Advice for Surviving a Selling Event, 3

Publicity and literature

• Research press contacts for magazines, papers etc. Target smaller newspapers as they like writing about local people.
• Make sure you have sufficient supplies of publicity handouts, trade information, press pack and artist's statement. Make handouts easy to understand, easy to carry and easy to store. Magazine editors cruise around so have a press pack available. Find a good photographer to work with for good publicity shots.
• Make sure your website is up-to-date, as people who go away with information will then look at the site.
• Don't have any financial barrier between you and the public - have a range of prices. Your price lists should include information about postage and packing. Give the landed price - the price a piece costs, then add postage and packaging. Find out about and include notes on the costs for national and international delivery.

Objectives for the event

Aim high, they have a lot more money than we have.

Takings should be 10 times the cost of your stand. Almost half the takings may be commissions.

Exhibition offers

Never commit to exhibitions with galleries until you can check them and find out as much as you can about the gallery. Never be intimidated into feeling inferior by a gallery. Is exhibiting with that show worthwhile? Sometimes it is very good for the career.



Expect the best and be prepared for the worst.

More information is available from the Business Fact Sheet for Scottish Crafts at craftscotland

Advice for Surviving a Selling Event,.2

Customers

Don't judge people by their appearances.

Keep smiling and never lose your cool even with difficult customers. Listen to them. They may actually have a point. They know what they like and don't like and they're not afraid to tell you.

Never undertake something that you don't really, really want to do. Steer them round to what you make. Be firm if a customer is making unreasonable demands. Is the job actually worthwhile?

Commissions

Once they decide they want something give the customer your time. Find out what they like about it, what they don't like, what space it's going in, is it on the wall? The time spent will pay dividends as the most important thing is your time and they'll remember it afterwards.

Write everything down in one place - name, address and add something which you can easily remember them by. Agree a price and usually include delivery and insurance as extras.

Never give discounts.

Timescale - you'll have lots of work after the event - so start commissions several weeks or months afterwards. Be good and let them know if there's a delay or a problem.

For a commission people do expect to pay a deposit. Ask for a round figure. Give them a receipt.

More information is available from the Business Fact Sheet for Scottish Crafts at craftscotland

revised 28.12.24

Advice for Surviving a Selling Event, 1

You have to be really comfortable.

• Bring a high level stool so you can perch and still have eye contact with the customer
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
• Wear something bright to help them remember you. It helps if they can point you out in a crowd.

Food, drink and consequences

Eat well, have a good breakfast and have loads of water to stop dehydrating

Bring your lunch

Make friends with the people beside you. This is very important, especially when you've drunk a lot of water!

Plan ahead

Plan the stand display in advance, where everything is going, display cases and what is going in them. Make a plan of the space. Then try it out to make sure it works.

Consider who is beside and opposite you - you need to be aware of what is around you to plan your space best, so it might be worth getting in touch with them before you arrive.

The stand should be clean and tidy. Having no clutter means the customer can see what they are looking at. Have a storage unit for paperwork, pens, water, packaging etc. Have a space where you can write orders and pack purchases.

More information is available from the Business Fact Sheet for Scottish Crafts at craftscotland

Use of the Glass Cutter

When cutting glass your are first scoring the surface to weaken the glass and then breaking along the score line. The glass will always follow the path of least resistance. It is important to keep this in mind when “cutting” glass as it has significant implications for scoring and breaking.

Use the cutter by moving it away from you, so you can see the cartoon lines as you score. When using a straight edge, you can pull the cutter toward yourself or push it away, whichever suits you.

Grasp of the cutter
The classic or traditional grasp is for use with a pencil cutter. The cutter is placed between the first/index and second /ring fingers with the thumb at the back of the cutter. This initially is awkward. Its advantages are that it transfers most of the work to your arm rather than fingers and wrist, and it restricts the movement of your wrist, leading to smoother curves.

The modified grasp is also for use with pencil cutter. The cutter is placed between the thumb and first/index finger. The second /ring finger is also most often used beside the first/index finger. The fingers should be straight to avoid excessive strain on the fingers and possible carpal tunnel problems later.

In this image the cutter is at an angle to vertical.

The fist grip for use with pistol grip cutters. The cutter is held similar to a gun, with the first/index finger pointing down the shaft holding the cutter head. This pointing action seems to aid the accuracy of cutting. This applies to cutters with right angle handle attachments also.

The palm grasp is for the small Toyo and other palm cutters. The cutter is placed on the pad beneath the thumb and held with the first/index finger and thumb.

In all cases it is important that the work is done from the forearm rather than the fingers or wrist. The forearm should be held closely to the body. This reduces the freedom of movement, giving clean flowing score lines. It also reduces the actions that can lead toward repetitive strain injuries. Any turns required by tight curves can be done by turning the body from the hips or shuffling around the bench.

Avoid Finger Cuts at the Grinder

Before serious grinding, first run the whole perimeter of the piece very lightly against the grinding bit. This removes the worst of the 'scalpel' edges and avoids the micro cuts on your fingers.

And,

Let the grinder do the work. Many people seem to put huge pressure on the piece to grind away the waste more quickly, but this is actually counter-productive. Less pressure means less fatigue, less chipping at the edges, fewer broken pieces, and most importantly, fewer cuts to the finger tips.

Glue chipping, 9

Glue Ratings

The glue used for chipping glass is generally called animal hide glue. Many companies sell animal hide glue, but to get the best results, you must use glue that has been formulated and tested for strength.

There are many grades available, such as:

80, 110, 135, 164, 192, 222, 251, 280, 315, 347, 379, 411, 444, 478, 512 jelly gram strengths

The three grades suitable for glue-chipping are:
5x (weakest) = 135 gram strength
4x (suggested) = 164 gram strength
3x (stronger) = 192 gram strength

Glue chipping, 8

Different Glue Weights

The main control over the chip design relates to the ratio of glue to water per area of glass.

140gms glue to 850 centilitres water per square metre is the minimum. The chip will be spotty or absent entirely.

425gms glue to 850 centilitres water per square metre gives the best results – a uniform chipping usually in a fern pattern.

570gms glue to 850 centilitres water per square metre gives a larger more iceberg-looking chip.

850gms glue to 850 centilitres water per square metre is wasteful and usually the glue is so thick the glass won't chip at all.

Experiment with the intermediate amounts to see what you get. Keep good notes of all the variables involved, so you will be able to repeat a pattern if you need to.

Glue chipping, 7

Variables Affecting Chipped Patterns

The glass chipping pattern is subject to many variables. The duplication and uniformity of each pattern is dependent on control of these variables.

There are many variables to be considered, The major ones are:

1. Glass - type and surface preparation
2. Room temperature during preliminary drying stage
3. Glue - type, concentration, and temperature at time of application
4. Weight of dry glue applied per area of glass
5. Dryness of glue film at end of preliminary drying stage
6. Temperature of drying room during chipping process

Glue chipping, 6

Secondary Drying and Chipping Stage

The secondary drying and chipping stage is when a small space heater can be used to warm the glass up to around 52C (125 F). Do not point the heater directly at the glass. Keep it at least one metre away from the glass. You don't want to cause the glass to get too hot and crack.

This indirect heat will cause a rapid evaporation leading to curling of the glue and the chipping of the glass surface. The glass is under extreme stress at this point and should not be handled unless absolutely necessary. On sunny days the glass can be set in direct sunlight. This is the easiest way to get the glue to chip the glass.
The chips of glue can pop off and travel some distance, so take appropriate precautions, i.e. safety glasses, gloves, aprons. You might want to place a cloth over the surface.

After all the glass is chipped, some glue may still be left on the glass. The glue is water soluble, so you can soak the glass with warm water and scrape off the softened glue. Be careful of the extremely sharp shards that are now concealed in the water.

The glue and glass shards left from the chipping process can create a big problem if not cleaned up. Because the glue is an animal by-product, cats and dogs love to eat this stuff. This can cause your pet extreme harm and even death! Dispose of the waste carefully.

Glue Chipping, 5

Drying time

The glue will go through an initial drying stage. This is in the first hour or two, depending on the humidity and temperature of the room. Make sure to keep the glass level during this period.

The next drying stage takes between 12 to 24 hours. This is where the glue will cure and loose almost all of the liquid. A fan to circulate the air will speed up this process. The glue should be left to dry at its own rate, do not hurry it by heating. Uneven curing may result in a poor chip pattern.

The secondary drying and chipping stage is when the glue actually starts to peel or chip. The glue shrinks considerably during the total drying process. As it shrinks, it grips into the pores caused by the sandblasting and literally rips the top of the glass off.

Use precautions when handling glass that has a dried layer of glue. Goggles, gloves, aprons are the minimum precautions against the slivers of glass.

Glue Chipping, 4

Applying the glue

The glass should be clean and have a dam around it.

Cleaning the glass is important. If there is dust left from the sandblasting/grinding stage, the glue will not stick to the glass.

Place the glass on a level surface. The glass should be room temperature.

Pour the glue onto the glass in an even layer between 1mm to 3mm thick. If the glass is level the glue will flow to a uniform thickness on its own. You can tilt the glass from side to side to help the glue flow.

CAUTION: If your glue is too hot, it may shock the glass causing it to break, allowing the glue to run all over the place. Another reason to avoid heating the glue to a high temperature.

Glue Chipping, 3

Mixing the Glue

The 'type' or 'pattern' of desired chip design is dependent upon the glue to water ratio.

Generally the dry glue is combined with COLD water in a ratio of 3 parts water, 1 part glue. This is measured by WEIGHT - 1 oz. of glue to 3 oz. of COLD water per sq. ft. of glass. If your glass is 24"x24", this is 4 sq. ft. so you will need 4 oz. of DRY glue and 12 oz. of cold water.

Using metric measurements is easier when combining wet and dry materials by weight. 1 litre of water is 1 kg. So for 0.1 sq. metre (approximately 1 sq. foot) of glass you need 25 grams of glue to 75 cl of water.

After mixing let this mixture stand for about 1 hour to absorb all the liquid. It also helps to cover this container to reduce evaporation. This mixture will form a gelatinous mass.

Average Recipe:1 to 2 ounces of Dry Glue per sq. ft.
3 ounces of COLD water per sq. ft.

OR

285 to 570 grams of dry glue per square metre
850 centilitres of Cold water per square metre

Heat this mixture in the double boiler. Do not try to heat the glue container directly on a burner. This will stink tremendously. Slowly heat this mixture to 60 – 65C (140 - 150 F). It is important that you do not boil this mixture and that is stays between these temperatures. Use a sugar/candy thermometer to measure the temperature of glue. Stir occasionally. Heat slowly.

Glue Chipping, 2

Preparing the glass

The surface of the glass must be roughened up to allow the glue to adhere to the glass. This roughening is most often done by sandblasting the area of glass to be chipped. It can also be done by grinding the glass with grit between the glass to be chipped and another hand-held piece of glass. The grit should be at least 100 grit, and coarser is better.

After this roughening is done clean the glass thoroughly. Use raised masking tape to create a dam around the edge of your glass. This will keep the glue from flowing over the sides of the glass.

Glue Chipping, 1

Glue Chipping Glass is easier than you might think. All that's needed are a few materials and a little experimenting. You can chip on a variety of glasses such as clear, coloured cathedral or flashed glass. You can also chip bottles, jars and even mirrors.

The glue used for chipping glass is animal hide glue or "glass chipping glue" and can be purchased through most stained glass retailers and art shops. It should be granular and is usually sold by the pound. One kilogram will generally chip up to 2 square metres.
The basic steps are:

• Prepare Glass
• Mix glue
• Apply glue
• Let dry
• Clean with warm water

Cutting Circles

Circles can be scored freehand or with a circle cutter.

First, score the circle, making sure that you start and stop the score line at the same point.  The direction should be anticlockwise to avoid loosening the locking nut on the length bar.

Turn the glass over onto a piece of corrugated cardboard, or other surface with some give, with the score line face down. With your thumbs, press along the score line until you see the score line "run" progressively and completely around the circle. This prevents the relief scores you are going to make from running through the circle.

Turn the glass back over to the side on which you scored it. Score several lines perpendicular to the circle to the corners of the piece of glass.

Gently open these scores by tapping with the ball of your cutter, or with your hands, pliers, or other tools. The pieces should fall cleanly from the circle leaving you with no rough or jagged edges.

Measuring for size

Cutting small circles

Various methods

Revised 26.4.24

Fids

Fids are multi-purpose tools either manufactured (such as the All Nova tool) or made by the user. These can be used to open came, to dress the flanges, to push the glass, clean the cement from the edges of the lead came, and to do multiple things that would otherwise hurt your fingers. 

They are traditionally made from wood and you can whittle one from a piece of hardwood in a few minutes, so you can have a number for various purposes. 

Kebab sticks are good for tight curves and points, but you should use picks with large diameter handles to avoid carpal tunnel problems and reduce the tiring effort of grasping a very small diameter stick.

Colour combinations

You will need to decide which colours combine well, whether they are toning, harmonious or complimentary. By getting to grips with the rules of colour, you can give your work a professional look.

Primary colours
Primary colours are three key colours - Red, Blue and Yellow. They cannot be made from any other colour.

Secondary colours
If you mix equal amounts of the primary colours, you get the Secondary colours - Purple, Green and Orange.
Red + Yellow = Orange; Red + Blue = Purple; Blue + Yellow = Green

Tertiary colours
If you mix a primary with a secondary colour, in a ratio of 2:1, you get a Tertiary colour. Red-Orange, Blue-Green etc.

Cool versus hot
Look at a colour wheel and you will see on one side of the colours are 'warm' or 'hot' and the opposite ones are 'cool' or 'cold'. This is useful when you want to create a mood in a particular room or need to make your space cosier or lighter.

Neutrals
Neutrals are one of the easiest groups of colours, or non-colours to work with. They don't appear on the colour wheel and include Black, Grey, White and sometimes Brown and Beige. They all go together and can be layered and mixed and matched. No neutral colour will try to dominate over another.

Except for the blue, these are examples of neutral colours

Accent colours
An accent colour is a colour used in quite small quantities to lift or to add punch to a colour scheme. An accent colour should be in a complimentary colour. It works best if it's a bright, vibrant colour. Accent colours are perfect if you're scared of using strong colour - simply add a splash of an accent colour. Keep most of your piece in shades and variations of one single harmonious colour. Then pick out just a few objects in an accent colour.

Clashing colours
To use clashing colours is thought to be a no-no in formal settings. But in more informal or vibrant settings they can look fantastic, if they are used carefully. If they are of equal tonal strength, you can mix them together. Don't stop at two, you could try three or four. But if one is paler or weaker than the rest it will get lost in the overall scheme.

revised 23.12.24

Leading-Up Boards

It is often best to have a separate board to place on top of your bench to do the leading. This means that you can move the project if it has to be delayed while having to do something else.

Start with a work board that is thick enough to be relatively rigid, but is easy to put nails into. Plywood is a good, but relatively expensive board. MDF is heavy and difficult to nail, so avoid it.

You can either have two permanent battens about 19mm (3/4") thick strips of wood attached at right angles to each other in one corner, or you can attach them to the board as required. The permanent placement means you do not have to check the accuracy of the right angle each time you use it, but it does not allow easy adjustment for smaller or larger pieces than the battens will accommodate. The temporary solution requires checking the right angle each time you use it, but it allows you to place the battens over the cartoon at the appropriate distance from the battens without cutting the cartoon or multiple checks of the accurate placement of the cartoon.

The battens should be attached to the "base" board about 60mm (2 1/2") from the edge to have a little work area to cut leads, etc. They need to be a little longer than the dimensions of the pattern you are assembling.

If you are putting the battens on top of the cartoon, you can use the cut lines to align your battens. Cut two short pieces of the came you are using for the edge. Centre their hearts on the cut line and butt the battens against them. Nail or screw the batten in place. Repeat for the other side.

If you are using permanently fixed battens, place the cartoon, which has been trimmed to the outside lead line on two sides, against the wood strips. Use some horseshoe nails or tape to hold the pattern in place. Check to ensure the correct distance has been maintained between the battens and the cut lines on the cartoon. Adjust as necessary.

Now everything is ready for leading.

revised 26.4.24

In Situ Leaded Glass Repairs

Here you are, just beginning leading and some one asks you to repair their leaded glass window. But they don't want you to take the window out of the frame. They want you to do it in situ. There are some general guidelines on how to go about it:

• Gently remove the cement from under the came leaves. You can use most any kind of stiff blade. You don't have to get it all out at once. Just work round the whole piece of glass.
• With a sharp lead knife, cut diagonally into the solder joint until you are almost halfway through.
• With a stiff blade gradually work the leaf of the came upwards. A stiff oyster-type knife (properly called a stopping knife) works really well. Apply the pressure to the leaf of the lead came.  Try to avoid levering against the glass.

• Continue to gently lift the leaves of the came until they stand vertical almost back to the heart. This obviously is much easier on thicker came than thinner. I try to avoid in situ repairs on any less than 6mm came, and even that is difficult. It is also more difficult to do with half round came than with flat came.
• With grozing pliers gently lift the solder joints. Be careful of the surrounding glass, so that you don't have to replace more glass.
• If you haven't already now is the time to tape the broken glass together.
• Work out the cement between the came and the glass. This should provide you enough space to work the glass out.
• In some cases the glass won't come out in one - taped together - piece. Now is the time to take a rubbing of the opening so you know exactly where the leaves of the lead came are. It provides a pattern piece.  Smash the glass out. Wear safety glasses and gloves.
• If the glass has come out in one taped piece, use it as a pattern. You can trace round it with a felt tip pen and cut inside the lines. Alternatively, put it under the new glass and cut, using the edges as the cutting lines. You can also make a paper pattern from the glass.
• Insert the replacement glass into the opening. Most likely it will not fit in some places. See if the lead came leaves can be opened a little more. Also mark where the glass is too large. You can groze the glass, or if you are near a grinder, grind off the "high" spot.
• Remove the glass one last time, and spread a film of putty on the outside came leaf.  Use a very little, because you can't get outside to remove the excess.
• Clean the glass and handle it so that no finger prints are left on the outside.
• Now that the glass is in the opening, begin to gently smooth the came leaves toward the glass with your stopping/oyster knife. Start by only gently changing the angle of the leaf. Any large movement of the leaf will greatly deform it and might split it.
• If the solder joints are still standing up, take your stopping knife and gently tap the end of it with a hammer. The stopping knife should be parallel to the glass. Any hard hitting will tear the solder joint from the lead. (If you were doing this on a bench rather than on a vertical window, you could heat the solder joint and re-solder without all the tapping.)
• Push stiff black lead light cement under the leaves of the came from both sides if possible. Clean off excess. Polish with a soft brush.

If there are lots of broken pieces next to each other, repair one at a time, as each piece of glass supports the other. Alternatively, take the whole panel/window out and do it on the bench.

revised 26.4.24