How do you secure a panel into the garden stakes, fireplace screens and/or Wooden boxes?
The fireplace screens do have clips available to secure the stained glass panel. Another option, which can be used for all, is to use a silicone adhesive to seal your panel into its frame.
Is it safe to do stained glass when you are pregnant?
Although the risks are miniscule if you use proper safety procedures, this is an individual decision that you should discuss with your health care provider. It is important to remember that you are not only handling lead, but may be inhaling small amounts of mists and fumes from flux when soldering. If you choose to continue creating in stained glass during your pregnancy we recommend that you work in a well ventilated area, do not ever eat, drink or smoke in your workshop, and wash well after handling chemicals or lead. You may want to invest in a small air filter system and a respirator mask to help further reduce your exposure. Shepherd's Hand Soap is designed to help wash away heavy metals and is a worthwhile investment whether you are expecting or not and should be used after cleaning up your workshop for the day to remove any residue from your hands. A popular way to stay involved in stained glass during pregnancy is to consider trading tasks with a friend. Perhaps you can do their grinding and they'll solder for you? As always we hope you will use common sense and good health practices during your pregnancy and after.
Finding the right grinder bit
If you're not sure what bit your grinder uses, check out Delphi's bit compatibility chart. It's in the grinder section of our annual catalog, and it's also online.
Reordering your favorite glass in a glass pack
Not all our glass packs have each piece of glass labeled with their own item numbers. If you goal is to try out glass, and then reorder what you like, make sure to order glass packs that have item numbers on each piece of glass - there's a lot to choose from! We always note in our catalogs and on our website when glass is marked with item numbers.
Patterns: full size vs. enlarging
Remember that many pattern book manufacturers do not provide full size patterns in their books. These books often come with enlargement instructions, but if you're looking for patterns that are ready-to-go at the size you need, make sure to look for "full size patterns" in the book description.
Framing Stock: Is It Necessary To Use Came Around The Panel?
I have a question about your framing stock. Do you still put U-channel lead around the edges of the pieces you are going to frame with your framing stock? I am a little unclear about this.
It's not necessary to put a "U" channel around the window. If you do, I would suggest using adjustable "U" channel for 2 reasons. 1) It won't hide as much of the glass around the perimeter. 2) The window panel will then fit snugly into the framing stock instead of moving around loosely.
Glass Selection for Odyssey Lamp
The Odyssey System really should include a color representation and suggested square footage for the glass (with a disclaimer about it being an estimate and all that). My fellow students who are using the Worden System received color keys and glass estimates with their forms and it saved them some time. Do you have any suggestions?
Uroboros Glass publishes a listing of their glass in reference to the lamp poster published by Odyssey; the poster is now out of print. The square footage values listed are approximations that are about 35 to 40 percent more than what would be necessary to complete the lamp. This allows for a larger variety of color selection so that you can choose from the choicest areas of the glass and complete the BEST looking lamp on the block! Just request a free copy of this list when ordering a Odyssey lamp mold and pattern.
