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.

Nice glass fusing tutorial by Karen Godin in 2006.

This is not exactly a step-by-step tutorial...but several people expressed interest in gaining a better understanding of what I do - so, I took some pics as I worked on a recent project, and these are the results.

1. I purchase glass in large sheets, then cut them down into more manageable pieces, depending on what I plan to do with them.

The colour choices are astounding, so I really have to know what I'm going to do BEFORE I go to the store. Fusible glass is very expensive - a single, small piece (less than 1sq foot) can range from $9-$35 & more, depending on what you choose.

p.s. this pic shows a selection of OPAQUE glass that I use in my "Bloom" Series designs, etc... but for this project, I will be using TRANSPARENT glass to allow for the sunlight to pass through.

2. Depending on the design I have in mind, I usually find it easier to cut most of the glass that I plan to use BEFORE doing anything else.

I use special glass cutting tools to score, cut & "break" the glass.

I rarely plan out a design on paper - just envision it in my head & go from there.

In this project, I was commissioned by artist, TIM KLINE, to produce glass "sails" to be integrated into one of his functional art wind chimes or sun catcher creations. Tim draws on nature for his inspiration, so that guided my colour choices...and design.

I wanted glass that had a fluid feel with colours that you'd find in the ocean.

3. The tools of the trade include: a glass scorer/cutter, a rubber based bar (whose technical name escapes me at the moment) to guide the score, breakers (large & small), glue, ruler/tape measure, pen & cutting surface.  And, of course .... a kiln.

4. Once I've cut most of the glass needed for a project, I begin arranging the pieces in the design that appeals to me, cutting them to size as I go along. I use a base of clear, fusible glass (but could use a coloured piece if desired).

Tim is going to hang these pieces as diamonds, so that is how I arrange the design. I don't glue them on until I'm happy with the way they lie.

The cuts have to be quite precise, or there will be big gaps in the finished piece - NOT a desired result!

5. Now, I glue all the pieces to my base glass. Once this is done, the piece is ready to be fired.

However, I wanted to experiment with a technique using GLASS FRIT, which is essentially ground glass. It comes in FINE (requires mask), Med & Coarse grains. I like the Medium & Coarse variety best.

I've used the Coarse in my Red Sun Coasters & enjoy the textured effect. In this case, I'm NOT looking for texture because it's probably going to be an outdoor piece & will be easier to clean if flat - so, I've chosen med grain, in an seaweed green colour.

I mix it with glue to make it easier to apply and use a tool (no idea what it's called) to place it.

Frit is sold by the ounce (~$2/ounce, if I remember correctly)

6. The result I'm looking for is to blur some of the harder edges where they connect in the design. I want to accentuate that fluid, watery effect.



7. Once I've completed a piece, I set it aside to dry, and move on to the other pieces in the set.

Sometimes, I will do several pieces simultaneously, but because this was a new design, I wanted to be sure of the result before doing the other pieces.

8. Now that I've completed all my pieces, I am ready to fire the glass in the kiln.

This picture shows Tim's 3 "sails", as well as a couple of other pieces I did using the same glass.

9. So, these are the finished "Sails". The dimensions are 8x8, 6x6 & 4x4. I'm looking forward to seeing how Tim chooses to integrate them into one of him amazing creations!

This is a close-up of one of the sails to better show the effect of the frit in the transparent glass.

I'm very pleased with the results!

I invite you to peruse my portfolio at your leisure! =}

Today's glass fusing tutorial was written and posted on a message board in 2006 by Karen Godin.  It is an excellent tutorial for glass fusing and we hope our readers enjoyed it as much as we do.

Tutorial - Intro to Enameling

We hope you check out this excellent tutorial on enameling. It was posted on the Copperheart Designs blog and is full of valuable information for anyone thinking about getting into enameling.


It may be a cliché, but enameling is one of those techniques that takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master. If you've ever wanted to try enameling, don't be intimidated, it's very easy to get started. Enameling is great because you can get very satisfying results right away, but with practically endless enameling techniques to try, you will never get bored! This tutorial will teach you the basic first steps of enameling- how to fire a coat of enamel onto a flat metal piece.

Enameling is the art of fusing glass to metal. The basic procedure for enameling is to apply the enamel to clean metal, and heat the piece either in a kiln or with a torch to a temperature of 1500 degrees or so, until the glass enamel melts and fuses to the metal. Enamels come in powdered and liquid forms, but powder is more commonly used because it is easier to apply and comes in a wider range of colors. Enamel can be fused to gold, fine silver, copper, and steel. You can enamel on sterling silver too if you depletion gild or "bring up the fine silver" first, but that would be a whole different tutorial. I would recommend starting with copper, because it is very inexpensive compared to gold and silver, and it is very easy to work with.

Safety: The main safety issue when working with enamels is the heat. Make sure you are firing away from flammable materials, on a heat proof surface. Don’t leave your kiln unattended when it is hot. If you are using a larger kiln, you will want heat proof gloves to protect your hands. Wear tinted safety glasses to protect your eyes from the light of the torch or kiln. If you are sensitive to dust, you may want to wear a dust mask when sifting enamel.

Materials:
-Copper sheet, 18 or 20 gauge and jeweler's saw or disc cutter to cut out shapes
OR
-Precut copper shapes from an enamel or jewelry supply company
-80 mesh enamels- you can get enamels from various places, but I like Thompson Enamel
-Holding agent- this is an organic gum solution that acts as a sort of glue to hold the enamel powder on the metal
-Sifter- you can buy these in various sizes from enamel supply companies or make your own by cutting the bottom out of a plastic cup and gluing in a piece of fine screen
-Jeweler's file
-Tweezers
-Ball Clay or Scalex (optional) - This is a clay slip like substance used to coat the un-enameled side of a piece during firing.
-Pickle Pot and Copper Tongs- to clean metal
OR
-Pumice powder, scouring powder, or commercial metal cleaner to clean metal.

For Kiln Firing:
-Kiln- there are two basic types of kilns. The cheaper kind (which I have) is called a beehive or hotplate kiln. It's basically a heating element set inside a round chamber with a domed lid. This kiln is great for doing small pieces, but it does have its limitations. The other kind of kiln is like a little oven with a door that opens in the front. These can accommodate larger pieces, and you can get them with fancy features like temperature controls and shutoff cycles.
-Metal Spatula or fork- for moving pieces in and out of the kiln
-Firing Supports- Trivets and/or wire screens. The firing support should hold the enamel while firing and allow you to transport the enamel piece in and out of the kiln with your spatula. The trivet is made with three or more angled metal arms that hold the enamel by its edges. Some trivets have built in legs so you can slide your spatula under them to move them. Some trivets don't have legs and need to be placed on a wire mesh firing screen with the corners bent down. You can also improvise a piece of steel with bent down corners to set your trivets on (see the firing photos below)

For Torch Firing:
-Torch- Any kind of torch used for jewelry making will work. I use a super basic propane torch from the hardware store. It's inexpensive and convenient, but doesn't get hot enough to fire pieces larger than 1" in diameter. Acetylene and propane/oxygen torches get hotter, and can fire larger pieces.
-Firing supports- Trivets. For torch firing you need something you can get your torch under to fire the enamel from below. A tall enough trivet will work or you can get a tripod with a mesh screen on top and set your trivet on that.

Preparing the metal:
-Cut the shape you want out of copper sheet, or use a precut shape.
-If you want to dome or otherwise form the metal, do it now.
-Clean the metal- I find the best way to do this is to heat the metal to a dull red with a torch to burn off all the dirt and oil, and then pickle it. Otherwise, you can scrub your metal with pumice powder or household scouring powder, or use a commercial copper cleaner. Once your metal is clean don’t touch it! The oils from your fingers will prevent the enamel from adhering properly. Use tweezers to pick up the metal.

Sifting the first coat:
-You will want to enamel both sides of your metal. The enamel on the back of the piece is called the counter enamel. If both sides of the piece will be visible when finished, choose an appropriate color. If the back will not be seen, you can use mixed odds and ends of enamel.
-When firing the first coat of enamel, the other side will be blackened by the heat of firing. There are two ways to deal with this. You can use ball clay or scalex to coat one side of the metal before applying enamel to the other side. This is a sort of clay like product that protects the metal during firing. You just paint it on and after firing it flakes off the metal. Otherwise, you can just enamel one side and then pickle the piece to remove the oxidation from the bare metal. I prefer this method, because it seems to work better and it’s less messy.
-Holding your metal in a pair of tweezers, either spray or paint on a thin layer of holding agent. You want just enough to hold the enamel powder onto the metal, not a big puddle.
-When sifting the enamel, you can set the metal piece on a piece of glossy magazine paper to catch the extra enamel. If you are making a larger piece, it helps to put a something under the metal to lift if up off the paper and make it easier to pick up. A soda bottle cap works nicely. Otherwise, you can hold the piece in a pair of cross-lock tweezers directly over the jar of enamel while you sift. I like to do this when making small pieces.
-Put some enamel in your sifter, and gently tap the sifter with your finger to springle enamel onto the metal. You want to apply a thick enough layer of enamel to cover all the metal, but not too thick. It might take a few tries to get it just right, so do some experimenting.
-Once the enamel is applied, let the holding agent dry completely before firing. If you try to fire a piece before it is completely dry, the liquid will boil away causing enamel to pop off of the piece. If you are kiln firing, you can set the piece on its firing support on top of the kiln lid to dry. If you are torch firing, you can set the piece on its firing support and very carefully heat it from below to dry it.

Kiln firing:
-Use your spatula to transfer the piece on its firing support into the kiln. Firing times vary depending on the enamel color, the thickness of application, and the size of the piece, so you can’t really time the firing. Take a peek every so often to see how the piece is progressing. First the enamel will start to melt into an orange peel texture, then it will fuse fully and smooth out.
-Once the enamel is fully fused, use the spatula to remove the piece from the kiln. Let it cool on its firing support






Torch firing:
-With the enamel piece on its firing support, heat the piece from below with your torch. The enamel will blacken where the torch hits it. You will be able to see the progression of the enamel melting and fusing to the metal. Even if you are using a kiln, I would recommend torch firing a piece to get a better understanding of what happens during the firing process.

Sifting additional coats:
-File the edges of the metal to remove any oxidation or stray enamel. You will need to do this after each coat you fire.
-Clean the un-enameled side of the metal thoroughly.
-Sift a coat of enamel onto the un-enameled side.
-Dry and fire as before.
-Continue to apply coats of enamel until you are satisfied with the appearance of your piece. Chances are your first coat won’t look so great. It may be uneven or bumpy. As you apply more enamel, you will get more even colors and a smoother surface. Three coats of enamel will usually give pretty good results. Try layering different colors of enamel. Experimentation is key when learning how to enamel, so get yourself a bunch of little pieces of copper and go to town.

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.