Stained glass is an exquisite piece of art created with the combined effort of skilful engineering techniques. You can find it being used as the building blocks of windows in churches, cathedrals and memorial halls, mostly buildings and structures intended to display class and elegance.
It is entirely possible to purchase a bunch of necessary stained glass materials and produce your very own stained glass, since you can easily find tutorial guides and instructional steps online.
A list of stained glass materials to start off
Before you begin, you should already have the following stained glass materials ready by your side. For the best result in mind, it is recommended that you invest some money to obtain quality items instead of settling for cheap materials.
- Solder – An essential material for production of stained glass, solder is created by mixing tin and lead to form a new alloy. Its crucial temperature property is the relatively low melting point, and you can easily subject it to a hot soldering iron and melt it. At room temperature, it will solidify very fast and is very useful in fastening and gripping two different metal pieces together.
- Copper foil tape – This is actually a thin piece of copper sheet meant to be wrapped around the exterior edges of the glass to act as a soldering base. Coming in various widths, you should buy a copper foil tape with a width similar to the glass you will be working with. There should be a slight allowance in terms of tape width so that there is enough tape to stick to the top and bottom surface of the glass.
- Antique patina – As one of the most important stained glass materials you need, antique patina can be applied to alter the color of your stained glass accordingly. You can achieve an antique brass or copper finish, depending on the type of chemical chosen.
- Glass cleaner – When you finish your work, you should use a proper cleaner for your glass. For health and environmental issues, it is recommended to use a glass cleaner with no ammonia content.
Choice of glass being the most important
Among all the stained glass materials, the type of glass you wish to work with is the most vital consideration. Think about it, do you wish to create a beautiful piece of glass ornament, but is still a total beginner in this trade? If that is so, then you should consider working with a standard clear glass first. It is widely available in various glass stores and its low cost enables you to practice your techniques of stained glass creation.
For the more experienced hobbyists who wish to experiment with advanced production, there is the choice of cathedral glass and flashed glass at your disposal. Other than just pictorial designs on a glass sheet, if you have the proper stained glass materials, you can even make different ornaments such as vases and flasks with your own unique images. As you will be working with extreme level of heat most of the time, ensure that you are well-equipped with safety gears to prevent any burns. |
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