How Stained Glass is Made



Stained glass is a beautiful and unique art form that has existed for centuries. Although many different techniques, such as painting on the glass, have been created over the years, the process of making colored glass, true stained glass remains nearly unchanged after all this time. The stained glass making process begins with some basic natural raw materials like sand (silica), soda or potash, lead oxide or lime and one of the various metal oxides to provide the different colors used in stained glass designs. These raw materials, in their proper proportions are then mixed in a large vat and heated to 2500? F turning the mixture into molten glass which can then be processed in a variety of ways depending on the effect desired for a particular piece of stained glass.

For instance, to make the glass used in stained glass windows, a lump of the molten glass is caught up at one end of a blow pipe, blown into a cylinder-like shape, cut, then compressed into sheets and cooled. This process may be varied in order to produce different effects. "Flashed glass" is made by putting a ball of molten white glass inside of a layer of molten colored glass which, when blown and flattened, results in a less concentrated color because it will be white on one side and colored on the other.

This allows a much greater variety of colors to be created for use in stained glass art. Another process that is used for making Cathedral glass is done by rolling the molten glass into flat sheets. Then there are the "Norman slabs" which are created by blowing the molten glass into a rectangular box shaped mold. The sides are then sliced apart and formed into slabs which are slightly thinner at the edges and thicker in the center. Larger manufacturers use much the same techniques, but the mixing and shaping processes are done with large machines instead of by hand.

As mentioned above various metal oxides are added to produce different colors of stained glass. Golden, yellow and vermillion glass is sometimes created by using uranium, cadmium sulfide or titanium. Adding gold produces a beautiful ruby color Cobalt creates most shades of blue. Chromium and iron oxides can also create green shades. Copper oxide is very versatile and depending on the conditions it is used under it can create ruby red, bluish or green colors.

The beautiful pieces of stained glass are turned into beautiful stained glass windows and other beautiful artwork in a variety of ways. The oldest way is by (in simple terms) cutting out a design and then assembling the pieces together using "lead cames" which are basically made from strips of grooved lead which is then soldered to the glass. Different metal bars and loops are soldered to the lead in order to allow the stained glass window to be installed in a church, home or other building.

Other techniques use a special type of cement or other metals "foiled" to hold the stained glass pieces together. The methods for creating stained glass have survived and proven effective for thousands of years and will almost certainly continue to do so for many thousands more to come.




Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

Beginning Stained Glass Class - What Should I Expect To Learn
Stained Glass Artisan, Louis C. Tiffany
How To Install Your Stained Glass Window
Supplies For Getting Started In Stained Glass
Enhance The Beauty Of Your Garden With Stained Glass Art
How To Buy Stained Glass
John La Farge, American Stained Glass Artist
How To Repair Your Stained Glass Window
Stained Glass Projects For Children
Stained Glass Copper Foil Technique
How To Properly Solder Your Stained Glass
Painting Stained Glass - Not As Mysterious As It Seems
How To Decorate With Stained Glass
Turn Your Stained Glass Hobby Into A Fun Job
Stained Glass Workshop Safety Tips
Stained Glass Painting
Mastering Difficult Stained Glass Cuts
How Much Will A Custom Stained Glass Window Cost?
Designing Your Own Stained Glass
Sandblasting Stained Glass
Stained Glass Windows- A Light Unto The Soul
Stained Glass Lead Came Technique
How Stained Glass Is Made
Stained Glass Scoring And Breaking - An Art In Itself






My Articles


Enhance The Beauty Of Your Garden With Stained Glass Art Stained glass isn't just for windows any more. The..


How Stained Glass Is Made Stained glass is a beautiful and unique art form that has existed for..


Stained Glass Lead Came Technique The lead came method of stained glass construction gives an appearance of..


Stained Glass Artisan, Louis C. Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) is associated with Art Nouveau style stained..



Related Videos:

Related News:

 
No item elements found in rss feed.