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What's involved in the creation of a stained glass piece?




Often folks wonder why stained glass is so expensive! Well, beyond just the cost of materials, (glass, copper foil, solder, chemicals, came and also all of the tools and equipment for designing, cutting, grinding and soldering) there is also the intense amount of labor involved. There are over 30 steps involved in making a panel, and each one comes with it's own set of tricks that takes years of learning to master.


Here is a basic outline of each step;


Just to give you a glimpse into the process involved, here are the (over 30!) steps taken for a typical 12” X12” piece, which is why a piece can take several days to a week to complete;


1. Draw a design (this often takes several hours, or several days depending on the client).

2. Make a pattern that can easily be cut out in glass. (I have a Cricut do this for me but without one there would be 3 additional steps here, drawing and cutting out the pattern, and sometimes taking the plan to a professional printer for a scaled up version on large paper in duplicate).

3. Select glass (includes time spent locating & purchasing specific requests I don't already have in stock).

4. Apply pattern pieces to the glass (there are numerous ways to do this with paint pens or vinyl stickers) special care is taken to maximize directional patterns on glass as well as efficient placement to conserve precious material.

5. Score & cut out the glass pieces. (this often takes several hours, using 4-5 different tools)

6. Chipping large chunks off edges that still remain with wheel nippers.

7. Use a ring saw for detailed "impossible cuts" like curves that a glass cutter cannot achieve.

8. Grind edges of all pieces down smooth and re-cut or grind until it fits together perfectly.

(this often takes several hours).

9. Remove vinyl pattern pieces (or paint pen marks) from glass. 

10. Clean each piece with soapy water and isopropyl alcohol to completely remove glass grit.

11. Assemble the puzzle pieces and paint anything that requires additional detail.

12. Fire the glass on each painted piece to cure and make it permanent.

13. Apply copper foil tape to edges of each piece using optimal size and color of foil.

14. Burnish all copper foiled edges flat with a Fid or roller.

15. Apply copper-foil saddles to cure any splits that may have occurred in tight curves.

16. Trim any overlapping foil or saddles with X-acto knife for a consistent solder lines.

17. Assemble all pieces upside-down on a fire-resistant Homosote board.

18. Pin the edges of the pieces in place for a tight fit. (Recut, grind and foil a few pieces as needed.)

19. Apply flux to all seams so solder flows nicely.

20. Solder all pieces together, both sides (this often takes several hours)

21. Solder a lead or zinc came border around the edge, and hanger loops at top corners

22. After it cools completely, scrub well with soapy water. 

23. Brush all solder lines and came well with super fine steel wool.

24. Spray and scrub with neutralizing Kwik Clean, a chemical to eliminate "white mold"

25. Apply polishing compound, let dry and buff off for shiniest silver solder possible.

26. Apply black patina, wipe lightly to remove excess, let dry overnight to penetrate fully.

27. If there's wirework to add, it usually gets soldered on and added at this point.

28. Clean glass super well with non-ammonia cleaning product.

29. Re-apply polishing compound a second time to bring the black patina up to a shiny finish.

30. Apply Lemon pledge to maximize the shine, which provides a protective wax and high-polished shine.

31. Add chain to fit the size and weight of the piece. Usually a sturdy black jack-chain to match the solder (if patinaed) Or a galvanized or gunmetal lighter weight link chain.

32. Sign the piece with an engraver on the back.

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