Stained Glass

This week on Show Me How, we get creative with Stained Glass.

Our guest will be showing us how to make decorative stained glass projects. First they make a Butterfly and then later show how to make an impressive door panel.

Stained Glass Butterfly

By Jacqui Holmes

Classy Glass Studio

Studio Tel: 041-3690004

Cell No: 082 782 2381

Requirements

  • 2 copies of the pattern template, laminate and number each pattern piece identically on both copies
  • Prestik, scissors and permanent marker
  • Map pins
  • Craft knife
  • A brass/copper post, which we call brazing rod. 
  • 2 small art brushes (one to flux, the other to Patina)
  • Ordinary furniture polish
  • Cutting board covered with newspaper to cut your glass out on
  • Safety glasses if you don’t wear specs
  • Apron
  • Stained glass of your choice. You can use offcuts if you have.
  • Running Pliers and Grozier Pliers
  • Lathekin (for ironing the copper foil flat around the glass pieces)
  • Water cooled glass grinder
  • Soldering Iron (100W)
  • ¼ inch black back foil
  • Copper Wire (To use as to make the butterfly’s antennae)
  • Flux
  • Solder
  • Patina

Instructions

IMPORTANT:

Always place pattern pieces face down on the wrong side of the glass. It is generally easier to cut on the wrong side and is usually the smoother side.

  • Step 1:Cut out the numbered pattern pieces from one of your laminated templates. The other template must stay intact as you use this at the grinder.
  • Step 2:Place your pattern pieces face down on the wrong side of the glass. Try to use the space so that you minimise wastage, by placing pieces close to the edge of the glass & as close to each other as possible. Draw around each pattern piece with your marker and then lift the laminated pattern piece. Remember to mark the glass pieces with the same numbers that appear on the pattern.
  • Step 3:Move to the grinder with your template and glass pattern pieces. Pin the template down on your cutting board with map pins. Grind around the pieces until they fit within the pattern lines on your template. It is a good idea to pin your pieces in place once you are satisfied that they fit to prevent them from shifting around.
  • Step 4:Once all the pieces have been ground, rinse and dry them thoroughly. You can now foil each of your pieces using the ¼ inch black back copper foil. Make sure you flatten the foil around each piece using your lathekin to iron out any wrinkles and make sure the foil is stuck down properly. Where the foil may look a little uneven, simply trim with a craft knife. As you finish foiling, place each piece back onto your template to make sure they all fit together.
  • Step 5:You can now solder your project together. Paint flux on all the joins & spot solder the joins by melting small blobs of solder along them. Then melt this solder into the joins. Repeat the process on the back of your butterfly as well. Once the back is complete, bead the front seams by turning your soldering iron on its side and running it along the soldered seams, creating a neater, rounded look on the seams. Flux again if necessary and add a little solder as you go if there is not enough on the seam already.
  • Step 6:Once your butterfly is securely together, paint flux on all the edges where you see the copper foil and melt a little solder on the end of your soldering iron. Run along all the copper edges making them silver with solder, this is referred to as tinning.
  • Step 7:Cut your brazing rod to the desired length, depending how high you want your butterfly to stand in your pot plant. Scratch the brazing rod with some sand paper to make it a bit rough, then position on the back of the butterfly and paint generously with flux. Now solder the rod in place in a couple of places at the back to the butterfly for stability.
  • Step 8:Twist about 2-3 strands of copper wire together. We use an electric screw driver to do this. Place the wire where you normally insert the bit, insert the bit to trap the wire there and press the button. The wire turns slowly twisting it neatly and evenly. Solder your wires (which are your butterfly’s antennae) to the top of the butterfly’s head.
  • Step 9:Once all the soldering is complete and the tinning, allow the project to cool down for a few minutes, then wash gently with soapy water and a sponge. This is to get rid of the oily residue that builds up from the flux. Dry your project gently and thoroughly.
  • Step 10:Paint your black patina on all the seams and edges. All the silver should now be black. Allow to stand for a few minutes so that the patina can soak in, and then carefully wash again gently with your sponge and soapy mixture. Dry thoroughly. Polish gently with a soft cloth and your furniture polish. On the coast we wait 24 hours to polish. Because of the sea air we believe the patina needs these extra hours to soak in before polishing. Your butterfly is ready to place in your favorite pot plant

Kitchen Door Panels

IMG_1973

 

Requirements

  • 2 copies of the pattern template, laminate and number each pattern piece identically on both copies
  • Prestik, scissors, permanent marker
  • Map pins & Angle iron to create a jig. This is an area created around your pattern template to make sure that your door panel fits exactly into that space. It’s important that the panel is the correct size so that it fits neatly into your door.
  • Craft knife
  • 2 small art brushes (one to flux, the other to Patina)
  • Ordinary furniture polish
  • Cutting board covered with newspaper to cut your glass out on
  • Safety glasses if you don’t wear specs
  • Apron
  • Stained glass sheets of your choice
  • Running Pliers & Grozier Pliers
  • Lathekin (for ironing the copper foil flat around the glass pieces)
  • Water cooled glass grinder
  • Soldering Iron (100W)
  • ¼ inch black back foil
  • Flux
  • Solder
  • Patina

Instructions

IMPORTANT:Always place pattern pieces face down on the wrong side of the glass. It is normally easier to cut on the wrong side and is generally the smoother side.

  • Step 1:Cut out the numbered pattern pieces from one of your laminated templates. The other template must stay intact as you use this at the grinder.
  • Step 2:Place your pattern pieces face down on the wrong side of the glass. Try to use the space
  • so that you minimise wastage, by placing pieces close to the edge of the glass & as close to each other as possible. Draw around each pattern piece with your marker and then lift the laminated pattern piece. Remember to mark the glass pieces with the same numbers that appear on the pattern.
  • Step 3:Move to the grinder. You need to set your template up into a jig. Your will work inside the jig during the grinding process. Grind around the pieces until they fit within the pattern lines on your template & within the confines of the jig.
  • Step 4:Once all the pieces have been ground, rinse and dry them thoroughly. You can now foil each of your pieces using the ¼ inch black back copper foil. Make sure you flatten the foil around each piece using your lathekin to iron out any wrinkles and make sure the foil is stuck down properly. Where the foil may look a little uneven, simply trim with a craft knife. As you finish foiling, place each piece back onto your template to make sure they all fit together.
  • Step 5:You can now solder your project together. Paint flux on all the joins & spot solder the joins by melting small blobs of solder along them. Then melt this solder into the joins.Repeat the process on the back of your cupboard door panel as well. Once the back is complete, bead the front seams by turning your soldering iron on its side and running it along the soldered seams, creating a neater, rounded look on the seams. Flux again if necessary and add a little solder as you go if there is not enough on the seam already.
  • Step 6:Once the panel is securely together, paint flux on all the edges where you see the copper foil and melt a little solder on the end of your soldering iron. Run along all the copper edges making them silver with solder. This is referred to as tinning.
  • Step 7:Once all the soldering is complete and the tinning, allow the project to cool down for a few minutes, then wash gently with soapy water and a sponge. This is to get rid of the oily residue that builds up from the flux. Dry your project gently and thoroughly.
  • Step 8:Paint your black patina on all the seams and edges. All the silver should now be black. Allow to stand for a few minutes so that the patina can soak in, and then carefully wash again gently with your sponge and soapy mixture. Dry thoroughly. Polish gently with a soft cloth and your furniture polish. On the coast we wait 24 hours to polish. Because of the sea air we believe the patina needs these extra hours to soak in before polishing.
  • Step 9:You can now install your beautiful door panel into the cupboard door. Some doors have wooden beading that you nail in with small tacks once you have fitted the glass panel into the space. Where there is no recess in the back of the door, one can use special rubber stoppers which are also secured with tack nails to keep the glass panel in place and provide support.