The Process of creating stained glass
Nothing can evoke a feeling of satisfaction and elation as the creation of art, as
you watch your ideas evolve and come to life. Whether it be painting, sculpture,
landscaping, or designing a home, it all starts with a vision. This is the first step
to creating stained glass art. You must first have an idea of what you want the
end result to look like. Sometimes I look at a piece of glass and then I get an
idea of what I want to create, or sometimes I know what I want to create and
then run around trying to find the right glass for it. Yet at other times, I start with
an idea and I'll change the colors as I go along. It is all part of the creative
process.
When I have a vision , the first thing I do is sit down and start drawing. I may
draw several patterns with the same theme before I am satisfied. On my really
inspired days, I may draw out several different themes. Either way, only a
fraction of my patterns are actually used to create a piece.
If you want to make stained glass and don't want to draw your own patterns,
there are many pattern books you can purchase. These patterns often tell you
exactly which glass and colors are used in the project. However, you can use
the patterns and create you own color schemes.
Once I have a pattern that I want to use and the right glass, I make a copy of
the pattern and cut out the pieces, gluing them to the glass. I then cut the glass
and grind it down to fit the original pattern much like a puzzle. This is a time
consuming process, since I tend to be quite picky about it. The way you cut
and fit your glass will affect how even your lines are in the finished product.
Once the glass is cut, ground, and fitted to my satisfaction, each piece of glass
must be foiled by hand around the edges with copper foil tape. This is , again,
another step in the process that can affect how even your lines are. If the tape
is applied unevenly, some parts of your soldering lines will be too thin of too
thick.
After all pieces have been foiled with copper foil, they are put back together on
the pattern for soldering. Using chemicals, lead, and a soldering iron, I then
solder the pieces together, adding any hardware needed to the art piece.
When buying stained glass, always check the soldering. It should be rounded,
not flat, on both sides. The rounded solder adds strength to the piece. For
instance there are many inexpensive imported stained glass lamps on the
market today that have rounded solder on the outside but flat solder on the
inside, as solder is expensive. I would not purchase a piece that skimps on
solder.
When I am done soldering, I wash the piece to get rid of the chemicals. I then
patina the solder if needed. Patina can turn solder black or a copper color.
Then I gently scrub the piece again and wax it using Carnuba wax. This makes
the solder and glass shiny and bright. Many times stained glass will develop a
white fuzz on the solder. This is from moisture in the air interacting with trace
chemicals in the solder. I have found that in Hawaii, with our high humidity, two
waxings will resolve this problem. As such, all of my items are given a second
waxing before being shipped.
The whole process of creating a piece can take days, weeks, or months,
depending on the size of the art piece and how much pieces of glass it takes to
make the design . For instance, my Ku Tiki lamp has 242 pieces of glass, plus
hardware and took a total of three weeks to finish. However, the end result was
very satisfying.
The creative process can be very satisfying, relieving stress and giving you a
sense of well being that our hectic, busy world cannot give. Even if you think
you have no talent, there are ways to be creative, after all, talent is in the eyes
of the beholder.
DK. Nagano
