About Stained Glass Making Tools

Glass Cutter, courtesy Spring Creek Stained Glass

Making stained glass requires two primary ingredients: the pieces of glass cut into proper shapes, and a lead or copper framework to hold the glass in. There are a series of cutters and sanders used to cut the glass itself and another set of tools used to cut and shape the metal foil. The two are then united with a combination of soldering tools and putty.

Materials

You will want to have starting materials ready before beginning to work with stained glass making tools. These include the pieces of stained glass you want to use and the lead or copper for soldering, along with any patterns you may have created any rulers and pencils. Some people prefer to use a light table, while others use their own lead-shaping tools. It depends on how detailed you prefer to be and what type of stained glass you wish to make.

Glass Cutters

The most vital tool for making stained glass is the glass cutter. The different colors of glass must be cut in the required shapes beforehand, and this can take time. Many glass cutters are handheld, carbon-pointed versions with replaceable tips that let you make clean cuts in most kinds of glass. Diamond-pointed versions are also available, and some prefer to use mini glass-cutting saws, small portable devices that the glass is run through similar to a table saw.

Pliers and Glass Sanding

Pliers are used to move the pieces of glass (especially small pieces) and bend lead edges into shapes that are easier to work with. Along with pliers, many stained glass makers use a variety of sanding tools such as a grinder to smooth or change the edges of their glass. Even if a cut is slightly inaccurate, with the proper grinder or sanding tools a glass artist can smooth the piece into a workable design.

Irons

There are a couple different types of irons that glass makers use. One type is the grozing iron, which uses heat to smooth the edges of the glass and prepare it for attachment. Some type of soldering iron is always used to heat the copper or lead (depending on what type of foil you are using) and weld it together to bind the glass in place. The foil and glass are usually set into the required pattern by this point, and the soldering binds the pieces together. Some type of putty or adhesive is used to make sure the glass sticks to the foil properly.

Lead/Copper tools

Since making the lead or copper framework is a very important step in creating stained glass, there are several different tools used to bend the foil into the correct shapes. Vises, metal cutters, metal knives and other tools are all used to ensure accurate cuts are made in the metal.

References

• "How to use stained glass tools"
• "Stained Glass Basics", by Chris Rich, Martha Mitchell, Rachel Ward