Anyone working with stained glass?

I got a brainstorm one day and decided I wanted to put a couple of stained glass windows into the high peak of the gable end of our new house (when we finally start to build it). The only hitch is that I didn't know squat about stained glass. So, I signed up for a class at a local store.

The class was supposed to be 8 sessions of 2 hours each over a 4 week period (Tue & Thur, 1 - 3). However, I was scheduled for a quick trip to Tennessee near the end of the class, so I only took 7 sessions.

My first project was a 12" x 12" window hanging using an original design. I don't have a picture of it, yet, because I have it wrapped up to give to my wife on our anniversary at the end of August. She's an avid quilter. A few years ago, she made a quilt with overlapping hearts for our anniversary and gave it to me. So, my first project was overlapping hearts in stained glass. It was a simple design so I could completely finish it in the 14 hours I had available.

Anyway, it turns out that I really enjoyed it and want to do more. Now, I have to buy tools and set up a studio. I'd enjoy hearing from anyone else who has done that and get some opinions and recommendations. I won't really have a decent place to set up until the new house is built, but I can squeeze some space in my garage at my present house.

I don't have too much experience with this, but my ex does and she made some really neat stuff. The tools she had that seemed to be of the biggest value were:

A wet grinder (using a diamond abrasive wheel), wet saw (bandsaw), two sizes of setup boards (nothing more than plywood with a perfectly square corner fence to ensure 90 degree angles in the window), and a heat resistant board for soldering on.

Always wanted to try it, but the nearest I have got so far is enamelling, also good fun!

Don.......My brother who lives in Cape Coral has been doing stained glass for the past 15 years or so. He had a special room built in his new house just for his glass workshop. He can tell or show you all you'll want to know about doing stained glass on a hobby level, and be glad to do it. If you're interested, send me a PM & I'll hook you up with him. He's retired career military, & has lots of time on his hands. Let me know.........Tom

Don, I have a friend that worked all last winter on 2 stained glass lamp shades. One was of an elk and the mountains. She enlayed elk teeth around the bottom of the shade. She made it for her husband's birthday. The other was the grape lampshade design that you see alot of. Both turned out very nice. She purchased some dividers to store her different colored glass in, as she has a wide variety. She also has all the equipment mentioned above. Good luck.

Tom, PM on the way. Cape Coral is about 100 miles from our Okeechobee property, but I get over there from time to time, and I'd love to tour his shop if he's willing.

I'm sure I'll eventually build up a supply of glass; my wife is a quilter, and she is always acquiring new fabric. For now, I'll select what I need for each project.

Well, our 41st anniversary is today, and I gave my first attempt at stained glass to Betsy. It was inspired by a quilt she made for us on our 32nd anniversary, and abstract she calls "Intertwining Hearts". Mine is considerably more simple than hers, but I kept it simple in order to learn. It's 12" x 12".

The picture is kinda crappy, I didn't get the camera square so it looks distorted, and I leaned it against a frosted glass window so the landscape outside wouldn't detract from it. The actual "white" glass used in the piece is a clear, rippled glass. The solder lines look black in the picture; they actually have a copper patina. Also, the blue doesn't show up as vibrant in the picture. Looks like I'm going to have to learn a second hobby; photography of stained glass...

OkeeDon said:

Looks like I'm going to have to learn a second hobby; photography of stained glass...

Click to expand...

Illuminate it from behind the glass. You won't see the copper color on the lead but the glass will be much more vibrant.