Frequently Asked Stained Glass Questions and Comments

Welcome to Frequently Asked Stained Glass Questions and Comments

Stained Glass Questions About Soldering

• "started a project, all was well, after half of the project was soldered had to leave, now solder does not seem to want to stick to the edges... "


ANSWER: It sounds like the copper foil has oxidized. Do you see a white film on foiled edges? One solution I would suggest trying is using very fine steel wool and clean the foiled edges. If this does not work, then you will have to remove the old foil and replace it with new foil. If you find yourself in the middle of a project and have to stop for more than a day or two, remove all flux residue and seal artwork in plastic bag or plastic wrap. Keep artwork air tight until you are ready to finish it.



• "I am having problems with my solder lines. They are dull. They are drying funny. looks like unshiny aluminum and they also look grainy. Thanks for any help it's much appreciated"


ANSWER: I have a few questions for you in order to try to help you. First what type of solder are you using? Is it 60/40 or another alloy composition? When you are soldering, does the solder melt easily? If not, your solder iron might not be hot enough. What type of flux are you using? Is it old or contaminated? When using flux, you should pour a small amount as you use it into a bottle cap. Never place used flux back into the original container. Are you soldering on lead or with copper foil? If using copper foil has the foil oxidized? Copper foil that has been exposed to air for a long time will oxidize and not accept solder evenly. If using lead, and it has sat for a long time lightly rub it with super fine steel wool.


• "Do you put the solder on top of the iron nib or underneth"


ANSWER: It really is a personal preference, though I tend to have the solder slightly under the iron tip.

Stained Glass Question About Learning to do Stained Glass

• "I am a watercolor artist with no experience in stained glass. I am wondering if I could learn to make my own stained glass window which would be fairly large. Would 3 x 5 feet be too large for a stained glass window?"


ANSWER: Yes you can learn to do stained glass. 3x5 is not too large for stained glass. Depending on your design and manner of instillation you may need to include reinforcement. Designs that have geometric lines that extend for one end to the other end of a piece need to be reinforced as they will tend to bend if not reinforced. If the design is made up of varied lines and is installed into a permanent opening, bending and warping are not as much of a factor for a 3x5 piece. Adding reinforcement is an inexpensive addition and will add strength to your work.

Stained Glass Question About Creating a Webpage

• "hello, i have a question acually about SBI. the first time i saw it was actually when i visited your site. i have been looking into it for a few months now but i kept not wanting to get scammed. Last week, i just got let go from my job at which i have worked for over a year. Now i have no real income, and though i have decided to go to college i need a way to support myself. I have been wanting to start Site Build It for a long time because i know i am motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to become a success. But i am still scared. Now would be the absolute worst time for me to lose money. I want to know for sure that it is real. And that i can try it and potentially create a substantial income for myself. Any information you could share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!"


ANSWER: I understand your skepticism. When I first thought about SBI, I had the same thoughts. SBI worked for me because it was a comprehensive program that included everything needed without the add on costs. If you are looking for SBI to provide immediate income, I won't lie to you and tell you that will happen. For me, I had a lot to learn, since I was a true novice on websites and the internet. Working daily on my site, it took me months before my site was up and running. I knew I had the money make guarantee, so I figured I would try. The first year, I did not get rich, but I did make enough money to renew with SBI and had some extra spending money. SBI is definitely not a get rich quick. It does work if you are willing to do the work and use their resources to build your site. Nice thing about SBI is that is all inclusive and for the $299 price you get everything you need with no other hidden cost. The money back guarantee made it safe for me. Please feel free to view the information on SBI which does a better job then I did to see what they provide. I have included some of these links to help you decide if SBI is right for you.

Stained Glass Question About 3D Stained Glass

• "Ive a faint innovative idea :to construct a 1.5m diameter world globe( on its own axis)with stained glass panels. My imagination and visualisation is however limited to the little Ive known(From you)on stained glass art works and thus unable to know where to start. Help me with technical Infomation /instruction.But just to ask afew questions 1.what materials do I use to construct the structure of the globe:a firm and long lasting one? 2.will the glass panels have to be gently curved to take the shape of the spherical globe? Please expound beyond the scope of these 2 questions. I also visualise to have an internal lighting system to illuminate the stained glass panels from within. Thank you in advance"


ANSWER: To construct a world globe, you would do it as if you were making a lamp shade. I would suggest using a styrofoam ball the size of the globe you invision. Cut the ball in half so it can be easily removed. Leave an opening at the bottom to insert a light. As you assemble the glass on the styrofoam ball it will curve to follow the form. For your pattern use a world map of a flattened globe.

Stained Glass Question About Painting Stained Glass

• "I'm going to attempt the "lady bluefish pattern" and i'm not sure what i should do for the black pupil in her eye.....please help."


ANSWER: I would suggest using black glass paint. You can purchase this at your local hobby store.

Stained Glass Questions About Assembling Stained Glass

• "Can I use silicon for joinery in making art work with stained glass?Is it acceptable ,can it work?"


ANSWER: I'm not sure how you plan to use the silicon. If you are using it to adhere the stained glass to another surface, it could work. If you are planning to use it to adhere the different cut stained glass pieces together, I don't think it will provide the rigidity needed. Silicon will allow the glass pieces to bend and bow.


• "I have also been thinking of wheather to use another surface to adhere the cut stained glass to make a pattern(partly because welding the glass pieces together seems hard and requires practical training which I dont have);can this work and can the results be as good as joining the cut pieces side to side;if yes which is the best surface to use for pasting these glass pieces."


ANSWER: The best results will be achieved by soldering the pieces together, but you can use glass glue and adhere the glass pieces to a clear piece of glass. Make sure the glass is clean and free of fingerprints. I would then suggest using grout, ie. floor tiling, to fill any gaps and avoid being cut by glass edges.

Stained Glass Question About Adding Wire to Stained Glass

• "I want to add wire to accent my piece what kind of wire can I solder on I have galvinized and the solder will not stick HELP"


ANSWER: You will need to use copper wire. This can then be tinned, by lightly applying solder. Once tinned, you can choose to leave it silver or use a patina.

Stained Glass Question About Cutting Stained Glass

• "Hi. how do you cut thin strips of glass, about 1/4" by about 2""


ANSWER: To cut a thin strip as you indicated, I would first cut a strip 2 inches in length. This could be done using the Morton System or my marking a line then using your glass cutter to cut the glass by placing the cutter farthest away from you and pulling the cutter towards you. Once you have scored the glass use breaking pliers to break the glass. Now you can make the half inch cuts. Draw a line and score glass. With grozer pliers break the glass.

Stained Glass Questions About Patterns

• "Can any pattern be used for copper foil and lead came?"


ANSWER: The answer to your question is yes and no. To clarify, if the pattern has fairly large pieces and few tight curves then yes you can use it with copper foil and lead came. Copper foil can be used with all patterns, it is especially good with intricate designs. Large pieces will need additional reinforcement which is also true with lead came. Lead Came works well when the design has many vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. If your design has some area where that are intricate as well as many lines, you can use both copper foil and lead came when constructing that piece.


• "need help in finding patterns for colleges. Do you know where I could find such books or patterns?"


ANSWER: I don't know specifically a book that has college patterns, but if you have a copy of the college logo you would like to use for a stained glass piece enlarge it to the desired size you want. Then add lines to accommodate the glass. Remember, glass will break if you try to cut sharp angles.

Stained Glass Questions About Copper Foil

• "I was gifted my mothers stained glass supplies and was wondering how long foil lasts. Hers looks to be pretty old."


ANSWER: If the copper foil was wrapped in air tight container or bags, it may still be usable. Check the foil by removing the backing and examine the adhesive. If the top of the foil has tarnished, it will be very difficult for solder to adhere.

Stained Glass Question About Cutting Glass tp Fit Pattern

• "I am having trouble with my glass after I have cut it, it never seems to fit properly. I use foil shears for the pattern, but it never seems not to fit.Should I use a light box for my pattern instead?"


ANSWER: When I cut a paper pattern, I cut the pattern leaving only a trace of the line on the pattern. Then I trace the paper pattern on the glass with a permanent marker. Using a glass cutter, I cut the glass so only a minimal amount of the permanent marker shows. Then, using a grinder, I grind the glass to the point that the permanent marker lines are no longer visible. Then I dry fit the glass and adjust as needed by grinding areas to make a perfect fit.

Stained Glass Question About Suncatchers

• "I am making suncatcher and I would like to finish the outer edges with solder but I can't get it to stay on, it slows right off. I have tried turning down my soldering iron but no luck can you help me?"


ANSWER: One way is to wrap copper foil along the outside edges of you suncatcher, then lightly tin the foil with your soldering iron. The second way is to use bendable lead came. This is wrapped around the suncatcher and attached by soldering it to the solder seams in the suncatcher.

Stained Glass Question About Tools and Supplies Needed

• "I want to start making stained glass work to sell what are some basic tools and things i should do to begin?"


ANSWER: If I understood your question, you would like to know what equipment and supplies you will need to make stained glass. If you go to the following, you will find information on the essential and optional equipment you will need as well as the supplies needed to make stained glass. If you have further questions, please ask.
Stained Glass Tools
Stained Glass Supplies
Stained Glass Equipment