stainedglass

The Beauty and Physics of Stained Glass

A Brief Tutorial for the Adult Hobbyist

Click here to proceed

Welcome , future glaziers!

Stained glass has been a source of inspiration and reflection for centuries.

This 10 minute tutorial will provide some information to help you appreciate your new hobby.

First, let’s show you how to progress through the tutorial.

Click the arrow key to move forward

The stained glass window pictured above is from the famous Chartres cathedral in France.

You may progress at your own pace through this presentation.

At the bottom of each page you will see arrows to move backwards or forward through the presentation.

You will also see the glossary icon, so that you can look up words that are undefined in the text.

Walking Through the Tutorial

Click this icon to view the glossaryClick the arrow keys to move forward and backward through the tutorial.

How Glass is Made

Types of Glass

Physics of Glass

Joining Pieces of Glass – Foil or Came?

Quiz

TOPICS

The menu bar on the left of each screen shows the topics

covered in this tutorial.

As you advance through the tutorial, you will see how the

current topic turns blue.

See how the first topic is blue rather than lavendar?

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It is suggested that you

progress in the order shown.

Also, note the progress you are making in the box at the

bottom of the page.

Let’s get going! Next, a review of what you can

expect to gain from this tutorial.

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At the end of this tutorial, you will have learned….• What three main

components go into glass

• Three qualities or physical properties of glass

• Four types of stained glass

• Whether to use foil or came in your projects

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How Glass is made

Pictured above is a chunk of obsidian.

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Glass is made of silica (sand), sodium carbonate (soda ash), and calcium carbonate (limestone). In its natural form, glass occurs as obsidian rock.

Nature first made glass when lightning struck sand. The superheated sand melted and reformed as it cooled (annealed) into obsidian.

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Watch this short video about how glass is made.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28024-some-assembly-required-how-glass-is-made-video.htm

Online resources regarding how glass is made…

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How Glass is Made

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Quizhttp://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-is-glass-made

Here is an interesting website with a text version of how glass is made.

Online resources regarding how glass is made…

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http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-is-glass-made

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After being mixed at 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, the sand, soda ash, and limestone mixture is now liquid and is floated on a pool of molten tin.

The glass cools into a reasonably smooth consistency. Gases and impurities escape in the heat.Tiny bubbles that remain in glass give it “seedy” appearance (i.e. as if small seeds were dispersed throughout).

Molten glass can be molded or pressed to obtain different textures in the glass.

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See how the clear glass in this photo has texture.

There are at least five different textures in this project.

These are all made by different manufacturing techniques.

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Most glass is machine drawn, meaning it is manufactured in huge sheets as you saw in the video clip. Different techniques can be used to achieve different coloration and texture.

As glass is being made, metal oxides are added to provide color.Pressed glass has textural patterns pressed into the glass as it cools.

Notice how this glass in the background has a pressed pattern that is reminiscent of an old tin ceiling.The coloration varies from the top to the bottom and its shiny reflection of light is due to its iridescence.

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Glass can be pressed, as we have seen. It can also blown.

See how the circles of glass in this photo appear to have centers and concentric rings.

That was where the glass was connected to the hollow tube used to blow the glass into shape.

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The Physics of Glass

Light Refraction

Light passes through the glass and is refracted in different ways based on the refractive properties of the glass.

Light enters the prism A rainbow

of colors exits the prism

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Light Refraction

The beauty of stained glass comes from its refractive qualities….opacity, translucency or transparency.

Some stained glass looks better when lit from behind, but can appear dark when light hits it from the front.

Other pieces look luminous when light comes from the front.

A combination of transparent, opaque and translucent glasses in one project adds visual interest and depth.

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We tend to think of rich jewel tones when we think of stained glass – pure color when the light shines through! That glass is transparent – it allows light to go through.

Some glass is opalescent – meaning it has a milky white appearance in addition to some color. The coloration can be swirled, as in this orange glass.

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A modern trend is to have streaky glass with gradations of color, as this orange glass has. Parts of this orange glass look milky, meaning it is opaque and light will not go through well. Parts of this glass are translucent, which mean some light goes through.

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Types of Glass….

Thinking about what you have learned of the refractive properties of glass, consider this example in the background.

Take a moment to look at the textures, colors, and luminosity of this piece.

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Types of Glass….Different manufacturers produce unique versions of stained glass for the hobbyist. In general, though, the types of stained glass are categorized by the coloration and manufacturing process used to make the glass. Most glass is machine-drawn rather than blown, and the coloration varies from transparent to opaque.

1. Cathedral2. Opalescent3. Wispy4. Fractured/Streamer

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Cathedral – Transparent, single color glass, which may have texture or be smooth.

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Opalescent – flourine is added to clear glass to give it a milky appearance. Other colors may be added as well.

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Wispy – A blend of translucent and opaque glass that usually results in a swirly, wispy appearance to the glass.

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Wispy – A blend of transparent, translucent and opaque glass that usually results in a swirly, wispy appearance to the glass.

Fractured/Streamer– Fractures are small shards of glass bubbles that have been broken, while streamers are long strands of colored glass. These are pressed into machine-drawn glass as it cools to form unique patterns.

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A word to the wise…The coloration and texture of your stained glass present some challenges to the novice. It may be difficult to cut straight lines in fractured or streaked glass. Also, in wispy glass, the coloration in one area of the sheet may not have the best refractive quality you want for the piece.

Cutting stained glass is not as easy as cutting paper or fabric.

Start with inexpensive glass and practice your cutting techniques before purchasing expensive glass!

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Look at the way these pieces were joined.

Notice that there are some holes between pieces

of glass.

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How Glass is Made

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QuizThis piece was put together using

the copper foil technique.

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Each piece was edged with copper foil

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Pinned into place

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Then doused with flux…

Pinned into place

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Then doused with flux…

Pinned into place

And soldered together on both sides

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QuizNotice how this project is fitted into a wood frame, so that the copper-foil-wrapped pieces don’t move around while soldering.

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Compare this piece with the dawg paw from the previous screen.

This piece is more architectural. See how these lines are straighter, thicker and darker than the joints in the dawg paw?

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This piece was put together using the came method.

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Came comes in two forms – “H” channel and “U” channel. These names come from the shape of the profile of each type of came.

The “H” channel is used to connect interior pieces of glass while the “U” channel is used to finish the exterior edges of the project.

Either type of came can be flat or have a rounded finish.

Came is most frequently made of lead, but zinc is also used as well.

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Here is a profile of the came.

Notice that the glass pieces fill in the top and bottom parts of the “H”. That is why “H” channel is used for the interior joints.

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See how the pieces of glass fit into the came.

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Foil is the predominant method these days.It requires much practice to apply foil evenly around each piece of glass.Additionally, you will want to practice soldering, which can be difficult to master.Came is more forgiving and easier to use, but there are concerns about the lead.

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You have now completed the

four modules of this tutorial.QUIZ TIME!

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Write your answers on a sheet of paper. When you have completed the quiz, the

correct answers will be revealed.



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1. What three main components are used in making glass?

2. What are three qualities or physical properties of glass?

3. Describe the four types of stained glass.

4. Should you use foil or came in your projects?

Write your answers on a sheet of paper. When you have completed the quiz, the

correct answers will be revealed.



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Key Ingredients of Glass—1. Silica (sand)2. Sodium carbonate (soda ash)3. Calcium carbonate (limestone)

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Physical Properties of Glass—Refraction!Transparency allows light to shine throughOpacity allows very little light to shine throughTranslucency is in between transparency and opacity.

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Types of Glass—Cathedral glass is transparent, single color glass.Opalescent glass has a milky appearance due to added flourine.Wispy glass is a mixture of colors barely blended so that the glass takes on a wispy, swirly appearance.Fractured/streamers glass has shards of colored glass or tubules of glass inserted to create interesting patterns.

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Foil or Came? This decision depends on the type of projects and your level of concern about health risk. Came can be used in most every flat project – windows or mosaics. But for shaped projects, such as a Tiffany lamp, copper foil is best.If you have small children in your house who might be tempted to get into your supplies, both methods have risks. If you have concerns about exposure to lead, choose a zinc-based came or use copper foil.

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Anneal to make stronger by heating and then cooling

Flux a chemical cleaning agent used when soldering to help metals flow

Glazier centuries ago, someone who made glass was a glazier. In modern times, a glazier is a construction worker who specializes in repairing glass

Iridescence the quality of changing hue depending on the angle at which the object is viewed

Luminous the quality of being lit up

Opalescence exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal

Refraction the bending of light rays as they pass through a substance

Solder metal alloys, usually tin and lead, used to join fusible parts.

Glossary

This is a link to the video about how glass is made. It was produced by the Discovery Channel – you probably recognized some of the TV hosts who appeared in this clip!http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28024-some-assembly-required-how-glass-is-made-video.htm

Here is the link to the page that offered information on how glass is made in text format. http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/how-is-glass-made

This is the homepage for the Stained Glass Association of America. Check out their newsletter and annual conferences.http://stainedglass.org/

RESOURCES

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http://stainedglass.org/

http://stainedglass.org/

This link takes you to the page where the four types of glass are described. Be sure to surf to other related pages when visiting this one!http://www.ehow.com/facts_5004230_types-stained-glass.htmlGo here to see definitions of more types of glass sold to stained glass artists. This site is a commercial site for selling stained glass projects.http://pw1.netcom.com/~mmglass/types.html#flas

Here are links to pages with free stock photos which I used in this presentation:http://www.shutterstock.com/http://www.dreamstime.com/

MORE RESOURCES

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http://www.ehow.com/facts_5004230_types-stained-glass.html



http://pw1.netcom.com/~mmglass/types.html#flas



http://www.shutterstock.com/

http://www.shutterstock.com/

http://www.dreamstime.com/

http://www.dreamstime.com/

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