How-To

For all of you glass hobbyists who would love to work with mosaics but havent gotten up enough courage, this article is for you. This project will give you the chance to create three tiles that are meant to be used as a wall hanging. We used the same process as the one for making stepping-stones. But the main difference in making a wall hanging is the thicknesswe will use only half of the recommended amount of DiamondCrete for the 12 square mold. Our design is an elegant Victorian motif that can be built as shown in three 12 square tiles and hung about 1 apart, or the project can be simplified by using just the center design. Leave out the two pieces to the far right and left of the center design and this would look fine by itself as a wall hanging or a stepping-stone. Just remember to adjust the amount of DiamondCrete for the intended use of the square. You can let your imagination run wild when it comes to cement and glass color combinations for a project like this one. The Diamond-Crete comes in a wide variety of vivid colors that can be mixed or lightened, and appropriate glass colors are unlimited as well. One or two glass colors could

Have you ever noticed ugly, hazy, gray coloration around the edges of your full-fused designs? This is especially noticeable when placing darker colored or iridized glass designs on a lighter colored background but it can happen with any color combination. This phenomenon is known as edge-devit (devitrification) and is most often caused by grinding the glass edges prior to fusing. This also occurs when using a diamond blade saw to cut your glass. One glass manufacturer explains it this way; The roughened edges in the ground area create thousands of tiny points from which crystal growth can easily propagate. The best solution is to score and break the glass as close to your final shape as possible to minimize grinding (or better yet avoid it altogether). If you must grind you could try using a light coat of clear overglaze (i.e. Fusemaster Super Spray) on the ground areas to create a clear surface glaze. This Randys ProTip brought to you by the book, Introduction to Glass Fusing by Petra Kaiser. Visit Wardell Publications .

No two ways about it, getting a good black patina on zinc came can be a problem. But it is not impossible. I sometimes tell my students that the best thing about using zinc on their project, is that it will probably disappear inside their projects wood frame, but that doesnt have to be the case. Follow these few simple steps and youll find that, with a few modifications to standard patina finishing procedure, getting a nice dark finish on zinc isnt such a mystery after all. You wont be able to get a copper sulfate finish on zinc; the chemicals just wont work, but you can get a number of shades from light charcoal to black Step One: Metal Prep Zinc fresh out of the case, like any other metal, will immediately begin to oxidize. You may not be able to see any visible signs of oxidation, but believe me, its there. To combat oxidation in preparation for applying any patina to your zinc, you should first go over the metal surface with a fine grade steel wool (000 or 0000 grade will work just fine. See photo top left). As you do this, you will notice a difference in the finish of the zinc (See photos right). Compare the freshly cleaned areas of your zinc came with untouched ar

Tulips are my favorite flower. They symbolize the coming of spring, new beginnings and the end of winter's cold, dark days. Tulips are not too showy or too dramatic. They are subtle but striking. I think they are perfect. Like most flowers, different colors of tulips represent different feelings and emotions. According to ProFlowers.com, red represents true love, purple represents royalty, white stands for forgiveness and yellow conveys cheerfulness. If you're a beginning stained glass artist and you're looking for a simple lead project that will be treasured for years to come, try this Free Tulip Pattern from Glass Patterns Quarterly . You could make a tulip of every color!

Ah, the perfect scoreevery glass cutters dream . But is there really such a thing? Lets put it this way: If you run your glass cutter around your pattern, apply pressure to the glass surface and the glass breaks predictablywhats so imperfect about that? Nothing really, but if your su cessful breaks are the product of luck rather than skill, well hope for the best, but expect otherwise. To guarantee a good glass score every time takes nothing more than observing a few non-negotiable facts about how your glass cutter interacts with you and your glass. Step One: Get Comfortable You must be comfortable with your glass cutter. If you havent already, find a glass cutter you like, and most importantly, likes you back. That means finding a glass cutter that isnt uncomfortable to hold. You should be able to cut glass without getting fatigued or feeling any pain. Blisters are sometimes unavoidable, but pain and fatigue will undoubtedly frustrate you. The right, comfortable glass cutter will allow you a long cutting session, during which you can concentrate on technique and not be distracted by discomfort. Step Two: Get In Position Position is everything. The wheel at the end

1. Make the glass strips as wide as you'd like your mosaic chunks to be. Strips about 1/2" to 3/4 " usually work well. 2. Snip small pieces off the strip. Aiming your mosaic cutter straight across the strip will produce "squares" and "rectangles." Aiming the cutter at an angle (the same angle each time you cut) will give you "diamonds." A combination of aiming straight across the strip and at alternating angles will produce "triangles." 3. Once you've aimed the cutter, just squeeze the handles until a piece of glass breaks off. Or, you can snip pieces off a larger piece of glass. Cut near the edge and work towards the middle. This will produce random "moon" shaped pieces, which you can use to fill in small areas of background. They also make nice leaves.

By : Rita Levine Skill Level : 2 (Adult 1-5: 1 being the easiest, 5 being most difficult) Time to Complete : 45 Minutes Materials: Fuseworks Kiln Fuseworks Kiln Paper Fuseworks Glass Cutter Wheeled Glass Nippers Ruler Westrim pearl assortment Sterling Silver Plated Square Cabochon Mini Links - Delphi 85435 2 hat pins Earring wires Scrap fusing glass 90 COE Chain-nose pliers Round-nose pliers Instructions: 1. Place white glass on a clean flat cutting surface with the smooth side of the glass facing towards you. 2. Start on an edge of the glass holding the cutter firmly in one hand. Keep the cutter perpendicular to the glass. Push the cutter gently and evenly across the glass. Decrease pressure slightly as you reach the opposite edge of the glass; lift the cutter off the glass at the end. 3. Breaking the score line can be done with breaking pliers. Hold the glass in one hand, with the score facing up. With the other hand, center the score line in the jaws of the breaking pliers about a half inch onto the glass surface. Apply pressure to the handles; you will hear a “pop” and the score will run, breaking the glas

I love my glass grinder. In fact, I have a couple of them. But I dont grind every piece of glass that I cut. For me, its not necessary. If you can cut accurately, and by accurately I mean no bigger or smaller than your pattern, you may be able to cut down on your projects time by trying out a tool that Ive come to love and rely upon, my grinding stone. A grinding stone, or abrasive stone harks to an earlier day in the history of glass cutting, but still has its value when used in conjunction with good solid, glass scoring and breaking technique. In the pre-grinder days, these stones were de rigueur for the well equipped glazier and to put it simply, they got the job done. Learning to use the stone will take about thirty seconds of training; implementing it can save you hours. Step One: Get Stoned Most stained glass suppliers carry abrasive stones. They are not expensive. Get one, you wont regret it. Step Two: Use It An abrasive stone cannot shape your glass pieces the way a glass grinder can, but it can get rid of those nasty little edges on your freshly cut pieces of glass. Instead of taking your glass to the grinder to clean your edges, just run the surface

Every summer around the Fourth of July, I can't help but get nostalgic about all things Americana- apple pie, front porch swings, popsicles, and cuddling up in one of grandma's quilts after a long day in the sun. There's something so comforting about the colors and smells of the summer season. When I first saw this pattern, it brought back even more red, white and blue memories, and I thought it was worth sharing. Here's the patriotic pattern courtesy of our creativity partners at Glass Patterns Quarterly. Enjoy your summer! Design by Pat Stanley. Fabrication by Dave Burnett. Visit www.GlassPatterns.com to order a back issue, or subscribe to their magazine to get their latest designs sent right to your door!

Foiling and crimping. Most glass people either hate it or love it. Its one of those jobs that just has to get done one way or the other. Foiling glass is a no brainer, and the technique can be mastered in a matter of minutes, but crimpingwell , lets just say that it has its variations. One method that I picked up from the productions shop I first worked in has always proved to be the quickest and most efficient: Finger fids. Whats a finger fid? What youll need: 1. Masking tape 2. Your fingers Step One: Extend the thumb, index and middle fingers of the hand you usually crimp your foil with; or if you use a fid, the hand you usually hold your fid with. Step Two: Cut about ten short strips of masking tape approximately 3 long. Step Three: Beginning with any one of your fingers, wrap the tape over the tip of your finger and press it onto the sides. Wrap a second strip over your finger tip at a right angle to the first. Finally wrap a third strip of tape around your finger covering the two tape ends. Step Four: Repeat for your middle finger and thumb (Suggestion: you might want to put an extra layer of tape on your thumb since that finger usuall

1. Make sure that your pieces are clean and dry. Cut a piece of clear contact paper, remove the backing and lay it sticky-side-up over the pattern. 2. This is a perfect way to hold cut glass, globs, jewels, or marbles in place for tack soldering. As you can see in the photo, you can even move the sheet around and, if you are careful, you shouldn’t disturb the glass at all. 3. Tack solder the pieces to each other as you normally would. Then, remove the contact paper and finish soldering the front before turning the project over and soldering the back. Reprinted with permission from Stained Glass News. All rights reserved.