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@eugeneosentoski You don't how large is the piece? Round? Square? Commercial frame or self-made? GENERALLY, you won't need extra reinforcing but it will depend on the size/shape of the piece and quality of the frame

I am making a copper foiled glass piece that will go into a wooden frame. I will mount the copper foiled glass with 1/4 inch strips of wood that will be tacked to the frame. Will it be necessary to add came around the edges for support or will the wooden sandwich of the frame and the 1/4 in strips be enough support? Thanks.

@ Thanks for your question - it's a tricky one. I consulted with one of our knowledgeable instructors that has years of experience creating and repairing stained glass. Any time you add reinforcement to a panel, you goal is to help redistribute the weight in a way that prevents bowing due to the combined influence of weight, time and gravity. This is most frequently achieved by running reinforcement horizontally, but there's no absolute one-size-fits all answer. The size ratio of height to width, the exact pattern design and the overall dimensions are all factors that could result in a decision to reinforce vertically instead. In some instances, artists may decide to build sections of the pattern as separate panels to allow for better distribution of the weight. Whatever way you determine to install the reinforcement, it is important to ensure all solder or came lines that the reinforcement crosses are soldered to the reinforcement, and that the reinforcement is run continuously edge-to-edge and securely soldered to your border. While not providing a definite answer, I hope this helps you take a step back to look at where and how you can add strength to your design.

@dmz2241 There are several approaches you could take for adding a border to the mirror. Probably the most common approach would be to add a came or foil border to the mirror, then solder the border to it directly. This approach will work with most single or double strength mirror, but may not be as sturdy and effective if you're using a thicker mirror. To hang your mirror, you can solder jump rings, custom wire loops or Handy Hangers to the project at the top corners, or near the top on the back (where the mirror joins the border). While you could directly solder a length of wire to support the mirror, many people find using rings that can be directly placed on a hook, or used to attach a hanging wire give them more flexibility to ensure they're able to hang the project at the intended height.

@rozearle Bevel clusters can be assembled with lead came or copper foil, so by all means, add a beautiful bevel to your copper foil project! A bevel cluster shouldn't cause a panel to grow. Bevels are generally handmade, so there can be some slight variance from the layout pattern. Your best bet to ensure you get a perfect fit is to order your bevel cluster before you begin work on your project. Many artists find it beneficial to make any adjustments needed to the bevel cluster, foil and tack solder the pieces together first, then trace the assembled cluster onto their pattern to customize the fit of the background glass pieces.

I am adding a bevel cluster to a copper foil project. Can Bevels be foiled? Also does the bevel cluster add space to the pattern...Do I need to adjust the size for the bevel cluster?

I am making a 3 inch stained glass border around a 20 x 24 mirror. The border will have about 80 pieces of glass. Do I need support for the mirror? Also, what can I add to hang the mirror? Would copper wire soldered between mirror and frame hold it?

@ Creating with a mold that has some texture and depth like this one can be a bit challenging. Our instructors would recommend that cutting 2 layers of glass and fusing them together in an initial firing, then placing the fused glass on the mold and slumping is going to be the most likely way to achieve good results. For slumping, you can use a fairly common schedule with a ramp rate of 200 degrees an hour, the key to getting depth and detail is going to be going to a slightly higher temperature than usual, around 1300 degrees F, but only holding at the top temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before cooling as fast as possible to your annealing soak. Happy fusing, and we sure hope you get a perfect pumpkin plate to enjoy this fall season!

@Willowpond Double-sided silver copper foil is typically only used in applications in which you don't wish to solder the entire length of the foil. This isn't frequently done as most of the strength of the foil comes from the solder bead which builds up and essentially forms a channel similar to came. Most frequently, if you see it used in this manner it is applied in projects that are plated (meaning multiple layers are stacked together to build depth). The portions that need to be flat to allow layers to stack nicely may be left un-soldered, while all exposed surfaces are tinned or soldered.

When do you use silvered topped silver backed foil? I understand the silver back is for clear it transparent glass. Also, if you don t want to bulk up the edge with lead, is it ok to leave it the way it is? No one addresses this foIl. It was given to me a few years ago and I haven t used it before.