How-To

As a self-described cheap glass artisan who lives in rural Maine , finding or making the tools I need myself (rather than buying them online and having them shipped) is a must. As a total beginner, I found that making frit with my scrap glass was actually messier and more dangerous than I had originally suspected. Hammering away on my back deck proved to be a situation which resulted in wasted scrap glass...and tons of cuts. I finally admitted finding a proper tool to make my own frit was a necessity (to my deck AND my hands) - but $50 (plus shipping) for a Frit Piston was just not in my budget. So I took an hour to roam the Home Depot (which, yes, even in rural Maine you will find one) for ideas on how to hack my own solution. What I came up with, after wandering the isles for an hour and confusing the bejesus out of the HD employees, was a frit maker that was within my budget, easy to clean, easy to transport (albeit a smidge bulky) and perfect for the job...and all available in the plumber's isle. What you need is very simple: (1) 8" Galvanized Steel Pipe (Nipple) with a 2" diameter opening and a 2" cap to thread onto the end (1) 12" Galvanized

GLASKOLBEN cylinders are pre-blown clear glass cylinders with blow pipe ends , used for blowing glass balls. Glaskolben cylinders are used throughout Europe for making Christmas tree ornaments. "Glaskolben" is a German word that translates to "glass bulb." WATCHAVIDEO ONBLOWINGGLASKOLBENORNAMENTS. SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT: Torch head for Mapp Gas use Gas/oxygen torch Glaskolben™ cylinder 90 COE frits and powders for decoration Ornament cap and loop set (available in gold or silver) COMPATIBILITY Glaskolben is compatible with Uroboros and Bullseye 90 COE glass frit and powders. Do not use any other COE as it may cause stress or fracture. HOWTOBLOWANORNAMENT 1. Light the torch and adjust the flame - a broader flame is better. Select a Sealed End Cylinder Glaskolben™ and introduce it into the back of the flame away from the torch. Rotate it as it is brought into the hotter area of the flame. Continue to rotate until the cylinder is glowing red and starts to reduce in size or collapse. However, do not let the neck end of the cylinder get as re

First, gather your table elements. 1. Table cloth 2. Table runner 3. Place mats/chargers 4. China/dinnerware 5. Glassware 6. Cutlery 7. Condiment sets 8. Candles 9. Napkin rings Second, arrange your elements. 1. Forks go on the left, knives and spoons on the right. Work from the outside in, so the cutlery that will be used first should be furthest from the plate. Knife blades should face inward, toward the plate. Cutlery for dessert (spoon or fork) can be placed horizontally above the plate or brought out with dessert. 2. The napkin should be placed to the left of the plate, under the fork(s) or in the center of the plate (as pictured top left.) 3. If serving bread, place a small plate above the forks and include a butter knife. 4. Glasses should be placed above the knives. 5. Dress it up! Add napkin rings and personalized place cards for each guest. Art Glass objects are perfect for jazzing up a dinner table. For more inspiration, read 6 Tips for Decorating Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table with Art Glass. Photo credit: Table setting top left, photos.com

What is dichroic glass? Dichroic glass is regular glass, dressed up. It gets its sparkling metallic colors from a complex scientific process. Glass is placed in a special vacuum chamber, in which quartz crystal and metal oxides are then vaporized. The resulting mist settles onto the glass and forms a unique crystal structure that reflects and transmits light in amazing ways. Coatings by Sandberg put together this great video illustrating the dichroic process. Where did dichroic glass come from? Dichroic glass dates back to 4th century AD , but was more recently used by NASA for dichroic filters. Dichroic glass was discovered in the 1970s by the art glass community and is now a coveted design element due to its unique characteristics. Why does dichroic glass change color? The coatings applied to the surface of the glass create both transmitted color (which is seen when you look through the glass) and reflected color (which is seen when the glass is viewed at an angle). This is why the colors seem to shift and change. How do I know what colors my Dichroic glass will be? Remember dichro presents multiple colors and can be difficult to photograph clearly.

Thanks to a wide assortment of patterns, molds and instruction, its easy for hobbyists to make Tiffany style lampshades. We should mention right away that when we refer to Tiffany Style Lamps, were talking about lamps that are made on a mold (or form the terms are interchangeable). If a mold isn't needed, the lamp would be considered a Flat Panel Lamp . Making Tiffany style lamps is actually quite similar to making stained glass windows. The main difference is that after youve cut and foiled the pieces for your lamp, you solder them together on a mold, instead of on a flat surface. This is what gives the lamp its rounded shape. Most of the pieces in a Tiffany lamp need to be quite small to conform to the rounded mold. Thats why this type of shade, by its nature, has a considerable number of pieces. Most popular designs have about 150400 pieces, although some require nearly 2000. Obviously, another difference between Tiffany lamps and most windows is the amount of time required to complete the project. These lamps can be time consuming. The only supplies you need to get started on your first Tiffany style lampshade are a mold, a pattern and some glass. As far as tools go,

Mosaics add charm and whimsy to any room in your home or corner of your garden. Mosaics are not only beautiful to display, but they are truly a lot of fun to make! Traditional mosaics are made by cutting tiny pieces of glass and fitting them together with just enough space between each piece for grout. Traditions change, however, and today's contemporary mosaics are not only made from glass but broken china pieces, buttons, shells and even Grandma's rhinestone jewelry. To begin, choose an item on which to mosaic- fountains, small bistro tables and stepping stones are good starting places, but generally mosaics can be applied to any and all surfaces. If you've chosen a smooth surface, rough it up first using fine grit sandpaper or score it using a craft knife. A rough surface will allow the adhesive to form a better grip. Next, decide on a pattern for your mosaic. For inspiration visit your local library or book store for a pattern or mosaic book. Once you have an idea for a design, draw it on paper and transfer it to the surface using carbon paper and a sharpen pencil or simply draw it directly on the surface. As with any craft project, the proper tools are essential.

Can I use two pieces of mirror back to back in a window so it will look nice from both sides? Yes, you can. Like any pieces of mirror you use in a panel, youll want to use a sealant of some kind (ask your supplier for a recommendation) on the edges and back side of each piece before placing them back to back. The sealant is used to help prevent black rot a discoloring of the mirror caused when something nasty, most likely the flux , gets between the mirrored surface and the glass itself. The sealant is applied after youve cut and ground each piece of mirror to its final shape. Once the mirrors are cut and sealed, hold them back to back and wrap a wide foil (probably 3/8 if youre using 1/8 thick mirror) around the edge of both pieces together. You now have a piece thats 1/4 thick. Keep this in mind when you solder it in place because its going to stick out on one side of your panel or the other (or a little on both sides). I hope you werent planning to construct this window with lead, because itll be hard to find a came appropriate for the job. Another option is to use front surface mirror . Its reflective on both sides so you dont need to plate two pieces togethe

There are several reasons why crafters might grind every piece of glass. One would be because they arent able to cut their pieces accurately with a glass cutter, or they are incredibly picky about the way their pieces fit. A more likely reason is that by touching every edge against the grinder head, it smooths all of the sharp glass edges. This removes any flared or irregular edges which means less cut fingers. Some people feel that they have better luck foiling a ground surface than a slick one. This is probably due to the edge being perpendicular after grinding more than it is to the fact that the edge has been roughed up. Keep in mind that if you run the grinder along every glass edge, you need to carefully clean each piece to remove the glass dust created by the grinder. Otherwise, the dust will keep your foil from sticking. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News . All rights reserved. Photo of Peacock Panel by AmberLyn's STG ; 2011 Art Glass Festival Entry

After I finish soldering, there are little splatters of solder stuck all over my panel. How do I clean these up? Doesnt it look just terrible! You wonder if it will ever get clean. But dont worry, it really isnt as bad as it looks. Any of the splatters that are not connected to a solder seam can usually be removed with your fingernail (after the solder has cooled!) or a soft stick, like a craft stick (top left). Be careful not to use anything sharp that could scratch the glass. This includes most steel wool (except 0000). Most scrubbing pads for dishes will work, but you should try them on a piece of scrap glass. You dont want to scratch your project now! Any splatters that are connected to a solder seam will need to be refluxed and melted off. Trying to lift it off with your soldering iron will generally leave a peak, so youll have to melt it into the solder seam at that area. If the splatter is too large to melt into the seam, youll have to melt the seam and remove the excess by quickly pulling it off to the side with your soldering ion. You may notice that you get more splattering when soldering the second side of your project. Thats because the flux gets t

The grinding head on my grinder is frozen on the motor shaft. How do I remove it? You may find that you can move the grinder head down, but not up and off, the shaft. This is due to the shaft becoming larger for one of two reasons. First, glass, dust and debris accumulate on the shaft. This coating builds up and makes the shaft larger. The second possibility is a nick or scar on the shaft, causing the same thing. In either case, push the bit down to get it out of the way. Then, using a fine steel wool, gently polish the motor shaft (with the motor running) for about a minute. The bit will usually then just lift right off! If this attempt does not work, you can apply an anti-seize liquid or spray (such as WD-40) onto the grinding head and motor shaft. Wait 10 or 12 hours and try removing the bit. As a last resort, you can try using a faucet handle/washer remover (from a friendly plumber or hardware store). This tool is used by placing the center of the remover on top of the motor shaft and the pullers beneath the outer edges of the bottom of the grinding head. Here are a few things you can do to help prevent your grinding head from becoming frozen onto the motor

My panels always grow, even though I use pattern shears. Should the pieces, once cut and ground, fit in the white part of the pattern leaving the black lines to represent lead or foil? That is exactly where the pieces should fit. But as you have found out, sometimes thats easier said than done. Lets take a look at all the places your pieces can grow: 1) Making a copy of your pattern for cutting out pattern pieces. First, determine if the line width on your pattern is appropriate for copper foil or lead. When tracing the pattern, try a few different felt pens until you find one that is the appropriate width for the technique you are using. The wrong width pen may cause the pattern pieces to be either too big, or too small. A good way to determine the appropriate width is to make some test cuts using your pattern shears. (There are two sizes of shears, one for lead and one for copper foil.) 2) Cutting out the pattern pieces. Using the appropriate pattern shears, remove the black line (which represents the foil or lead). If you dont use pattern shears, be sure to cut the entire black line away. 3) Tracing your pattern pieces onto the glass. Once your pattern