Blog / Category_Stained Glass

We often see people just standing in front of our foil display looking overwhelmed! Here is a picture of our display just so you can see how overwhelming it is! As you can see, we have three different brands in our store. We just recently switched from Venture Tape to Edco. Venture has been sold twice in the last couple of years and seems to struggle with the consistent great product quality we have always had. We are hoping we will have better luck with Edco. We still have some Venture because Edco did not have a few we wanted. We also stock one Studio Pro in 7/32 black back because it is a good value and we have had good feedback. They do not have a wide variety so that is the only one we have from them. To explain the variety: First is width. We were thrilled that Edco comes as wide as ½”. That is great for people who are putting two pieces of glass together. Other sizes: 5/32, 7/32, 5/16, 3/16, ¼. If you want a very thin solder line you use thinner foil. If you need strength or you like a heavier line, use wider foil. Next is thickness. It is measured in millimeters. It is how thick the foil is. It might be as thin as 1 mil go to 1.25 of 1.5. Venture shows this on the label and by the color of the core the foil is wrapped on. Next is the backing. There is copper, black and silver. This is important depending on the transparency of the glass and if you are using patina. Let’s say you are making a piece in all clear glass and you plan to not patina it. You should use silver backed foil so the solder line is silver looking on the exterior and because you can see into the glass, it will look silver on the inside. If you use copper, it just jumps out and ruins the piece. If you were using clear and going to patina it black, use black backed. If you are going to patina it copper, use can use the regular copper foil that is copper on the outside and the sticky side. There is also a foil that is called silvered. It is silver on the outside and the inside. Often used when doing suncatchers and eliminates the need to solder the outer edge. Then there is new wave which has a scalloped edge. Decorative. Also sheets of copper so that you can cut for overlays or have it wide. It also has a sticky side. Use this link to see our full line of foils. https://www.stainedglassexpress.com/metals/copper_-_silver_foil/

Corella Classic is made by Wissmach Glass. Wissmach glass is the second oldest glass manufacturer that is still in operation. Corella Classic is one of their many lines of cathedral glass. As always, glass is not the easiest to photograph so these don’t particularly show the special characteristics of Corella Classic. Wissmach’s description is “In contrast to the more traditional and defined patterns, with Corella Classic the color flows across the non-directional pattern for that special illumination—A shimmering reflection of light from watery surface of glass. On our website, Corella Classic is mixed in with the other cathedrals of Wissmach. http://www.stainedglassexpress.com/Stained-Art-Glass/Wissmach-Glass-Art-Glass/Wissmach-Glass-Cathedral In the store they are in their own section of the stock glass.

Just look at their thumbs! They are lined with little cuts! Right! So annoying! Comes from pushing little pieces of glass against the grinding wheel. Unlike when we started out in business in 1988, now there is a gadget to solve your every problem. There are lots to solve the cut thumb problem. Above: Thumb Pushers by Inland. Sku 2753tp. Low price and simple and easy to use. Above: Grinder tongs by Morton. Morton is the gadget king of the glass industry. Of course, they would have something. Sku 2779ga04 Above: The most substantial solution is by Glastar. The Griffi Glass Gripper. Sku 2051 Above: The most unusual solution are Finger Gloves. Not really made for this purpose but folks tell us they use them for grinding. Sku fg

The basic thing to remember here is that Lead Came stretches. That really is the base fact in deciding when to use what. Use Foil. 1. Lamp Shades should always be done in foil. All those beautiful Tiffany Studio lamp shades were done with foil. He was the master so just do what he did! If you make a lamp with lead, over time it will collapse unless you reinforce the lead. That just adds to the work and to the weight. 2. Lead is heavy. If weight is an issue, use foil. 3. Items like jewelry boxes should be foiled. It is way easier to deal with the angles with foil. 4. When you have little pieces that will be lost in the lead, use foil. You can even mix. A lead came panel can have a section that is foiled. Most little projects are done with foil. Use Lead. 1. When you are making a project that will be in the weather, use came. Came can be puttied/cemented to make it more weather tight. 2. Geometrical patterns lend themselves nicely to lead came. 3. Really large piece, like Church window are nice with lead came because of the size. The boldness of the came fits the size. To get the bold width with foil would be difficult and probably irregular. Came stays nice and uniform. 4. Even though lead stretches, it takes time. Most Church windows do not need to be releaded for 100 years. When you see that a window is budging at the bottom, you can usually bet that it is old and the lead has expanded and contracted over time and the weight of the glass has been pushing down during this unseen activity. If you used foil on a window that is exposed to weather and weight, you may see stress cracks in the glass.

In addition to there being different types of glass which we talked about in Know Your Glass (part 1) there are also different glass manufacturers. The manufacturers that we stock glass from at Stained Glass Express are: Armstong—Clarity, richness and depth in art glass! It is difficult to know what is going on with Armstrong. They moved their factory to China many years ago and then came back. However, they no longer had a factory. So we heard it was being manufactured by Wissmach and Kokomo. We see no evidence of that and are not sure where it comes from. However, it is totally beautiful. We try to stock 24 different # but are not always successful as the supply is not consistent. Bullseye—Is based on Portland, Oregon. I toured they plant a couple of years ago and it is very impressive. They manufacture “colored glass for art and architecture with worldwide distribution and a strong commitment to research, education and promoting glass art”. They really are leaders in comtemporary kiln-glass. Their colors are rich and beautiful. Kokomo—Kokomo is oldest glass manufacturer. They have been in Kokomo, Indiana for 125 years. They are known worldwide for they hand mixed sheet glass art and colored glass. Even though Tiffany manufactured his own glass he also bought a lot of glass and jewels from Kokomo. Much of Kokomo’s glass was influenced by Mr. Tiffany. One of our favorites. Firebox—We tired our hand at importing. We have 8 beautiful colors that with a great deal of effort we managed to get here. The price is right and the colors are wonderful. Our of the 10 colors we brought in we had the forethought to bring in two reds and one pink. So while reds and pinks prices have really risen, we have some that remains affordable! GNA—GNA stands for German New Antique. Unfortunately the color glass is being eliminated and only the clear will remain. We still have some that is our clearance bin and some mirrored that is in the mirror section. However, when it is gone, it is gone. We will continue to carry the clear. It is very beautiful. Fine lines run through it and nothing cuts better! Spectrum—We stock more spectrum than anything else. We stock stained glass, fusing glass and cabinet glass from Spectrum. It cuts great and they just keep coming out with more and more fun and beautiful products. They give great retailer support. That is where The Score with its info and free patterns come from. I have toured their factory and it is BIG business! Uroboros—I also toured here. I watched each sheet being handmade! They have been in business since 1973. They have a “broad range of beaufiul and indispensable sheet glass styles for discerning glass artists worldwide.” On glass unloading days we live for the uroboros sheets. Each sheet is different and beautiful. Van Gogh—We are not certain if Van Gogh is a manufacturer but it sure is different than anything else. What I have read is that it is a glue chip glass, painted with auto paint. It is unique and beautiful. It is great for Mosaics. Not so great in the light. Wissmach—This is another very old glass manufacturer. They have been manufacturing art glass since 1904. I have toured this plant also. They let us hand pick some glass which they then drop shipped through our distributor. It was a very fun experience. We have a large stock of Wissmach and it is often the pick to match old repairs and church windows. They have also developed a fusible glass with a 90 coe. Youghiogheny—It is just beautiful glass. Each piece is a work of art. It was founded in 1976 and is now “world-renowned for uncompromising quality”. It is another one that we look forward to on glass unloading day. It is always a treat!

So many pliers—so many uses! Your first plier should be a breaker/grozer. Double duty! Their primary function is to grasp the glass securely on one side of a score when breaking it apart. Both jaws have serrated teeth to assist in their second duty, grozing. Second pair you should buy is probably a running plier. This plier is designed to apply pressure under a score causing the break to follow (run) along the score line. Metal ones have the advantage of being adjustable for the thickness of the glass you are working with. Plastic also available. Breakers. These have straight jaws and are designed to grasps the glass to assist in breaking long thin pieces of glass. The wide jaws meet only at the tip and not serrated. The Safety Break. Morton is a very clever company who make very clever tools. One is the safety break system. The small one is a two-part method that begins the start of the break anywhere along the score. It permits several glass breaking options to the user and comes with full instructions. You must have a grid surface to use it. I used this when my children were young and wanted to cut glass. Morton also has the M-80 Safety Break. It is powerful, safe and easy. The M-80 is helpful with textured or rippled glass.

Jewels are made of stained glass pressed into many different shapes. They are convex and can be smooth, but most are multi-faceted. They have a lot of sparkle. They vary in price by color and shape. Sets are available for some of the lamps patterns that are built on molds. Normal sizes go from 18mm to 50mm. Prices range from a dollar something for a small clear to hundreds of dollars for a lamp set. Nuggets are blobs of glass that are also very decorative. They are not as regular shaped as a jewel. They are round but might not be perfectly round. Their size also varies. Generally they are available in three sizes, small, medium and large. However, the smalls might not all be the same size etc. The sizes for small go from 5/16” to 5/8”. Medium go up to 13/16” and large are approx. 1”. They are way more inexpensive than a jewel. Prices range from 4 cents to 30cents approx.. Gems are mostly like the medium size nuggets. They have more interest. They might be iridized, frosted, cats eyed, or swirled. They sell for about 30 cents. Pebbles are mostly like small nuggets but are fusible. They are generally a little over $10 for a ½ lb.

Probably the most important tool decision you make is your glass cutter. There are a lot to choose from. There are two things to consider. What the wheel is made of and which shape is most comfortable for you. The heads will be either steel or carbide. Carbide is more expensive but far outlasts steel. Most of the steel cutters are what people call “ throw aways”. That is because they do not have replacement wheels. When they get dull you just throw them away. The steel wheels come in different sizes and different angles. Some are better for soft glass and others for hard glass. The size and angle determine this. You can purchase a steel wheel cutter (at this writing) for less than $10. The carbide cutters are way more expensive. Some can be in the $40 range. Many are self-lubricating which is very convenient. The most common shapes are pencil and pistol. There is also the saddle and then some more unique ones. There are also specialty cutters. There is the Score 1 Cutter that looks like a sewing machine and scores by running the glass through it. There are circle cutters that cut score with either a single head cutter or with a wheel turret. There are circle cutters specifically for small circles. Some circle cutters double as a strip cutter. There is even one that doubles as an oval cutter. There are also a series of cutter aides put out by Morton and Cutters Mate. These are things like jig systems and tools to help break after you have scored.

The tough economy of 2011 and 2012 caused some glass manufacturing to cease. The GNA (german new antique) factory has now been closed for some time. At first it was thought that it would be retooled and reopened. That has not happened. The distributors are now beginning to run out of some of the numbers and we thinking that 2013 will see most of the numbers run out. This also includes the beautiful mirrored gna that many use in mosaics. We are also going to lose Glue Chip this year. We will continue to be able to get clear but the colored is going to disappear. Again, the distributors have already run out of some numbers so 2013 looks bleak for a continued strong stock. Wasser is also disappearing. This is a less commonly used glass, but some have made beautiful fused jewelry and plates with it. It is a thin 90 coe glass. This one is disappearing very fast. We have already moved this glass out of our "stock" bins and moved it to the clearance bins. We will continue to order as long as it is available but we cannot guarantee the stock. If you use this glass for projects you make over and over, now is the time to stock up. We will replace the gna with some spectrum artique and stock a few more bullseye thins to replace wasser. There is nothing like the colored glue chip so we will have a great time picking so some new glass to go into those empty bins.

As you become more skilled at soldering you may find that the number you have been setting you temperature control on no longer works the same.

Things that affect the temperature are:

1. voltage of your iron

2. speed at which you solder

3. size of area or seam you are soldering

4. cleanliness and overall condition of the tip.

So I am referring to #2. As you get faster, your iron will operate differently.

You temperature controller is similar to a 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.

The numbers on the dial are a reference scale to indicate higher or lower temperature settings.

To begin, adjust the dial to the "50" setting. Wait approximately 15 minutes. If the solder flows quickly into a smooth puddle, your iron is probably operating at the correct temperature. Adjust accordingly. As you become faster, you may have to set the temperature control to a higher number as you are releasing the heat faster.

For more info on "how to solder like a pro" go to the following address.

http://www.inlandcraft.com/howto/pdf/htsold.pdf

Don't you love how your piece looks when it is foiled before it is soldered? That shiny copper foil just sparkles. Why, oh why then, is it so hard to get copper patina to look as good as the copper foil. The simple answer is tarnish! A beautiful patina finish is always about how the metal is prepared and cleaned before you apply the patina. So here are a couple of tricks we use at Stained Glass Express to get that professional look for copper patina. 1. After soldering, clean your piece with patina and flux remover. Then rinse well with tap water. Dry all the solder lines with a paper towel so there is no tap water left on the piece. 2. When the piece is dry, mix a solution of 3 parts distilled water and 1 part ammonia. Scrub the solder lines and joints with fine steel wool (0000) dipped in the ammonia solution. Scrub until all of the solder is a consistent satin finish silver. 3. Dry the piece with a paper towel. It is important at this point not to use tap water because the additives or minerals in the water may react with the patina. 4. Dip a paper towel into the patina and rub it all over the piece to cover the solder lines. The patina should come out very shiny. If there are spots that are not shiney, that means there is still tarnish on the solder in those places. Repeat the process over those spots to correct the problem. 5. Dry the solder lines and the glass with another dry paper towel. Immediately apply polishing compound and follow the manufacturers directions for the product.

To make the heart bottom left, use four 1x1" bevels and 2-2" half circles. You can also make it large by using 4- 1 1/2x 1 1/2 bevels and 2-3" half circles. The large heart in the center is made with 1-1x1" bevel, 4-1x2 bevels, and 2-3" half circles. The heart on the bottom right is made with 1-2x2" bevel and 2-2" half circles. You can also make this one large by using 1-4x4" bevel and 1-4" half circle. Word to the wise. If you use copper foil, be prepared to patina your solder copper. If you don't, the copper from the inside of the tape will show through. If you don't want to use copper patina, use black back foil and patina it black or use silver back foil and leave it silver. A variation of these hearts is to replace the half ciricles with red or pink glass.