Stained Glass

Stained glass, also known as Art Glass is an historic story-telling medium with the power to honor traditions and inspire communities. It appears fragile but can endure for generations with proper care.

Stained glass is made from a blend of limestone, soda ash, and sand that are formed by melting in glass ovens at a very high temperature and then rolled into flat portions and varying thickness.  Manufacturers add a unique mixture of chemicals and compounds to create a distinct palette of colors, with most of their recipes being over a century old. These sheets of glass are then used to create a wide range of items, including window panes, decorative panels, lamps, and various other forms of artistic and functional pieces.

There are two basic types of stained glass construction:  The copper foil method (also known as the “Tiffany” method), and the lead channel came method.

The traditional lead channel came method of surrounding each glass pieces with lead channel came and soldering the joints together was first written about in the late 11th century.  It was the method used for constructing large church windows and is still in use today.  The detail you see on many church windows is actually painted onto the glass.

The copper foil method was made famous by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the early 1900’s, when he acquired the patent from Stanford Bray for his copper foil technique of constructing stained glass pieces.  The copper foil technique involves wrapping each piece of glass in copper foil tape, and then soldering them together.  Louis Comfort used this technique in constructing elaborate stained glass lamps and windows. The copper foil method allows for a much greater level of detail than the traditional lead channel came method.

I often use the copper foil method for my pieces, as I enjoy the versatility it provides.  It allows me to use a wider variety of shapes in my designs for more realistic detail.  I do use zinc came framing (which is harder than lead) for the outside borders to provide a sturdy structure.