Tips & Techniques

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.