Stained glass artisans love imperfections…in glass! It’s those ripples, dimples, streaks, waves and bubbles which greatly contribute to the character of stained glass in contrast to perfectly flat glass which allows light to simply pass through it, unchanged. Imperfections are responsible for transforming transmitted light in a myriad of eye-pleasing ways. Ripples, dimples, streaks and waves create the impression of unique movement within a stained glass piece making it appear more like a  liquid art-form rather than a static one. In contrast, a certain uniqueness can be said of bubbles ( or “seeds”) in stained glass because these imperfections effectively “hold” the light of the passing day in a subtle attempt to make time stand still, perhaps engendering a feeling of old-fashioned comfort. Distinctive in its presentation, stained glass is embued with the delightful quality of varying hue within its imperfections…a quality promoted by the refraction of natural light, the intensity of which is controlled by the time of day as well as the season. Although it is somewhat of a mechanical process in its production, an element of hand-craft is required to achieve irregularities in stained glass. The glass maker, through deliberate manipulation of molten glass, uses a variety of texture-forming implements such as rollers, rakes and probes to create desired effects. Thus, imperfections are intentional! Emotions truly do come alive when the eye is fascinated by the inherent vitality of stained glass, imperfect as it is !

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Copper foil comes in a number of widths, thus making it easy to create exactly what you want in your stained glass masterpiece! We offer only quality Edco Foil in the right thickness for your project. If you are looking for a wide solder bead in your work, resembling the traditional leaded channel appearance, choose 1/4 inch wide foil. If you want more of the Tiffany style of presentation, you may want to use 7/32 inch wide foil. Remember that the larger your piece, the more aware you should be with the width of the foil  used in its construction. Thicker widths usually equate to more structural integrity. However, if you prefer a thinner, more delicate solder bead, you can still achieve this look by running “restrip” through some of your horizontal solder seams. “Restrip” is actually a semi-rigid copper band that can be easily placed between your foiled glass pieces and soldered in place promoting much more structural strenght than the foil alone can provide. We carry foil in 3/16, 7/32, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch widths. In addition, most all of these width sizes are available in copper back, black back and silver back foil. Also available in the studio is a decorative type foil: “new wave”. This is a scalloped edge foil used in work that requires more of a unique look and is quite effective in helping you create something a little different !

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Until next time…enjoy your creativity!

Ever wonder where all that white, powdery residue which inevitably shows up on your nice solder seams comes from? Blame it on flux which is used in the soldering process. Flux contains a highly corrosive substance known as zinc chloride. It is this substance which actually cleans copper foil  eliminating surface contaminents including all oxidation thus enabling the solder to bond to the metal surface. Unfortunately, flux also promotes that powdery white residue which is actually corrosion of the metals in solder. A very good practice to get into is to thoroughly clean your work immediately after soldering with a mild dish detergent, or a premixed cleaning agent (such as CJ’s), and plenty of water.  However, even with this careful attention to cleaning, flux is an elusive chemical in that it can seep under copper foil no matter how firmly it is adhered to glass. Subsequently, flux tends to resurface along the edges of solder seams, corroding the solder and leaving in its path that unwanted residue. But all is not lost! Simply buff the residue off with fine steel wool. If you have used a patina, you will have to reapply it. Waxing solder seams with a product such as Nevr Dull or Clarity Finishing Compound ( available in the studio), helps somewhat in warding off the return of residue. 

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