Stained Glass Art
Stained glass projects also begin with carefully hand-cut glass which is then pieced together to create the desired shape, size and pattern—just like assembling a puzzle! To start, all of the edges of each glass piece are wrapped with copper foil tape and burnished. Next, flux is applied to the copper, and the pieces are joined using a heated solder made with 60% tin and 40% lead. A patina can also be added to darken the look of the solder joints. Alternatively, a bright silver finish can be maintained depending on the desired look of the project.
Lifting a stained glass piece to the light after soldering the first side is as exciting as opening the kiln to see the results of a fused glass project. Once both sides are soldered, the project is ready to be cleaned, polished, framed, or otherwise finished. All you have to do is install or hang the piece and let the sunshine in!