Step-1 Design:

Choose your design with thought and consider what you are capable of accomplishing talent wise. Research the project and carefully select your glass and construction type. Put into place the needed components such as supplies, IE: foil, outer metal edging or wood framing, bevels, jewels, etc. Once everything is ready to go and your just dying to get started started - take a deep breath and please take your time.

Step-2 Pattern:

Tools: Foil Scissors & Regular Scissors

Once drawn there should be two copies, one for the pattern and one for the cartoon. Both drawings should have piece, numbers that match the each drawing, located on each piece to be cut. In addition you might consider the grain or direction of glass. The pattern is cut and separated into tubs for the next step

Step-3 Spray Pattern:

Tools: Spray adhesive, cardboard

After the pattern is cut, each piece of paper should be sprayed with a suitable adhesive. This will ensure that the pattern sticks to the glass surface during the cutting & grinding steps.

Step-4 Cutting Glass:

Tools: Glass Cutter + Oil & Glass Pliers

(Leave the paper on…) Scoring the glass is a task that improves with repetition. Try a few practice cuts before jumping into that shinny new piece of opal glass just staring at you. Look around for a glasscutter that best suites your needs and one that is comfortable to hold. Start at the edge of the glass and make a nick, then with a nice even pressure on the wheel, run the cutter over the surface of the glass. Always cut from the smoothest side of the glass. The pattern can act as a guide for the wheel to score it’s cut. The sound should be similar to a clean quiet zipper. Then with your glass Pliers break the glass as shown in the photo. Remember there’s no better way to learn how to cut glass then to practice on scraps.

Step-5 Grinding Glass:

Tools: Glass Grinder or Abrasive Stone

(Leave the paper on…) When all the glass has been scored and broken out, try separating the different colors into tubs, this way you can find the pieces easier when you start to clean and lay them out. Grinding serves a two-fold purpose. It shapes the uneven or jagged edges of the glass that has been cut, and roughens up the edges of the glass so the foil tape will adhere to the textured surface. If you are working on a small project and feel your glass cutting skill is top notch, then you may only require the use of a abrasive stone to smooth out the rough edges if any. If your cutting skills are less then perfect or the glass is not cooperating then an electric glass grinder is the tool.

Step-6 Cleaning & Layout:

Tools: Rags, paper towels, Windex

(Leave the paper on…) After the grinding step is completed, it begins to get a little more interesting and colorful. Now with all the glass ground and separated into tubs, take them to the table or work area where the cartoon is laid out. Start pulling one piece at a time and removing the paper, cleaning it carefully, especially on the edges where the foil tape will adhere. Remember to make a mental note of the number or identifier so you can place it on the corresponding number on the cartoon.

Step-7 Stretching The Lead:

Tools: Stretcher or Sm. Lead Vise

Small Lead Vise

The Lead must be stretched prior to use for the first time. The taught lead came makes for nice even widths and straight lines.

Stanton Stretcher

Step-8 Fitting:

Tools: Lead Dykes Rule, Hand Fid

This type of panel is put together similar to a puzzle. The pieces are fitted down and out, usually from an upper corner. I like to start in the upper right hand corner. This way I don't block myself in fitting a piece of glass into the layout. As the glass is taken from it's tubs, the paper is removed and the glass is cleaned and then placed in the appropriate spot on the cartoon. This is when I start cutting came with lead dykes and assembling the puzzle.

Step-9 More Fitting:

Tools: Pencil

A technique I often use is to hold the came next to the piece it will channel up to and the mark it for the cut. Cutting lead is almost as easy as cutting butter with a hot knife. Although copper foil work is a bit more tedious, lead channel is easier but requires more skill, if that makes any sense.

Step-10 Still More Fitting:

Tools: Hand Fid

Step-11 Soldering Prep:

Tools: Wire Brush, Flux + Flux Brush

Once you are satisfied you have placed the glass and lead in alignment with each other, and that all are secure with either glass pins or horseshoe nails, we can advance to the next step. Prior to painting the joints with a flux chemical, take a good brass wire brush to the joints. Steel wool will work just as well. Make sure you clean off the little wool hairs off thoroughly before applying the flux or doing any soldering.

Step-12 Soldering:

Tools: Solder + Iron