Stained glass is the product of artistic and decorative works on glass. Stained glass has been used for ages to add an aesthetic touch to glass surfaces, such as windows around our living spaces. Decorative stained glass also increases the rate of glass sales. There are numerous techniques for making stained glass, and they require a wide range of recommended specialist and non-specialist tools and equipment to create stained glass.
If you are interested in a decorative glass piece, window repairs, customized windows, learning a new glassmaking skill, or glass-making supplies, visit Smith’s Stained Glass in Prunedale, CA, for all your stained glass needs. Mr. David Smith will be happy to give you his recommendations in person if you join his stained glass-making class.
Tools to Create Stained Glass
The equipment used in stained glass making will vary with the different techniques involved in making each specific stained glass design. The popular stained glass-making methods include applique, leading, fusing and copper foil techniques.
The following are tools needed for most stained glass projects:
- A board to serve as the cutting surface.
- A scoring device to break the glass along desired lines.
- A ventilation system to depollute the emitted vapors.
- A grozing instrument to cut the rough edges of the glass.
- Lead scraps.
- A scouring brush for applying and removing cement.
- A lead knife to manipulate the lead.
- A soldering iron to attach the pieces of lead.
- A glass grinder for polishing textures and delicate curves.
- A lightbox to check the design of gaps.
- Protective gear such as goggles and gloves.
There are specific tools that you will require to ease the stained glass making process, including;
- A soldering helping hand. This tool helps hold the stained glass vertically when soldering the glass edges. It is flexible and has a firm and secure grip from any angle of the working surface.
- Glass cutting tools. These tools grip and firmly hold a piece of glass as it cuts through it to form different symmetrical patterns. These tools include a comfort-grip super cutter, custom-grip super cutter, strip and circle glass cutter, grozer pliers, and Silberschatz Glass Cut Running Pliers.
- Glass grinding tools are used to shape and smoothen the edges of the stained glass. They include griffin twister stained, inland Craft Wizling, and grinder cookies.
- Soldering equipment and materials helps seal the stained glass edges with iron or lead strips. Dual Solder Reel Stand is an example of such a tool. You will need materials like tip tinners or flux to clean the dirt that builds up on the iron tips.
- Lead came equipment and materials such as Craftsman Edge Utility Cutter, and Rutland Stove Polish are crucial in cutting narrowing angles in lead came and blackening the leaded panels.
- Drills are vital in engraving and drilling holes through the stained glass, enhancing a unique touch.
Stained glass-making needs some expertise, creativity and high-quality glass-making supplies. If you are in Prunedale and its environs and need to increase your glass sales, custom stained glass windows, top-quality decorative custom stained glass pieces, or learn how to make stained glass, Smith’s Stained Glass is your number one go-to place. Our lead glass expert, Mr. David Smith, will be glad to offer his recommendations in person if you enroll and attend his stained glass-making classes.