Design

• 1). Decide what shapes you want to use in the stained glass picture.
  
  
• 2). Draw the shapes on the paper to make the picture, including intersecting lines to break up any shapes that would be difficult or impossible to cut in glass, such as right angles or deep inside curves. Connect each line to another line or lines, as required for stained glass designs.
  
  
• 3). Label the pieces with numbers and choose the color of stained glass to use for each piece. Include symbols indicating the direction you want the texture or streakiness of the glass to appear on the final stained glass picture.
  
  
• 4). Resize the final design to the size you want for the stained glass picture. This is most easily done with a computer, scanner and image editing software, though it can be done by hand or with a projector.
  
  
• 5). Trace a copy of the enlarged design on the manila paper using the carbon or transfer paper.
  
  
• 6). Cut the manila paper pattern into pieces with the scissors or glass pattern shears. The glass pattern shears remove a small strip of paper between each piece, leaving a small space for the materials used in constructing the stained glass.
  
  

Construction

• 1). Clean each panel of glass with mild soap and water or glass cleaner and clean rags or paper towels.
  
  
• 2). Organize the pieces by color and lay them out on the glass of that color to help plan the best way to cut them out. Pay attention to the direction the streaks or pattern on the glass run and align the pattern pieces as indicated by the arrows you drew earlier.
  
  
• 3). Trace around each pattern piece on the glass with a marker. Cutting the glass takes careful planning and consideration of how to cut each piece and how the patterns on the glass need to be matched to the pieces as they appear in the final picture.
  
  
• 4). Put on the safety glasses. Gloves can be worn as well to avoid glass cuts, but they may make it slightly awkward to handle the tools.
  
  
• 5). Lubricate the cutting wheel with glass cutting oil, either by filling the reservoir or by dipping the wheel in a small container of oil before each score.
  
  
• 6). Cut the glass using the glass cutter by applying light pressure and rolling the cutting wheel along one marked line from one edge of the glass to another in one direction only, and in one motion. Do not roll the cutting wheel back and forth along the line, or pick it up and start again. Apply only enough pressure to hear a slight zzzzip noise as you roll the wheel along the glass.
  
  
• 7). Hold the glass slightly above the work surface and break the glass along the line you just scored using the glass cutting pliers. Running pliers are better for breaking long, straight or slightly curvy scores, while grozing pliers are better for breaking apart smaller pieces and short curves.
  
  
• 8). Smooth the edges of each piece with the glass grinder. The grinder is also useful for shaping the piece to more exactly fit the pattern if the score was not exact enough.
  
  
• 9). Clean the dust from grinding off each piece of glass.
  
  
• 10
  
  Wrap the copper foil around the edge of each piece of glass. Line it up along the edge so it folds evenly on each side, then fold the edges down along the sides. Press it down slowly and gently, to avoid splitting the edges of the foil, especially on curved pieces. Overlap the ends about 1/4 inch. Cover any splits with a small piece of foil folded onto both sides and trim it with the utility knife.
  
  
• 11
  
  Burnish the copper foil firmly onto the glass by rubbing the burnishing tool along the foil on the edge of the glass, then along each side to smooth it down.
  
  
• 12
  
  Arrange the pieces in their places on the pattern if you have not already done so.
  
  
• 13
  
  Turn on the soldering iron and leave it long enough to heat up to the point where it melts the solder.
  
  
• 14
  
  Brush flux along the lines of copper foil then melt solder along the lines. Apply drops on each seam first to hold everything together, then apply a thin line of solder to cover the copper foil, and finally finish each seam off by melting a slightly rounded line of solder along all the seams.
  
  
• 15
  
  Allow the solder to cool a bit before turning the stained glass picture over to flux and solder the other side.
  
  
• 16
  
  Turn off and unplug the soldering iron.
  
  
• 17
  
  Clean the stained glass picture thoroughly to remove all the flux. Flux is corrosive and can etch the glass if left too long.
  
  
• 18
  
  Apply the carnauba wax or stained glass finishing compound to polish and protect the glass and solder.