1. Decide where you want to put the panel (for me it was the bathroom window) and measure the space EXACTLY. Glass is inflexible, so make sure you know what space you're working with from the beginning. This is the time to decide whether or not to add a zinc channel frame. I'd recommend this for larger pieces, but you will need to factor in .5" or .75" per side.)
2. Find or design a pattern. Keep in mind the proportions (square? Vertical? Horizontal?) of the space you want to fill. I found a pattern I mostly liked, took it to Kinkos to have it blown up then used whiteout and a sharpie to do some editing.
3. Create a frame to work inside. Find a large flat area to work on and long straight strips of wood you can nail into your workspace. I used an old door and some wooden garden stakes.
Use the measurement from step 1 to create a workspace exactly the same size as the place you want your panel to fit. If it fits in your measured frame, it will fit in your window.
4. Now for the fun part! It's time to choose your glass. I photocopied the small versions of my pattern and used colored pencils to try different color combinations.
You will want to take some measurements on the scaled up pattern so you know how big of a piece of glass to buy. For example, the thicker arch in the middle was about 14" wide and 8" tall, so I needed a piece a couple inches larger than that for cutting.
5. Lay in pieces of glass to see if you like the balance of colors. It sounds like a silly step, but if you're creating an archival piece you need to be sure you love it.
6. Trace your scaled-up pieces onto the glass with a sharpie and start cutting. (No tutorial here on cutting and grinding. Maybe another time if there is interest.) Sharpie washes off of glass with soap and water so you can even write orientation notes to yourself like "top left."
two big ideas here:
First, when you are fitting pieces together, remember to leave a thin gap. You want some space for the solder to fill in. If the glass pieces are butted up exactly against each other there is nowhere for the solder to go. It just lays on top and you won't have a sturdy seam.
Second, cut the glass as close to perfect as you can. It is much easier to cut a 6x6" square than to cut 6.25x6.25" and think you can trim or grind it down. You may be able to trim small increments sometimes, but you take the risk of chipping or cracking the piece and starting all over anyway. You will save time and heartache (and glass) by measuring, tracing and cutting exactly. No rushing!
7. Solder is a lead/tin metal mixture that will not stick to glass so you must wrap each piece in adhesive copper foil tape. It comes in different widths, but for this project I chose .25" width. It's thicker than you might use for something like a sun catcher, but this piece is roughly 20x30" and needs to be structurally secure.
Also for structural purposes I soldered lengths of copper wire into every seam.
8. This step took like 3 weeks and 4 rolls of solder. First, paint flux (a mild acid) over one seam at a time. This step ensures the copper foil is clean and the solder will adhere solidly. Next, melt solder over every seam, ensuring all of the foil is covered and every gap is filled. This is the flat solder stage and it doesn't matter too much what it looks like. Then flip your panel and do the other side.
Now it's time to make the solder pretty. Paint flux over your flat solder, then slowly melt a smooth, shiny bead over each seam.
9. Depending on your design you may want to leave the solder silver or apply a black or copper patina. For this piece I chose a black patina, which you can pick up at any stained glass store. I poured the patina into a glass dish, dipped a paper tower into the patina, then gently wiped over the solder, again being careful not to miss any spots. Flip your panel and do the other side. The chemical reaction happens pretty quickly, and when it's done it is time to wash the sharpie, flux, and excess patina off of your lovely new stained glass panel. This piece was so big I had to take it into the bathtub to wash it. I recommend using a soft sponge and Dawn dish detergent. (Note: some patina will color just the solder, some will do both zinc and solder. check the label before you buy.)
10. If you do a black patina consider using a paper towel and some Murphys oil to hydrate and deepen the black color and add some gloss.
