Glass Nightlight

Years ago Sam Simms took a class at her local college to learn the basics of stained glass. She loved the medium but wanted to break away from the typical patterns taught in class. Simms shows how to make one of her stylish nightlights from a drinking glass.

Materials:

blue colored drinking glass
water-cooled band saw
stained glass, amber, green, red
oil filled glasscutter
water-cooled glass grinder
1/2" and 1/4" copper foil
1" metal strip
Sharpie
100-watt soldering iron
50/50 solder and flux
safety glasses
night light with 4-watt bulb

Steps:

1. Wearing safety glasses, cut the bottom off of a drinking glass with a water-cooled band saw.

2. Cut the glass in half top to bottom (figure A).

3. Cut the back of the glass off (figure B).

4. Scallop the top of glass front for a decorative effect (figure C).

5. Draw freehand designs on the amber, green and red stained glass with a Sharpie (figure D). Cut the three pieces of stained glass using an oil filled glasscutter. Cut one for framing each side and one for framing the top (figure E).

6. Grind and shape the sides of the glass (figure F) with a water-cooled glass grinder.

7. Clean all glass pieces with water.

8. Wrap copper foil around the edges of all of the pieces of glass (figure G). Burnish the foil down using the shaft of the permanent marker.

9. Assemble the light fixture by soldering the glass pieces together. Apply flux to the edges of the copper foil to allow the solder to flow smoothly. Apply solder to the edges of each individual piece of glass using a soldering iron. Then solder the glass pieces together (figure H).

10. Clean fixture with soap and water.

11. Assemble the night light kit.

12. Attach the kit to a metal strip with solder (figure I). Clean with glass cleaner. Attach to fixture on the back with solder.

13. Clean all soldered joints with glass cleaner.

14. Add a four-watt bulb and plug in your glass nightlight!

E-mail: samsimms@mindspring.com

Website: www.stainedglassaccessories.net