❋ tools of the trade
The Tools You Need to Make Stained Glass
Hi friends!
I wanted to share with you all the tools I use to make stained glass art. If you have you have any questions feel free to message me on Instagram or send an email to[email protected] I'm always happy to help!
Safety First
Clear Safety Glasses
Eye protection is SO IMPORTANT! Always protect your eyes while cutting or handling glass. If you have sensitive eyes like me you will want to also wear glasses while soldering
Nitrile Disposable Gloves
Power free nitrile gloves that won't get sweaty as you work - hallelujah!
Fume/Dust Respirator
This respirator is a must to protect your lungs during long soldering sessions. If I am soldering a small piece I will sometimes wear these disposable masks instead.
N95 respirator is another great option
Valtcan Fume Extractor
This soldering fan smoke absorber is a must while soldering- you do not want to inhale all the burning flux and solder fumes! Here are the replacement filters you'll need
Silicone finger protectors
Grinding puts pressure on your fingertips and these covers work great to keep them protected
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones
Speaking of grinding, you will need to protect your ears from that loud grinder! I have tinnitus and very sensitive ears so I am a big fan of noise canceling headphones. These are so comfortable and block out the perfect amount of background noise. Standard ear plugs work as well
D-Lead Removal Wipes
These pre- moistened soft clothes are great to wipe down surfaces that may be contaminated by heavy metals. They are safe to use on your hands and I also use them to wipe down my phone
Leadoff Foaming Hand Soap
Lead exposure should not be taken lightly. This soap removes lead and any heavy metal residue left on the skin and I use it after every single soldering session
Pattern Making
Large Light Box
This dimmable light pad is a permanent fixture on my drawing table. I love the large size (26x19"!) but I also have this Portable Light Box (10x14") that's great for smaller pieces or when I want to trace from the comfort of my couch
Art Portfolio Storage Bag
This portfolio bag is large enough to store all my patterns so they stay organized and wrinkle-free
Pre-sharpened HB #2 Pencil
Remember that #2 pencil you had in school? These are great for hand drawing designs- the lead isn't too dark so any mistakes are easy to be erased (here's the Eraser Tops i love!)
Tracing Paper
You will want multiple copies of your design and this paper is the perfect opacity for that
Gridded White Velum Paper
Gridded paper makes freehand designing and drawing straight lines soo easy. This roll comes in a few sizes so it's great for small and large designs
Professional 12" Compass
Instead of tracing cups and random circular objects- use a compass!
Sharpie Extreme Permanent Marker
After your pattern is drawn out you will need to go over your lines in sharpie. These are great because they are extra water resistent which means your pattern line is less likely to wash away while grinding
Lately I've been outlining my design with the Ultra Fine Version
IPad Air 4th Generation
If you'd rather design digitally with a program like procreate, an iPad will be your new best friend! I'm just starting to explore digital drawing with my Apple Pencil
and these Paperfeel Screen Protectors have made experimenting much more comfortable (they give your iPad a more "paper" feel!)
Scoring & Breaking Glass
Toyo Pistol-grip Supercutter
You "cut" glass by scoring it with a glass cutter. This one is great quality and my preferred cutter
Grover Pliers
Running Pliers
After scoring your glass, these are the tools you'll need to actually break the glass
Grinding
Inland Wiz Grinder
This grinder includes two grinding bits and is the perfect size for a home studio
Inland Grinder Faceshield
This shield attaches to the grinder and protects your eyes from glass dust
Aanraku Twofers Grinding Bit Set
Wheh you need new bits for your grinder, this size will fit perfectly on the Inland- and there's two!
Grinder Cookie
Grinding for long periods can put a lot of pressure on your fingertips- this tool reduces that pressure
Grinder Coolant
A must to keep your grinder from overheating! I usually add a cup full of this whenever I clean my grinder
Foiling
Edco Copper Foil
Copper foil is applied after grinding. It comes in a few different widths but the most common for stained glass is 3/16" and 7/32". Which size you choose will depend on the thickness of your glass and whether you want thin or thicker solder lines. Copper foil comes in black, silver, and copper backing. The backing you choose should match the patina you're using. I pretty much always use 3/16" black backed foil because I like discrete solder lines and use black patina 99% of the time
Table Foiler
The absolutely fastest and easiest way to foil! I hand foil teeny tiny pieces of glass, but everything else is foiled with a table foiler- it evenly foils your glass and crimps the edges
Plastic Fid Burnisher
This tool helps you burnish your foil edges down onto either side of the glass
Soldering & Framing
Hakko Soldering Iron
This iron is the best in the business! It has adjustable temperature control and can fit many different size tips
Denver Soldering Solution (flux)
Hands down my favorite liquid flux! Easy to apply and remove, cleans oxidized foil for you, and makes soldering soo smooth and seamless!
Stellar Technical Gel Flux
Solder won't stick to copper foil without flux- liquid flux is my favorite but this works in a pinch
Canfield 60/40 Solder
There are different types of solder but I get the best bead with 60/40 (that means 60% tin, 40% lead). This is a bulk pack- spools of lead go quick do I always stock up!
Cellulose Sponge
Regularly cleaning your soldering tip is a good practice, and I've found cellulose sponges do a better job and last longer than regular sponges. I also use Brass Wire and Hakkos Tip Cleaning Paste
3/16" Round U Lead Came
Lead came is great to wrap around larger pieces as a border. 3/16" is the size I use most often, but there's a range of widths to choose from!
5/64" Round U Hobby Came
This is the perfect size came for smaller pieces and suncatchers
Lead Came Dykes
Angled cutting pliers to precisely cut lead
16g Tinned Cooper Wire
I create all of jump rings by twisting this 18g wire. For wire detailing I will use a 20g Tinned Wire which is thinner and more flexible
Cleaning & Finishing
Kwik-Clean
After you're done soldering you have to clean your piece really welll- especially if you are applying a patina. After I wash my piece with regular dawn dish soap, I use Kwik-Clean or Neutra-Clean to remove any flux residue
Extra thick Magic Sponge Eraser
To get your solder lines extra clean (especially necessary for copper patina) I will first scrub with water and some soap. Then once my piece is dried I will do a second scrub with a dry sponge- be sure to rinse off any dust residue from the sponge before applying patina!
Black Patina
After thoroughly washing and drying the next step is patina. Black patina is the most common but there's also Copper Patina for a more golden look!
Clarity Finishing Compound
Wax is essential in finishing stained glass to prevent corrosion and give a nice polished look. Clarity can be on the expensive side so I also use High Gloss Carnauba Wax
5x7" Cable Chain
Cable chain is a great alternative to jack chain- this 5x7" is my favorite for smaller pieces or anything needing dainty chain
Gold Paperclip Chain
My golden alternative to jack chain- I love the unique paper clip shape
Nylon Round Tipped Paintbrush Set
These high grade paintbrushes are suitable for glass/enamel paint as well as other mediums! Great for spots or larger details
Micro Paintbrush Set
This set is great for fine details- these are the bridges I use most! 10 brushes included
Pebeo Vitrea Glass Paint Set
This is a classic transparent glass paint. To become permanent this paint requires being baked in the oven so it must be applied before the glass is foiled and soldered. The set includes 8 colors
Testers Enamel Paint Set
If you want a more pigmented opaque paint this is the perfect set! It does not require baking and dries quickly so you can apply to your glass at any stage. This set includes 9 colors 
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