Make It or Break It;
Stained Glass for Beginners
2nd Edition
By
Phillip C. McKee, III
Award Winning Stained Glass Artist &
Retired Arlington County Firefighter/EMT
Defenders of the Pentagon
With Downloadable Projects and Trial Software
Copyright 2012, Phillip C. McKee, III
All Rights Reserved.
Published by CWS Press at Smashwords.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover Art is an original design by Phillip C. McKee, III and covered by copyright protections.
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Table of Contents
Lesson 2 - Your First Suncatcher
Lesson 4 - Patination & Finishing
Lesson 5 - Making a Hanging Panel
Lesson 7 - Introduction to Three-Dimensional Objects
Lesson 8 - Decorative Soldering
Lesson 12 - Designing Your Own Patterns
Appendix 1 - Project Patterns & More
Appendix 2 - A Soul's Journey Into Glass
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Prologue
Congratulations on purchasing this book and on venturing into the world of stained glass art. Stained glass is the only art form that is both revealed by light and transforms it as well. In two dimensions it draws a simple picture of colors bounded by lines of lead. But in three dimensions, it sculpts the very light itself and alters all of its surroundings. You are now well on your way to learning the exciting and fun art of stained glass as a hobby. Handmade stained glass panels, suncatchers and other art objects make for the most memorable gifts. And who knows, you may even transform it from hobby to career and begin taking commissions from friends, families and others.
This book is divided into lessons. Each lesson has a specific purpose and builds on all of the lessons before it. Don't be tempted to skip lessons or jump ahead. You need to do each lesson in turn so that you understand all of the concepts. If you do this, and don't move ahead until you've mastered the skills in each lesson you will in the end be able to make stained glass panels, windows and even three-dimensional objects. Of course, being able to make stained glass from pre-designed patterns isn't the last stage of this art form. You will one day want to be able to make glass of your own design. So, of course there will be a lesson on design basics. Each lesson will be structured in a particular way. I'll start by telling you the goal of that particular lesson. Then I'll introduce you to the tools you will need for that lesson. Next you'll given a list of supplies and materials you will need to successfully complete these tasks. Some of these items you will absolutely need if you are to perform the lesson while other items are optional but will make your work easier. However, all of them are my best picks for your workshop.
At this point let me state I have not received any compensation of any kind from the producers or vendors of the items I recommend. These are truly my favorite picks for quality and performance for products. None of them have paid to be in this book, period. I refuse to take paid endorsements. Once you know what you'll need then the lesson proper will begin with instructions and images to help you along step by step. Finally, you'll be given a link to an online video against which to measure your understanding. Just keep at it. And remember, you can always turn to my website at http://www.mckeestainedglass.com for advice and technical tips. And let me remind you once again, don't move on to the next lesson until you have successfully completed the previous one. If you can't do one task, you definitely won't be able to do the ones that follow.
Finally, I've included three appendices to this book. The first appendix is a collection of easy to create patterns to get you a started on making stained glass. You'll find a set of sun-catchers, panels, door & window inserts, & three-dimensional objects that you should be able to make after mastering the techniques in this book. Some are easier than others. At the end of each lesson I'll list which patterns you should find yourself capable of making using the skills you've learned up until that point. Each pattern includes any tips or hints that might make it easier on you. However, all of these patterns are designed for the beginner. Later books will discuss more advanced techniques and will include patterns of greater difficulty. The third appendix includes information on where to download digital copies of the patterns and how to get a free trial copy of GlassEye 2000, an absolutely amazing computer-aided design program for stained glass.
Lastly, this book is meant for your enjoyment. I want you to have all of the enjoyment and fulfillment that I have felt and still feel from working in stained glass. This is a wonderful, if expensive, hobby and can also be a fulfilling line of work. If you ever have any questions or comments just go to my website at http://www.mckeestainedglass.com and share them with me. I will try to reply as time allows.
So go on, jump right in with Lesson 1 - Getting Started and lose yourself in the wonderful world of stained glass.
Your Humble Teacher,
Phillip C. McKee, III
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Return to the Table of Contents
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Lesson One - Getting Started
Okay, now it's time to begin. The first thing you need to know is where to get your supplies. If you have a stained glass supply store near you that is probably the most convenient location although it will not always be the least expensive. To find such a store check your local yellow pages under arts, crafts, art supply & even under glass. I've found listings for stained glass stores in each of these categories depending on the publisher of that particular Yellow Pages.
However, for some people, especially those in rural areas, there may not be a stained glass supply store nearby. Even many urban areas have only one or two. For example, there are only a handful in the entire Washington, DC, metro area. Also, many of the local stores are very expensive. While it is nice to support local businesses, if you are on a budget that can place stained glass out of your reach. For either logistically or financially challenged readers the best place to shop is online. There are many different stained glass supply web sites. I would like to introduce you to mine. It is located at http://www.mckeestainedglass.com and not only offers a full line of stained glass, hot glass and mosaic supplies, but it also has a gallery of my work.
Okay, so now you've got two ideas of where to go to get your new toys. But the big question arises - What should you get????? If you go to almost all of the stores, both local and online, they'll have package deals where you can get the different types of tools and accessories in one bundle. So let's go over all the tools & supplies you will need to get started.
1) Safety Glasses: Yes, safety always must come first. You can get a good pair of safety glasses anywhere. In fact you can probably get them cheaper at your local home improvement or hardware store than you can at a stained glass shop. Just make sure they fit your face comfortably. If you can, see if the store will let you them on. Some people prefer the goggle style with an elastic strap around the back of their head. Some people prefer the traditional glasses style. Whichever you prefer, just make sure that it provides both front and side protection from flying glass. If it looks good on you that's an added bonus.
2) Glasscutter: Now, you can't have flying glass without a glasscutter. Contrary to popular belief and its own name, the glasscutter does not actually cut glass. Glasscutters are small tools that have either steel or carbide wheels on them that score a line on the surface of the glass. You then break the glass along the line using other tools and hence create the flying glass. As I said, glass cutters come in two main types, the traditional steel wheel and the carbide wheel. To keep the cutting wheel working you must always have it properly lubricated with cutting oil. Steel Wheel cutters have to be dipped in a small jar of cutting oil before each score. Most Carbide Tipped cutters have oil reservoirs in their handles and self-lubricate. Carbide Tipped cutters also come in several styles. The two most common styles are the Pencil Grip and Pistol Grip but there are also other variants such as the Toyo Thomas Grip or CustomGrip SuperCutter. This is just a matter of personal preference - which shape fits your hand best. The biggest difference is that the pistol grip allows the user to apply pressure more easily and so tends to be popular among those with less grip strength or with arthritis.
There are several brands of cutters. My personal favorite is the Toyo line of cutters. The reason for this is that Toyo offers a larger variety of cutters so it is easy to find one that fits your particular grip and cutting style. Toyo also uses an innovative oil feed system. Most carbide wheel cutters with an oil reservoir feed oil to the wheel using a wick. It is a simple, effective and time-tested system. However, there is no way to effectively stop the wick from transporting oil to the wheel when you are not cutting. This means that a cutter with a wick can leak oil and can overfeed oil to the wheel. The only effective way to control leakage in a wicking cutter is to use a cutter cap. A cutter cap is a little rubber cap that slips over the top of the cutting head to contain leakage and protect the cutting head from damage. Some brands of wicking cutters are leakier than others. For example, the Fletcher-Terry cutters use a wick that is virtually leakless. Toyo has an innovative and unique system that is simply light-years ahead. It has a valve activated system. When you press down to cut, the wheel assembly actually shifts backward slightly against a valve which releases controlled amounts of oil onto the wheel. Thus oil only flows in the precise amount needed, and only when cutting. I personally use the Toyo CustomGrip Supercutter.
3) Cutting Oil: If you plan to cut glass you have to have cutting oil. There are many manufacturers of cutting oil. Just make sure that the oil you buy is specifically designed for stained glass cutters. Also, you use only a very small amount of cutting oil at any one time so a small bottle will seem to last forever. I personally love the Inland Rinses Off brand.
4) Running Pliers: These can be rather difficult for some people to understand. Occasionally you will want to cut a long line, either straight or gently curving, in your glass. That's where these come in. You score your glass and then place the running pliers at one end. Metal running pliers have special plastic coated ends (which many people think look like duckbills). One is convex and the other is concave. The convex part faces up making it look like a frowning duck when viewed head-on. Many have small black lines marked on them to show you what part of the plier to line up with the score. You then simply squeeze the plier and the glass breaks along the score line. Instead of duckbills, plastic running pliers have a small dot and a notch. The dot is on the lower jaw and the notch is on the upper jaw. When you squeeze the cutters, the dot pushes the score into the notch and breaks it using the same general principle as the duckbills. Whether you use a pair of metal running pliers or plastic running pliers is up to you. Metal running pliers feel more substantial in your hand because of weight, whereas plastic running pliers are lighter.
5) Breaking Pliers (Optional): Breaking pliers look like plain old regular pliers. They have two square flat tips. You use them to grab onto a piece of glass and break it off the main section along the score line. This helps shape the glass into its final form before grinding. Most artists and hobbyists no longer use simple breaking pliers and I'll tell you why soon.
6) Grozier (Optional): Groziers are another form of pliers. They have two curved ends and serrated edges. They are used to groze or take "bites" out of the glass around the edges and further refine the shape in places where you just can't get a score line because it's too small. Once again, most artists no long use stand-alone groziers.
7) Combination Breaker-Groziers: This is why most people no longer use stand-alone breakers or groziers. These wonderful little tools have one curved side and one flat side. Both are serrated. To break glass you simply hold the flat side up and break as you would with a pair of breaker pliers. To groze the glass you use the curved side up. It combines two tools into one. Now, breaker/groziers come in many different sizes. As a beginner you can get away with having just one standard sized model. But as you progress you will probably want to buy a narrow-nose set to help with those tight corners.
8) Marking Pen & Regular Pen: The marking pen is a simple dry-erase pen or Sharpie. You can get this anywhere, though you can get them cheapest at an office supply warehouse like Staples or Office Max. Buy a bunch at once. This is what you will use to mark your glass so that you can keep track of which piece is which until you solder them together. You'll also need a regular old pen for marking your pattern. When you are working on dark colored glass, the Sharpie won't show up well enough. This is when you use a White Marker. These come in two styles. One is a white paint pen, and the other is a white Liquid Paper pen.
9) L-Square: Some people know this as a drafting square or a carpenter's square or even a speed square. Whatever you call it you'll need it for making 90° angles and straight cuts on your glass. However, make sure to buy one that is designed for use with glass. It will have special lip on it that the others do not. My favorite is the Rulex because not only does it allow you to do 90° angles but it is adjustable so that you can also easily repeat odd-sized angles needed for certain traditional grid patterns or other geometric designs.
10) Flux: Flux is an acid. It comes in paste or liquid form. You paint the flux on the joints you wish to solder together. Without the flux the solder won't run properly and won't stick to metal framing. After you are finished soldering you clean the flux off. For beginners I recommend Liquid Safety Flux. It cleans off with soap & water or window cleaner & a paper towel. Most importantly it is non-toxic (unlike many other fluxes), is safe to leave on your project over-night instead of requiring immediate clean-up, and it releases no fumes! For those who want the easy clean-up but prefer paste fluxes I usually recommend Aquaflux by Rectorseal. Regular fluxes are not water soluble and so require special chemicals called flux cleaners to remove. Many regular fluxes also contain toxic chemicals so make sure to read the labels carefully before purchasing.
11) Flux Brush: This is a standard acid brush that has corrosive resistant bristles and a metal handle. You can get them at any hardware or home improvement store in small bundles or online in bulk. Nothing fancy, just something sturdy with which to apply your flux. You can also use special liquid flux applicators if you have chosen a liquid variety
12) Flux Cleaner & Scrubber/Scruffie: You will also need to buy flux cleaner and a small scrub brush. Flux cleaner is a special soap that is formulated specifically to help remove flux and other chemicals from your piece. My personal favorite is CJ's Flux Remover. Even if you are using Safety Flux, CJ's will make cleaning a lot easier. The Scrubber is simply a small scrub brush with plastic bristles. Remember to scrub gently so that you don't break the glass but be thorough and get all the flux off. Flux is an acid and will corrode the solder lines leading to discoloration over time.
13) Copper Foil: As a beginner you will start by learning the Tiffany copper foil technique of making stained glass. This is actually a bit harder to learn than the lead came technique you see in large church windows because your cuts need to be more exact. However this means that when you later move on to lead work you will find the transition much easier than if you had learned the techniques in reverse order. Copper Foil is also less dangerous (not as much lead exposure) and it is the technique you must use when making 3-D objects like boxes or lamps. Finally, it is also not as messy as lead came.
Copper foil comes in many sizes. The larger the piece of glass the larger the foil width you should to use. Now the glass will remain the same thickness it's just that more foil will be showing after you wrap it around the glass. You want this because the more foil showing the stronger the solder joint and the more support the glass gets. You can use smaller foils on small pieces of glass for a more delicate appearance. The basic foil size that you should get as a beginner is 7/32" width foil. This usually comes in bags of 36 yards. Believe me; you'll use all of it. It never fails to amaze me how much copper foil is used on a single project. Just remember that the foil has to go around the circumference of every piece of glass in a project. You'll use lots of foil. Copper foil also comes with three types of backings. On clear or semi-clear sheets of glass you can see the backing through the glass. The first backing is plain copper. Hence you'll see copper through the glass. The other two are black-backed or silver-backed. Here it is just a matter of personal taste. If you plan on coloring the solder with a patina (either copper or black) then you'll want to use a copper foil with a matching backing. If you want to leave your solder lines the natural silver color then you would use silver backed. So, to start off you'll want to buy 3 bags of 7/32" copper foil, one of each backing. Venture is the brand of foil that I recommend. One note though, don't open the bag unless you plan on using it again soon. Copper foil will oxidize and lose its ability to stick to the glass. If you do have left over copper foil, be sure to put it back inside a sealable bag to protect it from humidity in the air.
14) Patina: There are two main types of patinas, Black & Copper. Both are acids that change the silver color of the foil to their respective colors. This is for artistic effect only and also only affects the outermost layer of solder. If you don't like the look you can always just scrub the solder with steel wool and try again. One important note - to use patina; pour a small amount in a little bowl. Paint the patina on with a Q-Tip. Then throw away whatever is left over. NEVER put used patina back in the bottle, as you will ruin the whole bottle. And never pour patina in the lid and work from that supply. When you recap the bottle, you can contaminate the patina just as much as if you had poured excess back in the bottle.
15) Soldering Iron: This is one of your most important tools as a stained glass beginner. If you get a low quality iron, you'll regret it forever. I have a very specific recommendation. Get an Inland Temptrol iron. It might seem expensive but it is worth the money. It has a built-in rheostat to maintain a constant temperature while still allowing you to adjust the temperature to suit your particular soldering needs. Cheaper irons you either have to keep plugging and unplugging to keep the right temperature or buy a separate rheostat (temperature controller).
16) Soldering Iron Stand: The bad thing about many irons is that they either come with a puny piece of bent metal to use as a soldering iron stand or no soldering stand at all. To protect yourself, your work space and your project from the heat radiated by the soldering iron while it's plugged in but not actively being used you need a good soldering iron stand. My favorite is made of nearly indestructible cast-iron, can be bolted to your worktable for permanent mounting (no accidentally knocked over irons) and it has a built in sponge which, when sopping wet, can be used to clean your soldering iron tip while soldering.
17) Rheostat/Temperature Controller: If you have chosen to purchase an iron without a built-in method of controlling temperatures then you will need to buy this as well. It is essentially a specially designed dimmer switch which controls the flow of electricity to your soldering iron and thus the maximum temperature of the iron. Stained glass temperature controllers almost always come with markings from 1 to 10 on the dial. If you are using a standard 100w iron then they will correspond to 100° to 1000°. It is important to note that under a certain setting the iron will not heat at all. Most soldering will be performed around the 7 setting. All irons are different so you will need to fine-tune your settings. If the solder doesn't melt well, raise it slightly; if the solder stays liquid too long or flows through from one side of the piece to the other, lower your setting. Decorative soldering (to be discussed later) is done on lower settings so that the solder will hold the decorative shape better.
18) Solder: Solder is what holds your stained glass projects together. It comes in several varieties - 50/50, 60/40, 63/37 and Lead-Free. These numbers refer to the respective amounts of tin & lead in the product. 50/50 is obviously an even mix. 60/40 has 60% tin and 40% lead. 63/37 is 63% tin and 37% lead. And Lead-Free solder should be just what the name implies, however some cheap solder manufactured overseas that is labeled as Lead-Free is actually a 97/3 mixture. Fewer and fewer people are using 50/50 solder. It has the highest lead content and because of that it is banned in many states (such as Pennsylvania). It also requires that you work at a higher temperature than the other solders.
I prefer to use traditional 60/40 solder on most flat panel projects because it is very strong and polishes to a higher gleam than 50/50. I also use 60/40 for three-dimensional work. 63/37 melts faster and at a lower temperature but cools quicker than does either 50/50 or 60/40, so it is perfect for decorative applications. Finally, Lead Free is the best option if you are worried about lead exposure for small children or if you are making an item that is to be handled frequently (like a jewelry box). If you do work with lead-based solder, don't worry; as long as you don't start eating the solder you shouldn't have any problems with the lead. Lead can only hurt you if you inhale the vapors or get the substance into your system. The temperature of your soldering iron is enough to liquefy but not vaporize the lead. And believe me; you will know if any of the liquid solder touches your skin so contact time will be miniscule. Solder comes in spools and the price changes as the price for raw materials changes. Buy the spools several at a time. I buy mine by the case and consider stocking up when the price is low. Not only is it less expensive to buy in bulk but you will use lots of solder, sometimes multiple spools in a single project. I prefer Canfield solder for its purity and soldering characteristics. It can be more expensive but it's worth it. One final note - do not buy solder at a plumbing supply or hardware store and think you're getting a good deal. The solder used for plumbing work is very different chemically from the solder used for stained glass. You will ruin your project over few extra bucks. Only use solder specifically manufactured for stained glass.
19) Glass Grinder (Optional): After you cut your glass you will need to grind the edges smooth. This keeps you from cutting yourself and it also keeps the glass from slicing up the copper foil as you apply it. Once you have done most of your shaping with the breaker/grozier, the grinder can help you finish off the piece. For a hobbyist just getting started I would recommend the Inland Wizling. It is one of the most affordable grinders out there at around $100 at time of printing. I personally use the Inland Wizard IV. But remember, this is optional. Before grinders there was an old-fashioned way to get smooth edges.
20) Carborundum Stone/Glass Stone: This is the old fashioned method of smoothing glass edges. It's simply an abrasive stone that you rub along the edges to smooth them. It takes much longer than a grinder but it also only costs about $5 at time of printing.
21) Fid or Lathkin: It's a funny name for a simple product. Fids are little sticks that you use to press the copper foil firmly against the glass after wrapping. This process is called burnishing. You also use the fid to stretch open or press closed the slots on metal framing or lead came. Fids/Lathkins come in either wood or plastic. If you're not going to start doing lead came work soon after learning the basics of copper foil, then the rear end of your marking pen works just as well as a burnisher.
22) Cutting Surface: This is a special plastic board with hollow cells built into the surface. You cut your glass on this board and it catches most, if not all, of the small glass pieces also ensuring that your glass is level while scoring. Once you are finished cutting you simply shake your cutting surface/board over a trash can to dispose of the glass shards. The two most popular of these surfaces are the Waffle-Grid system and the Morton Surface system. Waffle-Grids are uniform 1 foot by 1 foot squares that are designed to be able to interlock to create cutting surfaces of any size desired. Morton Surfaces come as either Mini-Surfaces or Maxi-Surfaces and cannot interlock. Their set size can be convenient for easy set-up but can also make it difficult if you are working in an odd-shaped work area or one that is slightly too small for these larger cutting surfaces. Both systems use exactly the same sized cells so that tools designed for one brand will work on both systems with only minor adaptations if any.
23) Homasote Board: This is something you can get at your local lumber yard. It is simply a type of pressed paper board that is often used by designers to create bulletin boards. You'll be using it as a layout board. Laying out your pattern will be discussed in the next chapter but it is important that your layout board be dense enough to support the weight of your project, soft enough to allow you to use push pins on it, and fire-resistant enough to hand soldering on it. Homasote board is the perfect product for this role. Some stores label this as low-density fiberboard.