Does (or has) anyone here worked in stained glass?

[CTyankee]

Can you tell me something about the techniques used to create the piece you are making? And why did you choose this medium to work in?

I'm doing some writing about stained glass art of the 19th century (Pre-Raphaelite era) and I realize how much I don't know about the medium. We have a number of homes here in New Haven that were built with stained glass windows or one major one back in the early 20th century or late 19th. But those were primarily built for show. So my guess is their stained glass window or windows were considered architectural embellishments.

Anything you could help me with would be appreciated.

[Jirel]

1. I haven't in a few years.

In the old house I had studio space. Now it’s tougher.

I have done both traditional lead cames and copper foil technique. While copper foil is a must for smaller, more delicate work, I hate it. Bending and soldering lead is relaxing. All the picky work with sticky copper foil is annoying, as is burning yourself in endless, running solder joints. But yeah, 80+% of what I do is copper foil, which is pretty much the choice for anything other than large geometric windows.

I chose to learn it because I had a gorgeous 100+ year old mansion in Minneapolis, and all the cool windows were gone. It turns out I didn’t live there long enough to remake many. It’s a crazy art, full of hazards (breathing/ingesting lead, glass dust, needle shards all over, etc.), but it’s really cool. I regret that much of my skill the last few years has been used to restore busted windows since nobody seems to have a clue how to do it any more.

I wanted to be able to make custom windows, and do it cheaper than buying them. Hahahahaha! There is no “cheap” unless you make crappy stuff. Red glass is doped with gold - pricey! Blue is doped with silver - still pricey!

If you have questions about any specifics, please feel free to ask.

[Phoenix61]

2. There are two methods, copper foil and lead

caming. Tiffany created the copper coil technique as it allowed the use of much smaller pieces of glass and the ability to create more fluid shapes. It has less structural strength so pieces are smaller or structurally reinforced. Lead caming is typically used for larger pieces, like church windows.

[Lochloosa]

3. There is a show called A Craftsman's Legacy on PBS that has an episode showing the basics

Really interesting series.

Go here: http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/

and sign up on the Legacy Society (it's free)

I believe the show is the second season. You can watch 4 seasons here.

[CTyankee]

5. Thanks. Good idea!

[Lochloosa]

6. If you do any craft type stuff, it's a great show to watch.

[CTyankee]

7. I wish I could. I much admire those who are handy and creative. They are true artists.

I just study and write about it, since I can't do it.