MY MIND IS IN A TRANSOM STAGE 6
Hi friends! Sorry about the lag time with this post! I've had quite a bit on my plate the past few days. Before I launch into my little ditty about where I'm at with this project, I wanted to mention that tomorrow I will be Guest Author for The Design Guide Blog. Please stop by there and comment on my post. It will feature some wonderful artists.
So, where were we? Here are photos of the soldering process. As you can see the copper foil that lines each piece of glass acts as the contact point which the solder then binds to. You have to FLUX the foil to prep it in order for the solder bead to bind. I have a few pics here to give you an idea but I couldn't hold the camera AND the solder AND the soldering iron all at the same time so you'll have to envision the hot soldering iron tip touching the solder as it is applied (in a bead) to the foil edges. Then I have a couple of pictures of the piece after the soldering is complete. At this stage I have to choose a patina (or just a bright finish) and then frame it. Voila! The finished product will be able to be seen at my store on Etsy! I hope you enjoyed this little stroll though the life of a stained glass artist. It is by no means a detailed directional guide but it does give you a glimpse into what steps go into creating stained glass using the copper foil method.
Next week I'll be sharing several of the mosaic pieces I've created. I've only ever listed one,(The Glass Aplique Antique Window), but I have several tables around the house that were so fun to create! With gratitude, Laurie B.
Posts
4 comments:
Oh this is just so beautiful Laurie!! I really should have been digging a little deeper as I found several postings I missed recently. I was searching for the Design Guide blog address so I could visit it tomorrow but never found a link. Best of luck with it though and have a fabulous weekend!
I'm still so impressed with how precise you have to fit the pieces together. Does it take a lot of flux to solder the finished piece? Or does it really just sit on top of where the copper edging meet?
BTW, I love the textured clear glass you used for the background of your image.
Hi Pam! Thanks for the compliment. It IS difficult to make the "puzzle fit" since it's glass and, glass only wants to cut in a straight line! I LOOOVED the background glass too. It was tricky cutting it. I was SO thrilled to get the background cut out of one piece so that the ribbons matched up perfectly. Sometimes with texture, it can get challenging.
Yes, the flux just sits on top of the foil, it's a liquid. It doesn't take a lot of flux, but it DOES take a lot of solder. And the price of solder has tripled since Iraq started. I'm SO glad you enjoyed this. I always wonder if it's a good idea or not. I figure people might be quite bored with it all.
Thanks for such a clear explanation of the process you use in your work. It's really lovely.
Post a Comment