Art Glass Ensembles

513 Bolivar Street, Denton, TX 76201  phone 940-591-3002

Your source for fine stained glass windows, panels, doors, cabinet inserts and gifts.

Tips by Christie A. Wood

Safety

A few safety rules:

- Always wear close-toed shoes in a glass studio.  You can cut your toes just as easily as your fingers.

- Handle/move sheets of glass by holding them vertically and with one hand on top and one on the side, if possible.

- If a sheet of glass is going to fall, DON'T try to save it!  DON'T be a hero!  Let it fall and shatter.  You can replace glass.  You can't replace fingers, toes, legs or arms.  Let the glass fall, close your eyes and turn away from the glass as best you can.  Don't panic.

I don't like wearing gloves when working, as I can't feel the glass very well.  But if you find your fingertips cut while grinding, try using the little rubber fingertip protectors used for counting money or in other office environments.

Rubber anti-fatigue mats are great for reducing stress of standing for long periods of time.  I have them at each work station where I stand: cutting table, puttying table, grinding station.

The following tip is from Suzanne Albright:

Safety glasses should be worn while cutting and grinding glass.  Please don't wear contact lenses when soldering as the fumes could permeate your lenses.

I (Christie A. Wood) have the following to add:

Wear safety glasses and a shop apron when soldering lampshades.  Because the shade must be soldered at odd angles and is frequently closer to your face and neck than flat panel soldering, there is a very real possibility that solder may bubble and burst, flinging molten solder into your face, neck, hands, etc.  This advice comes from personal experience.  I received a nice 2nd degree burn on my hand from the Fuscias & Hummingbirds lampshade, but my safety glasses stopped the popping solder from hitting my face and eyes.

Design

Designs for commissions are a collaborative effort.  Plan on revising your initial design at least twice during the course of design phase.  Assure your client that you are there to provide them with a design pleasing to their artistic sensibilities, as well as structurally sound and appropriate for interpretation in stained glass.  If the client is unsure of what they want, it is frequently useful to give them a "scarecrow" initial design: this is a design never intended as the final panel, but one intended to get them thinking about what they do and do not want in their panel.  If they can't quite tell you what it is they want, they can usually tell you what the don't want after looking at the "scarecrow" design.  This, at least, is a start of the collaborative design effort.

Pattern Making

When working with bevel clusters, cut out the background glass first, then tape together the bevel cluster (making sure to leave a little gap between each piece to account for the lead/copper foil) and lay the bevel cluster on top of the background glass.  Trace around the bevel cluster, using a Sharpie or paint pen.  Now cut the background glass to fit the bevel cluster.  Never rely on a pattern sent with the bevel cluster.  Bevel clusters are mostly handmade and may not perfectly match the paper pattern.  Always use the actual bevel cluster for tracing.  If you are working with more than one of the same bevel cluster, don't assume they are identical.  Treat each bevel cluster as an individual.

Glass Selection

If you are serious about your art, you will purchase glass sample packs from each manufacturer.  And you will keep them up to date.  There is no substitution for looking at actual glass samples when it comes time to choose glass for a project.  Whilst websites and designing programs are getting better with scanned images of actual sheets of glass, it is still not as accurate as looking at the real thing.

Select your glass based upon the lighting situation of the final installation.  If you are making a window, be sure to select your glass under similar lighting; i.e. hold the glass sample up to natural light, or, at minimum, on a light box.  Don't select glass when it is laying flat on a table top, unless you are building a mosaic piece.

It is easy to incorporate non-glass items, such as sliced agates, seashells, arrowheads, etc., into your stained glass designs.  Do you basic panel design, then place the special item on top of the printout and trace around it.  Then copper foil the outside edges of the non-glass item as you would a cut glass piece, and solder into place.  Many interesting and unique effects are achieved this way.  To see an example of the use of sliced agates in a stained glass lampshade, go to the Artwork Gallery and take a look at "Geod Lamp."

Cutting

There are many methods for cutting out patterns on glass.  Each method has its pros and cons depending upon glass type, your level of cutting expertise, and difficulty of the pattern.  One of the most popular methods is to cut the pattern out with pattern shears, and then paste the pattern pieces on top of the glass and cutting.  A variation on this is to not glue the pattern onto the glass, but to trace around the pattern piece using a Sharpie or paint pen, and then cutting.  Another method which is restricted to cathedral glass and/or the use of a light box, is to lay the glass directly on top of the pattern, and cut.  Yet another method I personally use for production cabinet insert use, is based entirely upon mathematics, and uses no pattern at all.  Experiment with each method and see what works well for you under what set of circumstances.

Not all glass cuts equally.  In general, cathedral glass is easiest to cut; streaky is ok; opaque is medium; and heavy textured opaque is most difficult.  But this also depends upon the glass manufacturer's recipe.  Easiest cutting glass (in my opinion): GNA (Desag), Spectrum, FNA, clear glass (Pilkington, Vasa) which is not too heavily textured.   Average cutting glass: Armstrong, Wissmach, Uroborus, English Muffle, Gecko, Spectrum Baroque.  More difficult cutting glass: Youghiogheny, Oceania, heavily textured glass such as ripple or drapery glass.  Youghiogheny glass is one of my favorites, but it can be tricky to cut.  If you find it breaking unexpectedly, try lightening up on your scoring.  Heating the glass also helps, though I don't know why.

Grinding

Choose the right bit for grinding according to the task.  There are many grinder bits out on the market besides the standard and 1/4" small bits which come with your grinder.  Speed bits have courser diamonds and remove glass very quickly.  Down side? They can also take out larger chunks if you are not careful.  Standard bits are OK.  There's also a fine bit for grinding extra fine glass, such as mirror or very thin hand-made glass, or anything where you don't want chipping to occur.  There's a beveled bit for doing lamp work.  It creates a slight angle so that pieces fit together better when working on a 3-D surface such as a lampshade.  There are diamond core drilling bits of various sizes which fit into an electric drill.  These are used to drill holes in glass.  Make sure you use water on any grinder work, including drilling holes using these core drilling bits.

Painting on Glass

I like to use either Thompson Enamel's Klyr-Fire medium or Squeegee Oil when mixing my own paint using Thompson Enamel's colored enameled frit.  I find the Klyr-Fire is easier for clean up, but sometimes the oil carries the frit better.  Be sure to allow adequate soak time in the kiln for the enamels to do a full fire.  The ramp times I've found work best with my Paragon Fusion 10 kiln and Thompson Enamels is ramp at 200 degrees per hour up to 1150 degrees, then soak for 10 minutes.  Afterwards the kiln is turned off and allowed to anneal naturally back down to room temperature.  This annealing process usually takes eight hours or so.

Foiling

This tip comes from Mike Altman.

Preheat your glass pieces prior to foiling.  It makes the foil stick to the glass exponentially better!  I bought...a table food warmer from a thrift shop.  The size is 10" x 15".  They do come bigger, and that's OK.  One caveat.  The bigger pieces come off the warmer pretty hot, but not hot enough to burn you!  You might have to juggle the piece for a few moments until it cools down enough to foil it though.

Acid Etching

Acid etching is a wonderful way to add a new dimension to your artwork.  You can reuse etching cream.  Scrape excess off and put it right back into the container before you rinse the cream off the glass.  Make sure you use hot water to wash off the cream.

Came:

Lead

There are two ways to make thick and/or heavily-textured glass fit inside came:

1. open the came up with a fid

2. grind a beveled edge into the glass pieces so that all edges are a uniform 1/8" thickness

I've had to use both methods to fit some heavy rippled glass into cames.

Brass

I use my Gryphon Miter saw for brass, zinc, brass-capped lead, heart-of-brass and rebar cutting.  I like the adjustable miter.  I have had mine for about 7 years.  Well worth the investment.  I once tried to cut some wood with it.  Don't bother.  The blades are made to cut metal; not wood.  I mean, it will cut wood in a pinch, but there is so much smoke and ash it's not worth it.  I use my Gryphon Miter saw strictly for cutting metal.  I don't use it to cut lead.  Lead is too soft a metal for the blade, and you end up simply getting lead gunk on the blade's surface.  Use a lead dyke for cutting lead, and the Gryphon Miter saw for all other metals.

The replacement blades are the most expensive part; like replacement ink cartridges are the most expensive part of a printer.  But you can extend the life of the blades by a simple trick: When the blade has worn down so that it no longer cuts all the way through a piece of came, raise up the bed of the platform upon which the came rests, and you will suddenly be able to use more of the blade.  I stick one or two little wooden rulers on the left side of the came platform to prolong the life of the blades.

Soldering

Use 50/50 solder for filling in gaps.  Its higher melting temperature (as compared to 60/40) allows you to fill in gaps and then come back over on top with 60/40, which is a smoother finish.  This way when you flip the panel over, the risk of drip though is minimized.

I like to use a soldering iron with an inbuilt rheostat.  I have also used irons plugged into separate-unit rheostats, and these work well.  I do not like using irons without rheostats, as you have no fine tuning of the temperature of the iron.  I like to run my irons "hot" at a higher than normal temperature.  I find I get smooth solder lines that way.  I do not recommend this for beginners, as they don't yet have the experience with solder and cannot judge how long the iron can remain in one place without solder melt-through.

Clean your soldering iron tip by briefly dipping the hot iron into paste flux, then wiping off the crud onto a damp sponge.  I clean the tip frequently during long soldering sessions, and each time I unplug the iron and put it away.

Patinaing

Zinc: You can use either black patina for zinc, or black patina for solder/lead. Make sure the zinc is absolutely clean before using the patina. If the zinc is old, scrub it with a green scrubby/steel wool and rinse with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly before attempting the patina. Apply with either a brush or a rag. The secret is to let it dry completely before rinsing. And rinse using water only - no scrubbing with a sponge. Good luck. Patina on zinc is always tricky. It may take multiple applications.

Copper patina can be effected by the hardness of the water used in cleaning the panel.  If you are experiencing spots on copper patina, try using filtered water.  Use a wax polish to brighten up the patina.

Lamp making

If you've never read a copy of Joe Porcelli's "Lamp making" book - get it!  It is THE BEST for teaching you the ins and outs of Lamp making, including designing your own lampshade patterns.

Puttying

Make your own putty:

7 parts whiting, 1 1/2 parts turpentine, 1 part boiled linseed oil

minute amount of black non-sanded tile grout (optional)

Only make as much as you need for a job.  Mix the wet ingredients first.  Then add the dry.  Mix to the consistency and color you like.  Some people like it loose like an oil sludge.  I like mine more like silly putty.  If you leave out the grout colorant, the putty is a light, neutral color.  By adding more or less black grout, you get a grey or black putty.  I like to mix the putty up in a coffee can with a tight-fitting lid for easy storage.

Framing

I like to use H channel lead for framing when creating a panel which will be installed into an existing space.  Lead is easier than zinc to shave down to an exact fit, and H or Y channels are easier to shave down than U.

When framing free-form panels, outline the entire panel with 18 gauge copper wire.  When using the copper wire, make sure to purchase the un-coated wire.  Some home improvement stores only stock the type which is coated with an invisible plastic, and you cannot solder it.  Make sure you get un-coated wire such as OOK wire.

Northern Hardwoods woods are expensive, but then again, so are your finished stained glass creations.  The frame should reflect the quality of the panel.  That's why I use Northern Hardwood products...they are wonderful for creating that fine art finishing touch.

You can use regular framing material for your stained glass creations, but they are not routed out with a groove specifically cut for stained glass.  That's why NH products are so good.  They are specific for stained glass, providing a completely finished look both front and back.  If you are using regular wood frames for pictures, make sure it is good quality hardwood which can provide the structural support the weight of a stained glass panel requires.  Also, it must have a lip of at least 1/4" against which the panel will be secured.  Secure the panel to the frame from the back, by inserting glaziers points or fine finishing nails hammered into the frame at an angle.  Then glaze the panel into the frame.  Some people prefer traditional glaziers putty, since it is opaque, dries quickly to a good finish yet maintains its pliability for many weeks/months after glazing, etc.  Other people prefer to glaze with silicone, which sets up within 20 minutes and finishes curing in 24 hours, comes in handy squeeze tubes, and is flexible.  I've used both  Personally, I'm one of the people who use silicone.

The main point I'm trying to make is you must choose a frame strong enough to support the weight of the stained glass panel.  Don't choose a frame just because it's cheep.  That will spell disaster.  Choose a frame which will 1.) support the panel structurally, 2.) provide a pleasing compliment to your hard work, 3.) enhance the worth and price of your finished good.

Stain your wood framing material after you have cut it to size, but before you glue & screw it around the panel.  This ensures a nice finished stain on the wood, and none on the glass.

Installation

The most useful tool to have at installation is a rasp.  It can be used to not only shave down lead frames, but also (if necessary) shave down wood and drywall.  Often drywall paint treatments leave bumps in the textured paint, which must be flattened before a stained glass panel will successfully fit inside the opening.  A rasp will handle this quite easily.

Forgot your hammer at the job site?  Use the blunt end of your lead knife to drive in nails.

Photographing Your Work

Learn to photograph your finished artwork.  I use both a traditional 35mm camera, and a digital camera to record all of my pieces.  If possible, photograph them in an ideal setting (i.e. studio with cloth backdrop, back lighting and surface lighting if appropriate), and in their final installation setting.  Always use bracketing, as you can never be 100% certain that you've covered all the possibilities of lighting and reflection.  Keep a portfolio (I call mine my "scrapbook") of all your work.  This portfolio is my primary sales tool.  It is also handy as a teaching tool.

Business/Pricing

Always have a signed and dated contract when placing your artwork out on consignment for sale.  Never ever send artwork without this contract detailing terms of the contract, including suggested retail price, consignment price paid to you, how long the artwork is to remain at the gallery, who is responsible for shipping, who is responsible in case of theft or damage to the artwork, payment schedule and copyright terms.

If you are selling finished product to retail stores and/or galleries, never sell your product at your own store, your website, on eBay, or at a show for less than suggested retail price.  If you do this, you undermine the sales contract you have with the gallery, and ultimately, the value of your own work as perceived by the general public.  Remember, wholesale and consignment contracts are binding on both parties in order to establish the value of the item.  If you need to change the price of an item, contact the gallery first and renegotiate the contract.  That way there are no surprises for either you or them.

Increase your profit margin by reducing the cost of your materials.  This is tougher to do that it seems.  Shop around, locally, regionally and online.  Be aware that discounts are frequently offered for large purchases.  Take into consideration the cost of transporting the goods to your studio.  This is a frequently-overlooked cost which is becoming more and more critical as gasoline prices spiral upwards and the cost of all transportation increases.  It might me more cost effective to purchase goods locally at a slightly higher price, than purchasing farther away or online, and then having freight and/or boxing charges added.

Shipping

Shipping and transporting stained glass can be tricky without proper planning.  Even the US Postal Service and UPS have trouble shipping stained glass if the panel is not protected well in its packaging.  The best product I've found to-date (I'm always looking for new ways) is 3/4" insulation foam board called R-Max R-Matte-Plus 3.  Great stuff.  I purchase an 8' sheet of it at my local home improvement super store.  It can be cut with a knife and is light weight, and provides just the right stiffness for surrounding fragile stained glass panels when used in shipping.  I cut two pieces of the R-Max board 1/4" larger in both dimensions than the stained glass panel I'm shipping, then make a stained glass sandwich with it.  Wrap this in 1/2" bubble wrap, then put in a corrugated box with plenty of packing peanuts surrounding all sides.  This usually guarantees safe shipping to anywhere in the USA via USPS or UPS.

If you are shipping stained glass artwork in a cardboard package, it must be double boxed and packed in such a way as to ensure safe delivery.  Leave at least 4" extra space on all sides (length, width, depth) than the box containing the panel.  Use reusable packing materials (bubble-wrap, styrofoam, expanding foam, ext.) where possible in case the panel needs to be returned.  Bagging the packing peanuts makes packing and unpacking easier.

Always document your work via photos and technical descriptions prior to shipping.  That way, in case the artwork is lost, broken, or stolen (as happened to one of my pieces last week), you have proof of its existence, and something to give to authorities.  Also, you have details in case you need to repair or re-create it.

Physical

Lead testing once a year should be mandatory for professional stained glass artists.  When you call to schedule the blood work with your doctor, make sure they order the correct color vial for lead exposure testing (in my area it's the blue-topped vial) before you show up to have your blood drawn.  This saves time and eliminates confusion.  Lead testing is not a normal blood work procedure, and most doctor's offices will have to special order the correct vial.  Keep watch for rising levels of lead and take necessary steps to correct any increases.

Feel like you are getting a cold?  Sore throat?  Over-stressed vocal chords?  Ginger tea with honey is GREAT for soothing sore throats and fending off holiday woes.  Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages if your throat is already scratchy.  Alcohol only dries it out even more.  Cherry tea is also very good.

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