. Of the three types of irons, the ceramic heater type best maintains consistent tip temperature.

Irons with Temperature Controlled Tips

These irons are supplied with an internal regulator in the tip that does not allow the iron to exceed a predetermined temperature. An example would be a 600°F tip. The iron heats to that temperature then "shuts off." When heat is required, the iron "turns on" again. Tips are available in predetermined temperatures up to 800°F. These irons are easy for beginners to use because the temperature is automatically maintained for you, however, as your skills increase, you may prefer to control the amount of heat yourself for different soldering situations. The limited amount of control may become frustrating as your soldering skills increase. With this type of iron you will likely encounter "cold spots" where the iron will not melt your solder. These cold spots occur when heat is being drawn out of the tip faster than it is being replenished. You will need an iron with a minimum of 100 watts.

The Weller 100 is one of these irons.

Stainless Steel Heater Technology

These are nice stable irons. Best to use them with a separate controller. The biggest advantage is if you drop this iron it does not have a ceramic element that is very easily going to break. These are little workhorses.

Weller SPG80 Soldering Iron (stainedglassexpress.com)

100 Watt Pro Soldering Iron (stainedglassexpress.com)

RESTORATION

Glass has clearly (pun intended) evolved all through the centuries. Here is a bit of a timeline.

In the 1700's window glass was mouth blown and spun into a disk. It was small and distorted. I think it is quite beautiful. Even when it was big enough to cut with straight edges, it was very distorted.

In the 1800's the process evolved to a mechanically blown cylinder machine. Sheets were larger and the quality was better. Because the sheets were bigger you are now seeing a more traditional window glass. They were large enough to cut square or into a rectangle.

In the 1900's the invention of the Fourcault machine allowed for vertically drawn glass. This was the end of the imperfections except for vertical drawn lines. The end of the waves and the end of the seeds and bubbles.

Even though the quality of glass improved there is often a desire to replace what was there. To keep it looking the same. Glass is available to reproduce each century of glass.

COLONIAL

A glass called colonial is a glass with slight distortion and occasional seeds are present. The thickness varies a bit. It is very much like the 1800's glass. Just imagine trying to copy a procedure where the manufacturing was trying to make it perfect but were not being totally successful.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/saint-just-clear-colonial-restoration-glass.html

GNA RESTOVER+

This is a more affordable alternative to colonial. However, it is not a close replication of the 1800. Not for a restoration roject where historical integrity is important.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/clear-gna-restoration-glass.html

This glass is beautiful. It has fine lines through. Really not a great piece for restoration but totally a step up from window glass. It has a classic timeless look.

I think I have not researched an issue and come up with less concise data ever. Here are some things I did find.

FUSING

The causes of concern when fusing are lead and cadmium. Cadmium when combined with sulfur forms Cadmium Sulfide and results in deep yellow color. If mixed with Selenium and Sulfur, it gives you bright red and orange. Adding Titanium produces yellowish-brown glass. https://www.bullseyeglass.com/is-bullseye-glass-food-safe.html At this link you can find the list of Bullseye glass that contain more than 1% lead and more than .5% of cadmium. They recommend this list be capped with clear. They also said that transparent glass leaches lead/cadmium at levels below FDA limits and less than opalescent lead/cadmium-bearing glass. So, you can decide not to cap transparent glass. I also found from Randy Wardell in his book "Everything Else", this: The official answer from the glass manufacturers is, all tested compatible glasses have been tested by the FDA for food bearing surfaces and were determined to be suitable. However, if you add other processes or compounds to the items, for example paint, stains, decals, glazes, etc. it is important to check that these items are also approved for food bearing surfaces.

• Glassline pens are lead free and food safe.
• Mika powder must be capped.
• Iridized glass needs to be capped. Bullseye irid is safe if full fused.
• By spraying a coating of Fuse Master Super Spray on top - food safe.

The bottom line seems to be, if you have any concerns top the piece with a sheet of clear when fusing.

FLAMEWORKING

Clear Boro (COE 33) is food safe. Think Pyrex. Boro colors with high metal content or fuming are not food safe. Boro is food safe if the colors with high metal contents and fuming are not the surface. The metals can cause issues in microwaves and sometimes older dishwashers that get really hot during the drying cycle. I was not able to find a list of Boro colors with high metal content. However, here is a little info on metal oxides. When glass color is made, the metal oxides are stable and "in solution," anytime you work with the glass, in any manner, you may be breaking open "the solution" and expose the metal oxides. Rods can contain: Iron Oxide, Chromium, Sulfur, Calcium, Manganese, Manganese Dioxide, Cobalt, Arsenic, Potash, copper Oxide, Nickel, Chromium, Tin Oxide, Cadmium, Titanium, Uranium, Didymium, Selenium, Copper, Gold & Silver.

TRADITIONAL STAINED GLASS

In traditional stained-glass work where you solder, there are also concerns. If the product is going to be near food or next to your skin, you should use lead free solder. Or, if you are doing something like a night light for a child's room, use lead free solder. Lead toxins can be absorbed through the skin.

This artist was born in Milan. This is a self-trained artist, influenced by the bead makers in Venice. Her work is a page stopper. If you are flipping through a magazine and see her work, you are stopping on that page! Her work shows nature from flowers in full bloom to the drooping last days, if real, those flowers would be out of the vase and into the trash! These pictures are from Lilla Tabasso glass and jewelry facebook page.

On May 7, 2020 Youghiogheny and Oceanside announced a partnership where Oceanside will continue with the Spectrum line and accessory glass and Youghiogheny will take on the manufacturing of the Uroboros line. It is exciting to have the Uroboros line again. With Youghiogheny manufacturing the Uroboros line, we not only will get the glass we will see more options in the accessory glass line. I am taking a leap here, but I believe that this collaboration will bring back the "96" term which Oceanside has not been using. Both companies are saying the System 96 brand will be back. That is exciting news. No question that Y-96, Oceanside and Uro fusible will be compatible.

Here is the official announcemnt.

Our industry is long overdue for an announcement of excitement and positivity, so we are pleased to be the bearer of good news. Youghiogheny Glass, together with Oceanside Glasstile, is announcing the acquisition and launch of Uro by Yough, a resurrection of the Uroboros line of both traditional art glass and 96 compatible fusible glass. The machines and all of the equipment have arrived at our Connellsville factory, and we are just about ready to start production. We would like to thank Oceanside Glasstile for approaching us with this opportunity. Their transparency and cooperation throughout the entire process has resulted in a second thrilling announcement; a collaborative resurrection of the System 96 brand of fusible glass and products including Oceanside Compatible, Uro by Yough, and Y96!! So what this means is that Youghiogheny Glass will produce URO by Yough and will collaborate with OGT to resurrect the System 96 brand. The new agreement will allow for the most comprehensive product selection of hand rolled art glass And a complete line of System 96 compatible fusing glasses and accessories. The last 5 years have been tumultuous. Our passion for glass and the industry drove us to fill product voids created from the upheaval and expand Youghiogheny's palette. We viewed this time as an opportunity for growth and expansion into the 96 fusible market with our Y96 product line, even though the future seemed uncertain. In less than a year from the release of Y96, we unveiled the True Dichro line of Art Glass. This had been a 10 year experiment and an outstanding breakthrough in art glass manufacturing science. This was quickly followed by a line of Textured Streaky Art Glass and then Art Glass Irids. Finally, we expanded color options in Y96, more than doubling the original offerings. At the end of 2019, we thought we had done it all. However, opportunity arose once again when we were approached by Oceanside GlassTile regarding Uroboros production and System 96. Youghiogheny has a long history of producing high quality, handmade sheet glass and is the ideal landing spot for the products previously produced by Uroboros. Our niche and strengths are the perfect complement to OGT’s continuous ribbon and accessory products in order to expand the System 96 palette. The name Uroboros Glass carries a heavy weight with us. The brand and legacy created by Eric Lovell is of the highest quality and held in the highest regard. We consider it an honor and great challenge to properly reintroduce Uro, by Yough. An undertaking of this magnitude for our company will be a challenge, one of excitement and optimism. This is an area where we ask for your help. Any insight that you can provide us with from your previous years of experience with the Uro line of glasses will be helpful. The expansive line of art glass, with the many combinations of colors and textures, has many products that are very similar or identical to items currently produced within our existing product lines. Uro by Yough is striving to recreate the most sought after products previously manufactured without creating duplicates of what is currently available. With your valuable input we will be able to determine a production starting point more quickly. We thank you for your continued support and loyalty and look forward to providing you with even more excellent products. Stay Well, Tristan and Leanne Triggs

• In January, the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the United States.
• The Trump administration declared a public health emergency on January 31.
• In February, the first deaths were recorded.
• On March 11^th, the World Health Organization declared the Novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, a pandemic.
• On March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency.
• By the end of March all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all inhabited U.S. territories except American Samoa had cases.
• On May 27, the U.S. had the most confirmed active cases and deaths in the world.

OUR LIVES

• States are under, “Stay at Home”, “Shelter in Place”, “Safer at Home” orders that encourage people to stay at home as much as possible.
• We went from elbow bumps to six feet social distancing.
• We wear masks, wash our hands over and over and sanitize everything in sight and out of sight.
• Schools closed, people work from home, non-essential businesses closed, and we sent our employees home.
• Conferences that have been held for years have been cancelled.
• No need to travel, no place to go. Everything is closed.
• The sick perish without loved ones at their side. Quarantined until the end.
• We Zoom meetings and FaceTime with our grandchildren and other loved ones.

LOOKING FORWARD

• Some business are closed and will never reopen.
• Some business are open but operate very differently.
• Still a question if children will return to school in the fall.
• Most will live, some will pass away, many will live with lasting effects of the illness.
• Be optimistic and look forward to what normal will become.

Stained Glass Express always took pride in never being out of stock on any glass. We would have AT LEAST one sheet cut up and out on the retail floor ready for you to carry out. Then we had another full sheet in the warehouse. As soon as the full sheet in the warehouse went to the retail floor, we ordered another.

It is not that simple any longer. Since Spectrum (announced May 11, 2016) and Uroboros (announced October 2016) closed, not only has some glass been scarce or not available at all, the dynamics of buying glass is different. Both companies' assets were sold to Oceanside glass and Tile.

Oceanside certainly has had their challenges. They moved the assets, they built buildings, they trained workers. As the distributor's warehouses emptied of their stock of Spectrum and Uroboros, we felt the need to find glass. It was a year from the time Spectrum announced closing that we knew that Oceanside would begin production. In the mean time, this is what we did:

1. We sell a lot of cabinet glass and most of it to one customer. We bought 1 year's supply hoping the dust would settle by then and we would not be cutting and putting together hundreds of new sample sets for this customer. We called it right on that one! We made it through the year and we are still using the same sample sets. Below is our top selling cabinet glass. Clear Seedy.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/spectrum-clear-seedy-glass.html

2. We brought in two new lines of fusible glass. First, we brought in Wissmach's 96 line. That meant rearranging some display area to make room for a new line of glass. We still had a lot of the old System 96, but as we ran out of some colors, we needed to be ready. Then we brought in Youghiogheny 96. We later became the Northeast distributor for Youghiogheny and increased that line.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/Fusible-Glass/96-COE/Wissmach-96-COE-Glass/

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/Fusible-Glass/96-COE/Youghiogheny-Y-96-Glass/

3. We increased our offering of Bullseye compatible glass. We like to think of this as 90 COE but Bullseye just says Bullseye compatible. We have had more customers switch over to Bullseye to avoid the turmoil and there is no question it is totally beautiful.

https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/Fusible-Glass/90-COE-Glass-and-Frit/90-COE-Glass-Bullseye/

Then Oceanside announced that most of the line that previously was non-fusible would become fusible. Wow! That involved us changing around the entire showroom. Our big wall of non- fusible cubbies would become fusible because that change meant most of our glass would be fusible. What a delight this change is for fusers. Fusers have many more options.

All these changes for Spectrum/Oceanside meant for a rocky supply chain. Clears were manufactured and then they switched to color. Before they went back to clears, they became scarce.

It also meant for a lot of changing around the showroom and trying to keep things so you could find what you wanted. (If we were lucky enough to have it!) Keeping the non-fusible separate from the fusible. For a time, we might have some that looked exactly alike but one was fusible and one was not.

At this point there are colors that are manufactured twice a year. We can only hope that our distributors call it correctly and have enough to get us to the next run. They have not even manufactured all the colors yet!

Iridized glass has all but disappeared. Kokomo's iridizing machine was shut down during the EPA investigations in 2016. It got plugged up when it was turned off and they have not brought it back to running again. Oceanside does not have the ability to iridize yet. Once in awhile we get some Wissmach but it is scarce.

Then we have two new lines. Big investment. Then the Oceanside started being manufactured. We wanted to grab that as it became available. Big decisions about how much to buy. We all have limited resources and even though we might want to spend every dollar on glass (we know you understand THAT), we also have to meet payroll, pay utilities, put paper in the copy machine and all those other things you just hate to think about.

Even planning a sale is different. I now start gathering up enough glass to have it on sale, three months ahead. I might have to buy from three different distributors and I generally try not to buy glass more than twice a month. That means there is extra glass setting here waiting for a sale that is three months out, some waiting for a sale two months out etc. That means less money for routine orders. However, we now know we better buy it when it is available.

We are being diligent to get the glass as it is available. We are trying to keep the website updated with the changes. Somedays when customers don't seem to know there have been shutdowns, we think we should pat ourselves on the back. that means we have kept enough stock so that vast gaps are not obvious to you, the customer. There are other days when we don't know how we are going to run a sunflower class because we don't have enough yellow, that we heave a large sigh. However, we keep searching and make it happen.

Despite all the current difficulties, we are lucky to be in an industry that surrounds us with so much beauty, fun and healing power.

Q: When I fuse my projects, sometimes I get medium to small bubbles. What causes them and how can I prevent them? A: Bubbles can be caused by many different things. First, uneven stacking of glass can result in air trapped between layers. To prevent this from occurring, check the placement of all the glass pieces and insure they are sitting properly on the base. Since the edges of the glass fuse before the center of the glass, cut your base glass 1/8” larger than the top layer to allow air to escape. Second, check the glass prior to fusing. Some glass may already have contained bubbles inside the glass, which may or may not affect the outcome. Q: After I fuse my pendants, I get uneven areas around the edges. What’s happening with the glass? A: You did not fire it long enough or to a high enough temperature for a full fuse. Try firing for a little longer time. Q: Sometimes my glass pieces look like a porcupine with spiky edges. What causes the glass to spike? A: Spiky edges can be caused by over-firing your piece. The spiked edges are caused by the glass grabbing as it is trying to shrink. Q: What caused my layered glass pieces to flatten? A: If the glass piece has flattened out too much, you have over fired the piece. To prevent this from happening, reduce your power and shorten your time. After your first firing, open the microwave and using Fireworks Hot Mitts™; carefully lift the lid to inspect the fuse piece. If the desired results have not been achieved, continue firing in 30 seconds intervals. Q: I tried to make a 1 inch pendant with embellishments, however after I finished fusing, the glass shrunk. How can I prevent this from happening the next time? A: Glass naturally wants to be ¼ inch thick when heated. Your glass will shrink or expand to obtain this depth. A good tip to remember is that if your piece is less than ¼ inch when you start, it will shrink up to reach this depth. If your piece is larger than ¼ inch when you start, it will want to flatten out to reach this depth. Q: What causes two pieces of dichroic or iridized glass to blow apart in the kiln? A: Repelling glass will occur with dichroic and iridized coatings. The coatings can’t be placed together for fusing purposes, because they repel each other. The only way to avoid this is to encase the coated glass with a non-coated glass, such as clear. This will cause the coated glass to be encased and sealed. Q: Yuck, this film appeared on my fused glass. What is it and how can I prevent this from happening? A: This dull white crystalline substance on the surface of your glass is known as devitrification. This is one of the most talked about glass fusing problems around. It can occur when your glass remains in a temperature range 1000ºF-1300ºF too long. You need to minimize the time spent in this temperature range. Gray or Scummy Edges - Gray or scummy edges can occur on pieces that have been fired once and then cold worked before refiring. Cold working involves using either a grinder or glass saw on a piece of glass. These can be avoided by thoroughly cleaning the glass before refiring the piece. Keep a bowl of clean water near your work area and soak the glass right after doing the cold work procedure. This will keep the edges damp and allow the piece to be cleaned easier. Scrub completely and let dry before proceeding with the refiring process. Q: My glass cracked! What happened? A: Cracking glass either during or after firing can be caused by a several things: thermal shock, heating up the glass too fast and compatibility. Thermal shock occurs either by taking the piece out of the kiln too soon, or by opening the kiln and exposing the hot glass to cool air. If the glass cracked in the kiln and it has an “S” shaped crack, the piece has heated too quickly. Slow down! Finally, if the crack occurs along the line where the two pieces of glass meet, then the two touching pieces are not compatible. Make sure the glass you are using have the same COE (coefficient of expansion). Q: How can I prevent my glass from shattering? A: Glass Shattering in pieces over 1” with more than 1 layer may sometimes shatter. To prevent this from occurring, reduce the power. This will allow the glass to heat slower and will be less likely to shatter. Next, make sure your glass is clean and dry before firing. Q: My fusing instructions say to clean my glass before firing, can I use a glass cleaning spray or detergent? A: We don’t recommend it. Detergents, dish soaps, multi-purpose cleaners, some window cleaners, ammonia and even denatured alcohol should NOT be used to clean glass. These can actually promote devitrification. We suggest diluted white vinegar or rinsing your glass with distilled water. Q: Every time I put my fuse glass project together, the pieces roll off before I can get it to the microwave. What can I do to prevent this from happening? A: To hold your fusing project together, mix one drop of glue. Apply a very thin amount on the back of the glass using a brush and allow the glue to dry thoroughly before firing.

So, so true! And mostly it is glass. You just can’t stop. Sometimes it is for a project, sometimes because it is a basic color that you always use, and sometimes it is just because it is too beautiful or unusual to resist. Thank you for that. You keep the industry going! We have a great stock of heads and tails in for our annual Invite Night sale April 6th. They will be available to one and all after the sale.

One thing that I look forward to every year is Pantone announcing their Color of the Year. The color will then be seen in store displays, on fashion runways, all kinds of product designs, interior decorating, social media and I like to relate it to glass. I will be searching far and wide to bring you glass in this amazing color.

So far, I have found a Youghiogheny and it will be a stock number in January 2019. The number is 057 stipple

If you would like to read all about picking the color and about the color, go to www.pantone.com. This is from the site: “Pantone Living Coral emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature. In its glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, the vivifying effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind. Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, Pantone Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color." Past colors of the year: