Brief History of Stained Glass Art

Stained glass art dates back over a thousand years, emerging prominently in the medieval period when artisans began crafting colorful windows for Gothic cathedrals across Europe. Its origins can be traced to early Christian churches of the 4th and 5th centuries, where small pieces of colored glass were set in stone frameworks. By the 12th century, advancements allowed artisans to paint details onto glass, creating iconic windows in churches like Chartres and Canterbury that depicted biblical scenes for an illiterate population. The art flourished into the Renaissance but declined with the Reformation and Enlightenment, as religious themes waned. A revival in the 19th century, led by artists like William Morris and John La Farge, brought stained glass back to secular and sacred architecture alike, making it a celebrated form that continues to evolve today. 

Needed Equipment for Stained Glass

Thankfully stained glass does not require very much equipment to get a start on creating your masterpiece.

• Glass Cutter
• When picking a glass cutter, you should pick the cutter that is the most comfortable to use for you. While there are differences between the differing models, your comfort is the most important for a solid cut

• Cutting Head
• A cutting head will be included the majority of the time when purchasing a glass cutter, and they do occasionally have to be replaced. You should think about the project that you would like to work on. We sell two styles of cutting heads, one that makes curved cuts much easier, and one that cuts straight better

• Running Pliers
• Running pliers are designed in such a way that pressure is applied evenly to both sides of your score line. Many are designed with a sight on the top side of the pliers to line up with your score line. Please remember to orient them properly, with the concave side on top of the glass; the side that was scored

• Grozers
• Grozers, sometimes referred to as breakers, are meant for cleaning up an edge if the cut did not come out cleanly. Typically they are designed with a flat tooth on top, and a curved tooth on the bottom. They are used by breaking little bits at a time until you have reached where your score should have been

• Soldering Iron
• A soldering iron is the last essential piece of equipment you need to create stained glass art. It is used to melt and apply solder to the fluxed foil of the glass in the seams of your creation
• You may also benefit from a soldering iron stand and sponge

Needed Consumables for Stained Glass Art

A consumable is something that you use that will be used up at some point, whether slowly or quickly. For reference, a common household consumable is a battery. There are a few things that will get "used up" when making stained glass.

• Copper Foil
• Copper foil comes in many different sizes, and even though it may all appear the same, several finishes as well; copper, silver, and black. We utilize 7/32-inch foil for our beginner classes. It is applied to the edge of a piece of glass, with a slight overhang on both the front and the back. It should be tight and flat to the glass, you can use a foil burnisher, your fingers, or even the back of a spoon.

• Flux

• Flux is chemical that used and needed to adhere the solder to your foil, and by extension, your stained glass. It is to be applied along the seams of your art prior to soldering. Flux can be applied using any old paintbrush, although we have found that a glue/flux brush works the best. We at Stained Glass Express highly recommend the Amerway Flux Gel, as it is odorless, and incredibly easy to apply

• Solder
• Soldering your glass is what takes it from glass in a pile, to a piece of art. Solder is metal alloy, typically consisting of lead and tin, although there are available solders with differing amounts of lead, and even a lead free, consisting of tin and copper. It is applied to the seams of your glass as the final step to adhesion.

• Patina
• While not necessary to finishing your art, when you apply patina to your soldering work, not only can it make the art pop, but it can also reveal what kind of foil that you used. The color of the solder can wildly change

Optional Supplies

While not entirely necessary to creating stained glass, here are some ideas for equipment and supplies that might make the work much easier.

• Layup Board
• This is a flat surface to build your art on. While there are companies out there that make stained glass layup boards, we at Stained Glass Express swear by ceiling tiles for our work surfaces
• Push Pins
• Push pins will easily be inserted into your ceiling tile to keep your stained glass pieces from moving on you while you layout your art, foil your art, or even solder your art! We do recommend aluminum push pins over the plastic style. Your solder will not stick to them, and they will not melt
• Aluminum Foil
• While not outright recommended, using a layer of aluminum foil over your layout board will make cleanup of solder a breeze

If you'd rather...

Sometimes having to pick and choose what tools and supplies you think you want can be overwhelming, that's why we sell kits that contain everything you need to get started, with the exception of glass. We offer two different kits, one with a grinder, and one without.

Fun Project Ideas

If you're interested in starting a first project without something specific in mind, THAT'S OK! There are tons of resources online for finding patterns to use, whether it be a gothic style window or a cartoon character. We even offer our own page of free pattern downloads here. You would have to purchase your glass separately in that case. We do also carry what we call Inspiration Kits, and bevel kits. These are kits that contain all of the glass, and most of the supplies, as well as a pattern. Below are some photos and links to good beginner level kits

Stained Glass Books 

 Are you interested in a book of patterns to use, or a chapter on walking you through how to grind out your pieces, there is a book for you!

Stained Glass Classes and Open Classroom Use 

 We at Stained Glass Express have developed a classroom space for the greater community to familiarize themselves with the craft. If you are interested in utilizing this space, it only costs $10 a day, and will get you use of the classroom equipment. We also have the Guild, which is a monthly membership program for open classroom use. We also offer classes in stained glass. Typically, we run two five-week programs at a time, one in the afternoon run by Wanda, and an evening class with Red. In these classes you'll learn the techniques needed to create a stained glass bird, as well as the opportunity to at least start an additional project. We also offer a program call All Glass Workshop. All Glass is a wonderful opportunity for you to work on your projects with additional guidance from our teachers if you request it. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 In reference to stained glass, does the COE(coefficient of expansion) matter?

In regard to creating stained glass art, the COE of your glass does not matter

I really don't want to use lead, is there an alternative? 

You do have several options in that case. We do carry Amerway Tourmaline, which is a lead-free solder

Why is my glass not breaking on my score line?

Our stained glass teachers are firm believers that you do not need much pressure, but consistent pressure for your score line. It is something that you will sooner or later be able to feel

Why is my solder not adhering to my foil?

Solder needs flux to be able to adhere to your creation

Why is my solder is not flowing smoothly or is chunky?

Your iron temperature is too low, if you do not have any temperature adjustment features on your iron, you may benefit from a Temperature Controller