stained glass tools – Stained Glass Tools
A number of specialized and highly honed tools are required for working with various kinds of stained glass. These tools help assist an individual in marking, cutting, smoothing, and soldering the glass. Outlined below are some of the more important tools required.
Glass cutters consist of a metal wheel supported by a brass bearing; these are is an important tool. The wheel may be made from different materials such as steel, carbide, or tungsten. The handles offer a choice of different shapes. Glass cutters are available at local hardware stores.
Glazing knifes are used for cutting the lead. Standard professional glazing knives are normally used. If you are on a low budget, you can use a putty knife or any other standard knife. You will need to shape the blade into a thin curve and keep the blade sharp.
Although ordinary pliers can do the job, special grozing pliers are preferable. Grozing pliers apply even pressure on the glass and prevent cracking. Pattern shears are required for preparing paper patterns. A less expensive alternative can be an improvised shear made out of razor blades.
A soldering iron, preferably with temperature control, is another important tool. A soldering iron is available at local glass stores. An electric grinder is used for smoothing the edges of cut glass. A worktable or board and brushes for cleaning are other requirements.
Apart from the above, you will also need a number of small tools and supplies such as cleaning solution, tracing paper, pencils, razor blades, scissors, hammer, nails, adhesive paper, etc.
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How do you create lovely stained glass mosaic tables? Once you know these basic steps, your creativity can take over. If you want something truly unique in a mosaic table, forget the many common styles of round mosaic bistro tables on metal stands that look they were produced on an assembly line. Instead, try integrating a beautiful stained glass design onto the table top of a piece of real-wood furniture.
Start with an unfinished table from a local or online store that deals in unfinished furniture. If you buy online, shop around because you can oftentimes find the same products in a wide price range. Search for "unfinished furniture" and you'll get tons of hits. The pieces that I buy are usually made of parawood, which is a hard wood from the Malaysian rubber plantations. Its density compares to birch or ash and its strength rates the same as maple.
Stain, seal, and finish the table with high-quality products. Use rags or paintbrushes to apply the stain and topcoat. If using rags, I suggest wearing plastic gloves. Check your local super center for a box of a ga-zillion of them for only a few bucks. They're cheap, but they work. Wood furniture can also be painted for dramatic results. For example, white is a nice color for breezy, beachy decors. The protective topcoat over stain or paint can be gloss, semi-gloss, or satin, depending on your preference.
Prepare the table top to receive the stained glass by painting it with white primer. The white color helps make the stained glass look bright and beautiful when laid in-place. Although a piece of stained glass may appear opaque, it oftentimes is merely translucent and the white background of the table top helps keep the glass color bright. Draw the stained glass pattern directly on the painted table top.
Following the pattern, measure and cut each piece of stained glass using the appropriate tool, which depends on the piece's shape and complexity. Grind the edges of each piece to remove all sharp edges. This ensures exposed edges on the tabletop are blunt so no one can injure themselves when dusting, wiping, cleaning, or otherwise using the tabletop. Most online stained glass stores offer decent glass grinders between $90 and $150. Sometimes the local hobby store has them for sale at half price. You don't need the heavy-duty, industrial-strength, super-duper grinder that costs $250. The cheap $100 unit is usually just fine for the average glass crafter. If you work with stained glass and glass tiles, then you ought to bite the bullet and buy a glass grinder.
When all the stained-glass pieces are in-place, apply the grout. After the grout cures, apply a high-quality grout sealer to help protect the grout color from dirt and spills. After the sealer thoroughly dries, clean and buff the glass with paper towels or a clean, soft cloth.
For a nice added touch, sign the furniture piece on the bottom side of the tabletop using a permanent felt-tip pen. The result is a beautiful piece of art that serves a functional purpose in the home or office. Each piece of stained glass mosaic furniture is truly unique, even when using the same pattern because no two glass pieces can be hand-cut exactly the same.
About The Author
Bill Enslen has created glass mosaic art and mosaic tables for 30 years. His new eBook gives you step-by-step details for creating your own mosaic masterpieces. Visit him at http://www.glassmosaictileart.com and read the free sample chapters. Let him show you just how easy it is. With Bill's help, you can do it. Yes, you can! See beautiful stained glass mosaic tabletops at http://www.glassmosaictileart.com/mosaic_table_top_furniture.html
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