Glass grinder tutorial, video

We like this glass grinding video because it actually instructs viewers about using water in the grinder and wearing safety glasses!

We also like to use the Morton System Mr. Splash to surround our grinders so that the ground glass doesn't fly all over the place!  We place a Morton board under our grinder to catch water that always seems to fly and/or drip out when grinding onto our work bench.  And we have a Morton face shield to keep a lot of the ground glass from flying up into our faces.  This video didn't show using any of those Morton items but we strongly recommend using them!

All grinders are pretty much the same as far as set up so you can watch the video and follow it for different grinder types.  Be sure to add a tiny bit of sewing machine oil inside of the grinder bit before attaching it to the grinders bit post.  It seems to keep the bit from freezing onto that post, thus ruining your grinder.  No need to buy grinder sponges either, we cut up a regular kitchen sponge and it works great.  You must always use a sponge against the grinding bit when grinding!  It wicks up water from in the grinder's water reservoir to keep the diamond bit wet and to keep glass dust from becoming airborne and inhaled.  We have never put glass coolant in our water reservoirs, we just make sure that our grinder always has water in that section.  Once done grinding, we immediately clean our grinder.  It seems that once ground glass has dried inside the water reservoir and top surfaces, including the Morton parts mentioned above, it becomes almost cement like and is hard to completely remove.

Click here to view the video.

Muff method for making stained glass sheets, videos

We discovered two excellent videos showing stained glass sheets being made with the Muff method.  The first video is a historic video and the second is a modern day video made by the French manufacturer (with subtitles), Verrerie de Saint Just.  The Muff method is a very traditional way of creating sheet glass and is not done in many glass production factories anymore.

Click here to view the historic video!


Click here to watch the Verrerie de Saint Just, video!

Kokomo Glass, glass storage video

Check out this very interesting video from Kokomo Opalescent Glass showing their glass warehouse.  

Click here to view this video.

Making sheets of stained glass, video.

This is an amazing video showing craftsmen at the Kokomo Opalescent Glass factory manufacturing some sheet glass (stained glass)!  

So neat to watch our talented Glass makers creating the finest glass in the world!

Whatch the video here!

How to install a stained glass window, video

Click here to view the video by Scottish Stained Glass showing how to install a stained glass window on the inside of a pre existing window.

How To Mix Glass Stainer's Paint Into Ink To Draw or Write With

Today we wanted to share this valuable glass "painting" information from Kristina at http://www.finefolly.com/.  She posted this information on 4/26/2011 on the Lampworketc.com forum.  The pictures of her work in progress and completed are simply wonderful!


I just got this question and I thought I would share the answer in case anyone else is interested in the information on mixing "ink" to use with a quill from Glass Stainers Paint. Please let me know if you have questions or I haven't been clear enough.


THE STEPS & INFO:

You need to mix the dry Stain paint with pure Clove Oil to use it with a quill.

You need to have an inkwell or candlestick holder ready to put the "ink" into. Put a teaspoon or so of dry stainer paint on your glass mixing-surface. Then use an eyeglass dropper to put maybe 1/2 teaspoon of Clove Oil or less on the paint and mix it together using a spatula.

Keep adding Clove Oil in drops and mix until the grit is gone (5-10 minutes with a spatula). You want a thick ink. Scrape it onto your spatula with a razor blade and pour it into your inkwell from the spatula blade. 

When you are done using the ink, cover the top of your inkwell with a piece of Duct Tape or some type of wide tape cover to keep dust out. 

It will form a thick layer on the bottom of the inkwell after sitting over night or all week. Stir it up before you use it the next time, and then keep mixing your ink in the inkwell as you work because it will separate. Thin with more Clove Oil in the inkwell if needed. If you let your ink work sit and dry overnight it can be scraped with a fine pointed X-acto knife to clean off any wobbly lines or thick areas. I tighten up my line work that way before firing. Fire based on the instructions for the Stain you are using.


Hope this helps. Please ask if you need more information. You can see an example of a drawing being inked on glass below with the pattern under it as it is being inked. I use a soap dish to tilt my inkwell on, and hold my ink quills in case I want to change size as I ink.



____________

Thank you everyone. It's such a glorious art that I feel we should share and help others come along when we can.

Yes, I use the Reusche paints. I have also used China Paints and they are a finer grind. This is useful for flesh coats by the way. That's what I used for the flesh coat on this piece.

How to make a stained glass mosaic.

This how-to article was found on HGTV.com.

Project designed and demonstrated by Jami King.

Materials and Tools:

pattern to be reproduced*

frame with removable glass panel

stained glass

tweezers

wheeled glass nippers

clear adhesive shelving paper

disposable rubber gloves

non-sanded tile grout

clear silicone glue

safety glasses

sponge

bowl of water

small bowls to divide glass pieces

*This can be a picture, postcard, painting, drawing, etc.

Figure B

Steps:

1. Choose your pattern and size it to the glass in the picture frame. Remember, you'll be working on the backside of your project. If you can, reverse the image of your pattern to be reproduced. Make sure any words or numbers are reversed on your pattern or they will come out wrong.

2. Pick stained glass colors and nip random sized pieces into small bowls or piles on the work surface. Wear your safety glasses while snipping the glass.

Figure E

3. Cut shelving paper approximately 1" larger than the pattern. Tape the pattern face down onto the non-sticky clear side of the shelving paper and remove the protective layer from the opposite side to expose the adhesive. You should see your pattern through the exposed shelving paper.

4. With tweezers or your fingers, place the nipped stained glass onto your pattern no more than 1/8" apart.

5. Clean the glass panel in the picture frame and apply a medium to thin layer of silicon glue to the entire surface.

Figure G

6. Place the glued side of the glass panel onto the exposed surface of your stained glass pattern and press firmly.

7. Allow glue to dry completely and remove the shelving paper. If stained glass piece sticks to the shelving paper rather than the glass panel, simply re-glue the piece and place it back into its respective position. Allow to dry.

Figure J

8. Mix grout and water until it is a thick cookie dough consistency and apply to the stained glass. Wear two pairs of gloves to prevent cutting your hands, and gently press the grout into the small cracks between the glass pieces. Remove as much excess grout as possible.

9. Allow grout to dry completely and wipe off any excess with a wet sponge. Place the finished mosaic piece back into the picture frame.

Tips:

White glue that is supposed to dry to clear doesn’t always dry clear. Start with silicone glue that's clear when wet for better results.

Stained glass patterns work very well for this technique. You may want to use colored pencils to color in the appropriate areas of your pattern.

Many stained glass shops sell scrap glass by the pound. If you purchase this, make sure you have enough for your project before you adhere the glass in place, because it can be hard to get more of the exact same color.

How to draw an oval

Need to draw an oval for a panel? 


Here's how:
Calculate half the measurement of the longest line. Measuring from the end of the shortest line, mark off this amount on the longest line, top and bottom.

Insert a pin at both these points.

Place a piece of thread round one pin.Tie a knot in the thread at the far end of the longest line.

Put a pencil inside the loop. Pull the thread taut and begin to draw the oval.

Click here to find more excellent art glass information by this author!

Shipping glass info

Wrapping the item
Panels –
Wrap each panel in several layers of bubble wrap or corrugated paper, then add a layer of foam board insulation at least 12mm (1/2”) on each side.

3-D -
Make sure you have padding (bubble wrap, corrugated paper, or foam sheets) between each item. Then make sure they are fastened tightly together in one bundle. Make multiple nested pieces into one big unit, then wrap that so it's well padded.

Boxing
Panels -
Ship stained glass panels in a wooden crate. Make a wooden box and line it with foam, on all sides. The ends of the box should be of substantial timber, making the box at least 100mm (4") thick.  Use lightweight, thin wood, but stiff enough that it remains durable. Screw wood on the front and back of the edge of the framing timbers.  Fill the space so the glass is in the middle of the box. The most important thing is to minimise flex. You also must minimize shock from a drop.

3-D -
Line the box in bubble wrap or corrugated paper.  Put a layer of filler in the bottom.
Set the piece in the middle of the box, then fill all around with more filler. Press the filler firmly so the packaged items can't move and shift in the box. Allow at least 50mm (2”) of packing around the contents and ensure the contents cannot settle through the box filler perhaps by placing a cardboard pad on top of the fill before placing contents in the box.

Filler
Filler is material that will fill the space between the wrapped items and the sides of the box.  This can be shredded paper, bagged peanuts or foam sheets.  Bubble wrap with peanuts is sufficient, but don't use peanuts unassisted. They have a habit of vibrating off to one side of the package, leaving the cargo unprotected on the other side. Mix the peanuts with either wrapped newspaper or excelsior (shredded paper) or place them in numerous small bags so they can't shift.

Double boxing
Many people double box everything. This involves putting the boxed items inside another bigger box. Suspend the inside box within a larger box, bigger by at least 50mm (2”) on all six sides.  You can use cardboard strips to make an 'X' to put in the bottom and top and small pieces of foam on the four sides to keep the inner box from shifting.   Fill the spaces in between the two boxes with something that will absorb shock or impact, like shredded paper.    For a very fragile piece the outside box might be made of 6mm (1/4") plywood.

Caution
One caution on packing: Don't overdo it. If you force so much packing material (peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.) into the boxes, the whole thing (inner and outer box) becomes a solid mass and the force may still transfer to the piece and break it.
When packers say "float," they mean it. You want enough packing material to hold the stuff in place well, not so much that it becomes part of the piece.

This information was found on the IGGA web site.  

Does Glass Flow?

This article was found in the tips section of The International Guild of Glass Artists, Inc. 

Does Glass Flow? Most people seem to want to believe it does.
Glass Is a Liquid, and Naturally Flows, Right?
No.

Why the Myth Doesn't Make Sense
There are at least four or five reasons why the myth doesn't make sense.

Although the individual pieces of glass in a window may be uneven in thickness, and noticeably wavy, these effects result simply from the way the glasses were made.

One also wonders why this alleged thickening is confined to the glass in cathedral windows.

Why don't we find that Egyptian cored vessels or Hellenistic and Roman bowls have sagged and become misshapen after lying for centuries in tombs or in the ground?

Speaking of time, just how long should it take—theoretically—for windows to thicken to any observable extent? The calculation showed that the time required for the glass to flow down so as to thicken 10 angstrom units at the bottom (a change the size of only a few atoms) would theoretically be about the same as the age of the universe: close to ten billion years.

This brings us to the subject of viscosity. The viscosity of a liquid is a measure of its resistance to flow. Estimates of the viscosity of glasses at room temperature run as high as 10 to the 20th power (1020), that is to say, something like 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 poises, As for cathedral windows, it is hard to believe that anything that viscous is going to flow at all.

It is worth noting, too, that at room temperature the viscosity of metallic lead has been estimated to be about a billion times more fluid than glass. Presumably, then, the lead came that holds stained glass pieces in place should have flowed a billion times more readily than the glass. While lead came often bends and buckles under the enormous architectural stresses imposed on it, one never hears that the lead has flowed like a liquid.

Glass Doesn't Flow
When all is said and done, the story about stained glass windows flowing—just because glasses have certain liquid-like characteristics—is an appealing notion, but in reality it just isn't so.

The full article by Robert H. Brill, Research Scientist, Corning Museum of Glass can be found at:http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=5728

Breaking Pieces From Large Sheets of Stained Glass - Straight Lines

Use a cutting square or other non-slip straight edge to guide the cutter. You can push as in normal stained glass cutting, or you can draw the cutter toward you as glaziers do. In either case, the pressure needs to be even and the speed consistent.

In moving large scored sheets, avoid pulling by the end. The score may run suddenly and not always along the line. Instead, move the sheet with support on both sides of the score. After the glass is scored, you have choices about how to run the score:

One easy way is to move the sheet so the scored line is just inside the edge of the bench. The biggest piece will be on the bench and the smaller piece in your hands. Give a quick, sharp downward push with both hands on the overhanging glass. Having the glass score inside the bench edge gives you a place for the broken off piece to rest, rather than pivoting toward the floor.

You can slide the straight edge under the glass on one side of the score, and press firmly, but not sharply on each side of the score. The glass will break evenly along the score line. This is a more gentle method of breaking the glass. A variation on this is to place a couple of match sticks or glass painting brushes at each end of the score and apply the pressure.

If the glass sheet is of a size that you can hold it in both hands with the score between, you can draw it off the bench, let it hang vertically, and bring your knee up briskly to hit the score line, and it will break easily. This is a showman's way of breaking glass sheets when the score line is approximately centered on the sheet.

Cut running pliers often do not work very well on long straight scores on large sheets of glass. However, if you try this, tapping along the score line before squeezing the running pliers will help the score to run the way you intend. (And defeat the purpose of getting a clean break, as each time you tap the glass you get a ledge on the side of the score line that you tapped). This is sometimes the only way to achieve the break of the score.

Types of glass and their applications

Sheet glass

Sheet glass is used for the construction of stained glass windows, mosaics and fused glass art. When cut into thin strips it can be used for lampworking and when crushed it can be used as frit.

Glass rods

Glass rods are used for lampworking and kiln fusing (if used with compatable glass).

Frit

Frit is crushed glass; fine, med, or coarse sizes.  It can be used in lampworking and fusing to add color to other glass used in an art glass piece.  By filling a glass mold with frit,  you can make cast glass art.  Fine frit can be used for freeze and fuse applications as well as glass clay.

Stringer

Stringers are thin and round spaghetti-like looking pieces of glass used in hot glass applications such as lampworking and firing in a kiln.

Noodles

Noodles are a lot like stringers except that they are flat and a little larger than stringers.  They can be used in the same applications as stringers.

Casting billet chunks

Casting billet chunks are used for casting glass in a mold and other kiln applications.

Jewels

Jewels can be faceted or cast glass.  They are used in stained glass windows.

Nuggets

Nuggets, or glass globs can be used in stained glass windows (when foiled), fusing and mosaics.

Rondels

Rondels can be used in the construction of stained glass windows.

Glass Powder

Glass Powder can be used in lampworking, fusing, glass painting (that would be fired in a kiln) and glass clay.

Dalles

Dalles are slabs of glass that are used in Dalle de verre art.

How much should you charge?

Now that you know how to make stained glass windows, suddenly people are asking you to make custom windows, or other glass art, but you are not sure how much to charge for your work.  One of the biggest issues you will come across when making glass art is the art of pricing your artwork!  You will find that the pricing question is a familiar quandary to artists in all mediums.  Basically, you want people to buy your windows and at times you think that means you have to under price your piece to sell it.

While you work on a piece, you will need to keep a record of the cost of supplies that you have used in your window.  That means, the cost of the glass, foil or lead came, and solder used, plus additional materials.  Next you will need to know how much time it took to make the window.  And finally, how many pieces of glass are in the piece?  Other charges such as for sandblasting, bevels, jewels, roundels, fusing and other elements need to be included in your price list.  

Although leaded glass windows typically have less pieces than foiled windows, you will need to use additional steps in creating the window due to the cementing process.  For that reason our studio charges more for leaded glass windows.  

All in all, pricing your work is not always a formula set in stone.  We never advise under pricing art work just to make sales.  A studio that under prices will eventually end up closing and going out of business.  That also goes for a hobbyist working out of their home.  

Lastly, people buying glass art need to look at the quality of the finished product which they are wanting to purchase.  Sloppy work made quickly in a production factory will probably never look as beautiful as work made individually, carefully and correctly by a skilled craftsman.   Although buyers may find cheap stained glass art in department stores, chain stores and other locations, the quality and durability may never compare to glass art made in smaller glass art studios.  Look at the foil around the glass pieces for uniformity, soldering should be slightly rounded, plus the patterns and grain of glass should all go in the same direction.  In the end it all comes down to...  you get what you pay for!

Soldering irons for glass art

Again, we always recommend that our students purchase a soldering iron specifically made for stained glass.  There are irons made for soldering pc boards that really won't work well for soldering foil or lead came.

Also when soldering lead came our studio glass artisans at Harrach Stained Glass always use  temperature controlled irons or we plug our irons into a Mini Phaser which is pictured below.  Just plug an iron into the Mini Phaser and control the iron's temperature by using the dial on the front of the unit.

We have found that a lot of glass artists prefer to use 60/40 solder for all of their soldering needs.  At our studio we use 60/40 solder on copper foil and 50/50 on lead came.  We also prefer paste flux for lead came and liquid flux for copper foil.

It is also important to always use an iron stand, to allow the iron to be easily laid down while still hot or plugged in, without burning a work surface!

There are quite a few different wattage irons available, such as 40w, 50w, 60w, 80w, 100w and 175 watts.  Some irons have ceramic heating elements, which are supposed to last longer than non ceramic elements.

Weller

Hakko

Inland

How to set up a glass art studio.

We found this information on Dummies.com and it is excellent information for anyone who is interested in setting up a stained glass studio.

Creating stained-glass and warm-glass designs can be a fun and addictive hobby, but to get started you need to go shopping for some basic tools and supplies and develop basic skills. Then you can practice and perfect the different techniques to your heart’s content.

Stained Glass For Dummies

From Stained Glass For Dummies by Vicki Payne

Creating stained-glass and warm-glass designs can be a fun and addictive hobby, but to get started you need to go shopping for some basic tools and supplies and develop basic skills. Then you can practice and perfect the different techniques to your heart’s content.

A Stained-Glass Shopping List

Stained glass is a hobby that requires quite a bit of equipment. Thankfully, most of the equipment is rather versatile and can be used for both copper foil and lead came projects. Some supplies, though, are specially designed for a particular technique. Print off the following shopping lists and take them to your nearest glass or hobby shop to make sure you have what you need for whatever project you’ve set out to create.

General stained-glass tools and supplies

The following tools are needed for both copper-foil and lead-came projects:

·      Basic drafting supplies: These supplies include a metal ruler, white pattern paper, a pencil, and permanent markers.

·      Combination breaking-grozing pliers: You need both breaking and grozing pliers, but you can save a little money by buying just one pair of combination pliers. You can use your combo pliers to help you break glass and fine-tune unwanted glass shards.

·      Flux and brush: Flux is a chemical you have to use to clean any surface on your project that you want to solder; you can’t solder where you don’t flux. You can use a basic disposable brush to paint the flux onto the foil and lead surfaces of your project.

·      Glass: When you first start out with stained glass, you should work mainly with clear glass because it’s less expensive than colored glass. Then, when you’re ready to create your first full-color project, visit a glass shop or go online and purchase some smooth, colored glass (smooth glass is easier to work with than textured glass).

Always buy 25 to 50 percent more glass than you think you’ll need for your project.

·      Glass grinder: This must-have power tool has a diamond wheel that allows you to grind away any unwanted glass edges so your pieces fit together perfectly on your pattern.

·      100-watt soldering iron: A 100-watt soldering iron gives you plenty of heat for all your stained-glass soldering needs. Note that stained-glass artists don’t use soldering guns.

·      Project patterns: All stained-glass projects — even simple sun catchers — start as designs drawn on pattern paper, so the first step in any project is to find a pattern. You can find hundreds of patterns to work with online or in stained-glass books.

·      Safety glasses: Select glasses that are comfortable to wear so you’ll be sure to wear them whenever you work in your glass studio.

·      Self-oiling glass cutter: You can select a pistol-grip cutter that’s easy to hold in the palm of your hand or a barrel cutter that you hold more like a pencil between your fingers. Both cutters have the same cutting heads.

Special copper-foil tools

Before you start your first stained-glass project using the copper-foil construction technique, make sure you gather up the following basic tools and supplies:

·      7/32-inch copper foil: To wrap each piece of glass in your project, you use thin strips of copper foil with adhesive backing. (3/16-inch foil is also common among stained-glass artists, but it’s a little more difficult to work with than the larger 7/32-inch foil.)

·      Foilmate roller: This little tool helps you burnish, crimp, and roll copper-foil tape tightly to each piece of glass in your project.

·      60/40 solder: You need to use solder that’s 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead to hold your foiled glass pieces together.

Special lead-came tools

Before you can start creating stained-glass projects using the lead-came technique, you need to purchase the following tools and supplies in addition to the general stained-glass supplies:

·      50/50 solder: When soldering lead-came projects, you need to work with solder that contains an equal blend of tin and lead.

·      Horseshoe nails: You use these nails to secure glass and lead-came pieces during the construction process.

·      Lead came: Cames are strips of lead that come in either H or U profile shapes. The glass pieces of your project fit into the cames. The most common lead-came sizes are 3/8-inch H, 3/16-inch H,7/32-inch H, and 1/4-inch U.

·      Lead nippers or lead knife: You use these tools to trim your lead came to the correct size when building your projects.

·      Rheostat: A rheostat is a temperature controller that helps you reduce and control the temperature of your soldering iron so that you don’t heat your lead came too much. Note: If you’re working with an iron that has a built-in controller, you don’t need this tool.

Adding Warm-Glass Tools and Supplies to Your Stained-Glass Studio

Glass fusing (also called warm glass) is one of today’s most popular art-glass techniques. It involves heating glass to specific temperatures so that you can form and shape it into fun projects like bowls, vases, and jewelry. Before you can add this neat technique to your studio’s to-do list, though, you need to gather a few warm-glass-specific tools and supplies:

·      Didymium safety glasses: These special safety glasses protect your eyes from the glare of red hot glass.

·      Glass: To make a warm-glass project, you need to buy compatible fusible glass. The two basic categories of fusing-glass compatibility are COE 96 and COE 90.

For any given warm-glass project, you must use one and only one type of fusible glass (either COE 96 or COE 96); you can’t mix the two together.

·      Glass kiln: Kilns are the most expensive tools you have to purchase for your warm-glass studio, so you may want to start small with a kiln that has 5-inch shelves. Then as your interest and skills grow, you can invest in a larger kiln so you can make larger projects. Make sure your kiln comes with its own shelves, posts, and temperature gauges.

·      Heat-resistant gloves: You need to wear special heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands whenever you’re working around the kiln.

·      Kiln wash and brush: You have to apply kiln wash to your kiln shelves and glass molds before you fire your project to keep the hot glass from sticking to them.

Tips for Improving Your Glass-Cutting Skills

One of the first skills you need to master as you begin your stained-glass hobby is cutting out your glass shapes accurately. Here are some tips that can help you get off to a successful start:

·      Select a high-quality, self-oiling glass cutter that fits comfortably in your hand. Always check the oil level in your cutter before you start cutting, and make sure the oil lubricates the cutting wheel as it turns. Add more oil when needed.

·      Purchase a pair of safety glasses that fit your face comfortably. Wear your glasses every time you work with glass to keep your eyes safe from flying glass chips and dust.

·      Make sure you have good lighting in your studio so you can see what you’re cutting. Cutting in low light is dangerous and can lead you to make poor, inaccurate cuts.

·      Stand whenever you cut glass. Applying the right amount of pressure to the cutter is difficult to do when you’re seated.

·      Position all your pattern templates at least 1 to 2 inches away from the edges of the glass.Doing so gives you enough glass to hold when breaking and helps support the glass.

·      Score from one edge of the glass to the other, and don’t apply so much pressure that the cutting wheel crushes the glass. Try not to have any gaps or skips in your score line. You may be overscoring if your score line is bright white and chips of glass are flying from that line.

·      Don’t go back and forth over a score line with your cutter. If your initial score line doesn’t turn out right, move over ¹/₄ inch and try again.

·      Use your hands to break the glass whenever possible. If you need more leverage, use your glass-breaking pliers. If you’re using a pair of breaking-grozing combo pliers, make sure the flat side of the pliers is on top of the glass and the curved side is under the glass.

·      Clean up any rough edges using the ridges inside your grozing pliers or glass grinder. Each cut piece has to be the exact size as your pattern template so all the pieces fit together during the building process.

·      Keep your cutting surface clean and free of glass chips and shards. Use a bench brush or a clean paint brush to sweep your cutting area in between cuts. If you try to cut your glass pieces on top of small chips of glass, your glass may break unexpectedly.

Foil versus Lead: Which Stained-Glass Technique Do You Choose?

When constructing a stained-glass project, you use either copper foil or lead to hold the glass pieces together. How do you know which one to choose? Keep the following factors in mind as you determine which construction technique to use for a particular stained-glass design:

·      Geometric designs lend themselves to lead-came techniques. Making a lot of straight lines meet up nicely (often a key in geometric designs) is difficult when you’re using copper foil. On the other hand, using lead came allows you to hide the small imperfections between glass pieces and keep everything on pattern.

·      Designs with a lot of small pieces work best with copper foil. Copper foil is easier to wrap around small pieces, and it keeps the project from looking bulky.

·      Sun catchers are naturals for copper foil. Because lead stretches, it needs the support of a rigid frame. Sun catchers don’t work well in rigid frames, and if you construct a sun catcher out of lead, it’ll stretch over time and pull apart.