"Desert Walls" Stained Glass

Hang this "Desert Walls" stained glass piece in any window.

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-223 -- More Projects »
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Project by Gail Piccoli from Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Gail Piccoli, of Salt Lake City, Utah, thought she had her life planned out—she’d earn a degree in fine arts, start out working in a gallery, then work in a museum, and then forge a career as an artist promoter. But when the job offers didn’t come flooding in after graduation, she ended up taking a job in a local stained glass shop. This upbeat stained glass teacher now receives praise for her distinctive, open space stained glass works of art.

Materials:

variety of small pieces of hand rolled art glass
8-1/2" x 8" piece of architectural clear glass
2 medium glass nuggets
1 large glass nugget
14-gauge copper wire
needle nose pliers
grozer breakers
glasscutter
running pliers
45-degree drafting triangle
water-soluble pen
ruler
glass grinder
7/32 copper foil
3/8 copper foil
fid
60/40 solder
water-soluble flux
stained glass soldering iron with temp control
latex gloves
0000 steel wool
dish soap*
patina
shop towel
eye protection
piece of drywall board
paper
scissors
twine, chain or fishing line for hanging
*Avoid dish soap that contains bleach or ammonia.

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Figure A
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Figure B
Steps:

1. Select a desired piece of glass to feature in your design and to build on its color.

2. Draw the chosen design on paper. Number each section of the drawing (figure A). Cut apart the paper pattern pieces (figure B).

3. Trace the shapes on the colored glass according to the paper pattern. Draw on the cut side of the glass or flip the pattern over if you want the uncut side to be the front of the design.

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Figure C
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Figure D
4. Measure two 2" x 8" and two 2" x 8-1/2" strips on the architectural glass. Score the glass with a glasscutter and break the pieces apart using breaking pliers. Create mitered corners on the ends of the strips using a 45-degree triangle, scoring and breaking the glass (figure C).

5. Score and cut the glass pieces (figure D). Wear safety glasses when cutting glass. Remove unwanted pieces with breaking pliers and continue in this fashion until all of the glass is cut into desired shapes. Be careful scoring and breaking some of the smaller pieces. Tip: Use two pair of breaking pliers, one to hold the piece you want, and one to remove the glass you don’t want. Cut the longer strips of architectural glass with running pliers.

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Figure E
6. Grind the edges of the glass pieces (figure E) to remove any teeth or sharp edges and to rough up the edges so the foil will stick to the edges of the glass.

7. Rinse and dry all the pieces to remove ink or grinder dust.

Also in this Episode
That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-223
•Rejuvenated Jewel Nekclace
•Embroidered Felted Purse
•"Desert Walls" Stained Glass
•Retro Tray