HOW TO MAKE STAINED GLASS

"How to Make a Copperfoil Suncatcher or Panel"

Materials Needed
1. Soldering Iron 14. Pattern Shears
2. Rubber Mallet/Hammer 15. Black Patine
3. Horseshoe Nails 16. Soldering Paste
4. Glass 17. Paste Brush
5. Burnishing Stick 18. Solder, 2 Kinds: 50/50 and 60/40
6. Exacto knife 19. Copper Foil
7. Sharpie 20. Masking Tape
8. Oil Feed Glass Cutter 21. Pencil
9. Glass Breaker (usually pliers) 22. Q-tips
10. Straight-line Glass Breaker (pliers) 23. Acetone (to cut grease)
11. Pattern Paper 24. Windex
12. Carbon Paper 25. Grozing Machine
13. Pattern  

Grozing Machine

 

Instructions

1. Enlarge your pattern.

2. Select glass.

3. Trace your design on the pattern paper.

4. Cut out pattern pieces with pattern shears.

5. Trace your pattern pieces onto your glass.

6. Cut your glass using the Oil feed glass cutter:

Cutting the glass and laying it on the pattern.

Glass is cut out and ready for grozing.

7. Groze your glass to fit pattern.

8. Copper foil each individual glass piece:

Wrapping the copperfoil around the glass.

Finished wrap of copper foil, ready to nail in for soldering.

9. Lay on pattern.

10. Nail around the whole pattern, so your glass won't move when you solder:

Nail in the panel so it won't shift or separate during soldering.

 

11. Solder. Flat tack front with 50/50 and run with 60/40 solder. Then, on back only, run with 60/40. Note: if you don't intend to frame the panel, add your wire hangers:

Tacking with 50/50 solder to secure joints before full flat tack.

The completed flat tack, ready for the 60/40 bead run.

The completed 60/40 bead run, a beautiful finish to a fun piece!

12. Clean the glass, patina the solder runs, clean again and frame.