When working with stained glass it is interesting to note that breaking and cutting properties vary. Of prime importance is the fact that glass, once scored, must be snapped in order to allow the best break along the score line. Waiting a few hours or a day to break scored glass can actually give the score time to “heal” ( but not disappear) to the extent of making a break impossible, or at best, not what you intended. Have you ever noticed that some stained glass is easier to cut than others? A lot of this difference has to do with the metallic oxides used in the manufacturing process of the glass color…harder oxides generally equate to more difficult cutting. But this does not always hold true because complicated fabrication processes, including proper cooling techniques, can also affect cutabilty in stained glass. Some stained glass manufacturers such as Spectrum ensure easier cutting for stained glass projects due to the way their glass is fabricated and solidified. On the other hand, some glass manufacturers specialize in the intentional formation of distinctive textures, exotic inclusions, and highly unique color blends all of which demand special fabrication and solidifying processes making their stained glass harder and, oftentimes, more unyielding to the cutting wheel. These stained glasses are at premium costs because of these processes which promote the dramatic capture, refraction and transmission of light as seen in fine-quality Tiffany lampshades. When shopping for stained glass, you will find that we sell more Spectrum than any other manufacturer’s product. We also stock easy-to-cut Wissmach, Kokomo and Pilkington stained glass. In limited supply, we do offer those “challenging premiums” sometimes referred to as art glass: hand-made Bullseye, Uroboros, Chicago Art and Youghiogheny. Happy cutting !

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