What to Learn in a Beginner's Stained Glass Class

Just like in most other arts, one stained-glass instructor is different from another. Nevertheless, learning from someone with experience ensures you acquire invaluable knowledge. By attending a class you save plenty of time. The basic techniques for leading, scoring grinding and breaking stained glass are among the things you'll learn as well as basic tool needed for one to complete a stained glass project.

The things you will learn in class include; colors, textures and types of stained glass, techniques used in glass selection and optimization of colors in one's design.

You might have an easy stained glass suncatcher from a pattern as your first project and be able to make a tiny stained glass panel but this depends on the length of your class.

First you will select a glass for your project. Then you will be taught the best way of holding a scoring tool and ways of using your hands, running pliers or groziers to break the glass that you have scored. Note that scoring is performed on the smoother side of the stained glass.

For you to be able to break the stained glass successfully its necessary to learn the technique involved in scoring straight lines and inside and outside curves .Your teacher will advise you on the best tools to use and the tricks to make this easier. To allow you to make a choice on which tool works best for you, the teacher should provide you with different types of tools.

The other thing to learn is the use of a glass grinder to smoothen the edges and adjust pieces to fit the design. Remember to leave enough space for the copper foil or lead that will be used to wrap the pieces as you lay the pieces on the pattern.

You will either be taught the lead came method or the copper foil method though the copper method requires a lot of practice. You will also be taught how to use cutting tools to enable you to cut and fit the came properly.

There are several tools for wrap and burnish foil. Try and use the various tools.

If doing the foil stained glass project, you are most likely to make us of flux to make the foil that you'll use to solder it. This means that you will be taught the mechanisms for using a soldering iron as well as how to tin the foil.

As for the lead came project, soldering the joints and filling up the lead and glass with putty is a must learn. Next you learn the way to add a patina. The patina turns the solder black making the stained glass' colors to pop out.

Lastly, you will be taught the ways of cleaning and polishing the completed stained glass panel once you have framed your project.