Representing Acute Angles in Leaded Glass

False lines are used in leaded glass where the design calls for an angle that cannot be cut into the glass. This includes right angles and even more acute angles. E.g., the petals of a fuschia flower. The design would call for an angle of about 60 degrees. This is impossible to achieve through cutting. So the glass is cut in a curve and the cames on the side and bottom of the petal have their hearts cut out so they overlap each other. The overlap is then trimmed to the shape of the outside of the petal. When soldered, the appearance is of the glass being cut at the angle required for the flower.

Dams for Drilling

For those who find putty or plasticene too insecure, it is possible to use a plastic bottle with the bottom and top cut off, and secured with hot glue. This will provide a non-slip dam for the water while drilling.

Glass Painting Tools

The tools needed for glass painting are few and relatively common, although the blender is specialised. The minimum you need are:

Glass palette –
A slightly etched glass sheet on which to grind and mix the paints

Palette knife –
A paint knife with a flexible metal blade used to mix and pile the paint

Tracing brush –
A thin and long-haired brush used to apply paint to glass. Sable is considered superior, as it can hold a lot of paint allowing long lines.

Badger blender –
A wide and flat brush made of badger hair used to blend or evenly disperse a layer of paint on the glass, or to stipple a fine layer for a pin-hole effect

Stippler –
A round, thick brush used to apply wet paint and create a stippled matt

Soldering Irons and Rheostats

People often want to have variable temperatures for decorative soldering.

It is often recommended to use a rheostat in circumstances where the soldering iron does not have an internal temperature control. The rheostat reduces the current reaching the iron. The degree to which you have to do this is related to the speed or amount of work you are doing with the iron. With reduced current, the iron can not build up to its previous temperature so quickly. Therefore, it is a matter of individual practice on the rheostat setting you use.

Temperature controlled soldering irons attempt to maintain a set temperature. This is controlled by the combination of the microchip in the iron and the tip. So to adjust your temperature all you need is a few different tips. For example, a number 7 tip lets your iron heat to 700F degrees. For decorative soldering your need tips of lower temperatures, usually a number 6 or 600F degree is enough of a reduction for most decorative stuff. A number 8 tip (800F) will let you work at a higher temperature if you work quickly.

You can buy an iron (not temperature controlled) and a rheostat but buying tips for the temperature controlled iron is cheaper. A rheostat is NOT a temperature controller. A rheostat actually reduces the power supplied to the iron, thereby making it take longer to heat or re-heat after a period of soldering. Many people advise that using a temperature controlled iron with a rheostat can damage the thermostat. Using an iron without a rheostat, provided you work relatively quickly, you will probably be able to solder all the joints in a small or medium panel without stopping to let the iron 'catch up'. In this case the temperature is controlled by the heating power of the iron balanced by the cooling effect of making the soldered joints.

With a temperature-controlled iron, if it is left idle, it will quickly reach its maximum operating temperature - just as quickly as an uncontrolled iron of the same power. When you start soldering, the cooling effect will trigger the temperature controller to provide full power until the operating temperature is reached again. Using an iron with a rheostat, you will need to slow down a little if you are to do that same panel without stopping to let the iron re-heat. In this case the temperature of the iron is controlled by the (reduced) heating power of the iron balanced by the same cooling effect of making the soldered joints.

Without a rheostat, if an iron is left idle, it will eventually reach its maximum temperature. This is usually too hot for soldering lead, but OK for joining other metals. With a rheostat, if an iron is left idle with the rheostat set to (say) '6', it will still reach its maximum temperature but very much slower than the one without a rheostat.The big advantage of the temperature-controlled iron is that you know it will never get too hot for the work you are doing, and that it truly provides that 100 watts (or whatever) power to keep it hot even when you are soldering at top speed.

Soldering Irons

GeneralHistorically soldering tips were copper, placed in braziers. One tip was used, when the heat had transferred from the tip to the solder (and depleted the heat reserve) it was placed back in the brazier of charcoal and the next tip was used.

Much later gas irons were in common use. These used a gas jet to heat the soldering bolt/tip. They are very fast, but require significant amounts of experience to properly regulate the temperature.

Currently, electric soldering irons are used; they consist of coil or ceramic heating elements, which retain heat differently, and warm up the mass differently, internal or external rheostats, and different power ratings - which change how long a bead can be run.

SelectionThe soldering iron used must be of a high enough wattage to readily melt the solder and be able to reheat fast enough to maintain the necessary melting temperature. The tip can't be so small it can't maintain the heat and not so big it covers more area than wanted.

For soldering leaded panels a 100w iron with a 3/8" temperature controlled tip that maintains a constant 370°C (700° F) is suitable.

For copper foil a higher temperature controlled tip is used. This normally runs at 425°C (800°F). Sometimes a tip of ¼” is used where more delicate beads are being run.

If a lot of soldering is required that has sustained heat requirements, you might consider a 200W iron. These can deliver heat more quickly and evenly than those with lesser wattage.

Silver Stain as a Colour Modifier

Silver stain can also serve a useful purpose to modify the colours of glass. If you add a silver stain pattern to a piece of light blue glass, for example, the result will be a green pattern. This creates all sorts of creative opportunities, particularly when used in conjunction with etched flash glass.

It is also possible to use the silver stain successfully with other paint and enamel colours to warm the colours.

Silver Stains - Mending Mistakes

If the stain did not take, there are techniques to try and improve the colour.

One is firing the silver stain face down on a sifted and smoothed out bed of whiting or thick ceramic fiber paper.

Another is to re-apply your stain and fire again between 675°C (1250°F) and 760°C (1400° F). The higher heat will help the silver stain "take" to the glass. Fire the silver stain face down because the higher temperature will melt the high fire tracery and matting resulting in kiln-wash sticking to the painting.

A third method is to use hydroflouric acid to remove the stain and so start again with clear glass. Remember this is an extremely dangerous chemical.

After a second successful firing, be sure to discard the loose whiting or shelf paper from your kiln-shelf as any residual silver stain absorbed during the firing can result in yellow spotting on your glass on later firings.

Firing and Cleaning Silver Stain

After the silver stain has completely dried, the glass is ready to fire in the kiln. Remember to fire silver stained items separately from other painted glass. The maturing temperature is between 509°C (950°F) and 565°C (1050° F). Place the glass on the kiln shelf with the painted side down and the silver stain facing up. Fire between 509°C (950°F) and 537°C (1000° F) for softer glasses, and to between 537°C (1000° F) and 565°C (1050° F) for harder glasses. The higher temperatures in each range will result in darker colour.

After firing and cooling remove your glass from the kiln. The glass will look exactly as it did when you first placed it in the kiln, as though it hasn't fired. In fact, the firing process will have done its job, but first you must remove the residual layer of gamboge gum. Simply spray with window cleaner and wipe off. Underneath, your glass should be stained some lovely shade of golden yellow.

Hanging Panels – Perimeter Wire

Often it is most secure to have the bottom of the panel supported, rather than relying on attaching hooks or loops to the edges of the panel.Panels with “H” lead came are the easiest and neatest to form a wire around. You can use twisted brass picture wire (which has a steel strand embedded) for this purpose or solid copper wire. When using picture wire, form a loop at one end by twisting the strands. In this example I am using solid copper wire.

Make a loop as described.


Open the leaves of the came at the top and solder the wire with the loop to the heart of the came. Use as little solder as possible and keep it away from the leaves, as solder on the leaves makes folding the leaves back very difficult.

Continue the wire around the side. Pull the wire tight and tack solder the wire at the bottom of the side. Continue the wire around the bottom and do the same at the other side.

Pull the wire tight to the top of the panel. Bend the wire over at the height you wish the loop to appear above the panel. Twist or bend the wire and solder it to the side of the came’s heart.

Close the flanges of the came over the wire and you have a neat finish to the edges.

You can, of course, decide to hang the panel from the wire going around the panel. In this case you eliminate the loop forming at each side of the panel’s top. I solder the wire ends together at the bottom, in addition to soldering the wire to the came at each corner. This provides me with the certainty that the wire will not come loose.

This can also be used to provide the hanging supports when placing the panel in a wooden frame. It takes the strain off the frame but still provides firm support of the panel.

Applying Silver Stains

Introduction
Contrary to its name, silver stain actually stains the glass yellow. Silver stain is available in shades from pale yellow to deep orange. Today the use of silver stain remains a popular choice for the glass painter with no other pigment matching its delicacy and wholly translucent quality. Silver stain is composed of silver nitrate and gamboge gum, a resin from Southeast Asian trees. It is sold in powdered form and is mixed only with water. A separate set of tools is required for silver stains as the stain itself is terribly corrosive to brushes and other tools.

Application
To use, the artist mixes the powdered stain on a glass palette to a thin consistency. This can either be applied thinly in a free-hand manner to the back side of the glass painting, or applied and quickly blended to smoothness with a badger blender for a more even result. Always apply the silver stain to the back side of the glass - in other words, the opposite side from the one that bears the tracery and matting you have previously completed. There are several reasons for this, but the primary one is that the silver stain will metallise the black and brown paint work during firing if applied to the same side. This metallising results in a strong bluish and opaque haze on the tracing and matting.

During application, be sure to work rapidly and evenly, finishing before the wet stain has a chance to completely dry. Also remove the excess stain while the stain is still damp. Scraping off the run-over will prove to be quite a challenge if you let it dry. When you have completed these steps, immediately wash your tools.