Taking up stained glass as a hobby - what do you need
to get started?
When just plain glass is a pane and you're in the frame
for something different - buy yourself a stained glass kit and get
started!
The Art Of Stained Glass by :
keith
As with all forms of art, its beauty is defined by the sensations it
arouses. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect in the art of stained glass
is in its' versatility. It's durable, yet fragile, challenging, but
yielding to the experienced hands of the artist. I discovered this form
of art some seven years ago when my girlfriend and I decided to take a
series of evening classes at a local stained glass retail store. We took
six classes and I have been hooked ever since.
If you are in need of a way to take away the stresses of everyday life I
would recommend stained glass as great way to download and at the same
time get into a new hobby. It is a form of self-meditation. The steps
you'll follow in arriving at your finished work of art will teach you
self-discipline, and provide a great sense of artistic achievement. And
if you're like me, you will not be able to get enough of it. That's when
you'll want to expand out and begin doing projects for others.
But be careful, once word gets out that you're into stained glass, all
of your relatives (you know the ones) will be the first to ask you to
make them something. Actually, it's not so bad at first, because they
make great test cases and you'll want to experiment.
Where to begin? I suggest a visit to your local stained glass retailer.
While not all towns have one (here is a great business opportunity for
you) a look into your telephone book should yield a location or two or
you can perform an Internet search for local retailers. Start by
inquiring into whether or not they run classes. Most retailers usually
do because it's a source of increased revenues to them (they know that
you'll probably be buying your supplies from them). Cost of classes will
be relatively moderate for the same reasons. Check out your local County
Colleges as well. My instructor also taught night classes there.
TIP: Bring a friend with you; it will add to the fun and you'll be able
to compare notes.
The place you'll be taking the classes from will no doubt also provide
you with the basic beginners kit, which will contain the tools needed to
get you started. Expect to find a glass cutter; there a variety of types
and you should choose the one that your most comfortable with. I have
tried a variety myself but in the end settled for the basic non-oil
filled type. A breaker, similar to pliers, is used to snap off the glass
after being scored. A specially designed scissor is used to cut out your
pattern, and of course a soldering iron is used to join the cut pieces
of glass together. Expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $100.
There are other items that you'll need along the way, but they will be
available to you during your classes, such as the grinder, which is used
to grind down excess glass, not removed by the cutting process and to
polish off the edges of the cut glass. This last part is important
because of the foiling process that takes after the glass is ground
down. Foiling is a process whereby the copper foil is placed around the
edges of the ground glass. The foil is sticky on one side allowing it to
adhere to the glass. The purpose of the copper foil is to provide a
surface for the solder to stick too.
A word on foiling. Most of us are familiar with the traditional form of
stained glass that we have encountered in churches which employ the use
of a lead came between the glass pieces. Copper foiling is an
alternative to the lead came and is no doubt the first place a new
student to the art of stained glass will begin. Only after one has
mastered the foil, should you proceed to the came. Besides, foiling is a
much easier process, especially for the beginner. I still prefer this
method over the came method.
There is a little more to the art of stained glass than what I have
described thus far, but the fundamental steps outlined below will give
you a basic outline on what to expect.
- Plan your design; will it be for a window, skylight... the
possibilities will astound you. Let your imagination take you.
- Sketch out your design or use a bought pattern available through
your retailer.
- Cut out the individual pieces from your pattern using those
special scissors I mentioned earlier.
- Apply the cut pattern pieces to the glass to be cut.
- Using the glasscutter, score and break (not in the literal sense)
each piece.
- Grind off the excess glass.
- Foil each piece of glass.
- Solder the pieces together.
- Clean your work.
- Display your masterpiece!
You will soon come to discover your own favorite step in the art of
stained glass. For some, it will be in the designing stages, that
challenge of coming up with your own unique design. For myself, my love
for the art lies in the cutting of the glass.
There is a final moment of truth that comes after you have scored the
glass with the glass cutter; this is the part where I hold my breath. As
you force the glass to run (I'll explain that in another article),
you'll begin to see the glass crack along the scored line as you hoped
it would. With all things in the universe being wonderful, the glass
breaks as you had intended. Occasionally it won't; that's the breaks!
But don't worry, glass is relatively inexpensive and you'll get it the
next time.
About The Author
Keith Londrie II has put up an informative web site about stained glass
at
www.stained-glass-info.info/ Please
feel free to drop by the web site to learn more about stained glass.
Keith Londrie II klondrie @ yahoo.com
www.stained-glass-info.info/
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