Making stained glass with your own hands: methods, materials, technologies, subtleties

The technology of fastening small pieces of glass was known back in Ancient Egypt, but this art truly flourished in medieval Europe, after craftsmen learned to make multi-colored glass. By the beginning of the 20th century, stained glass, which arose as an attribute of Gothic architecture, established itself in the interiors of mansions and public buildings of a wide variety of styles. Today, stained glass windows in the interior are a way to make a space luxurious or add a touch of luxury, depending on the placement method.

Bedroom in a modern style Source topdizz.com

The main secret of technology

The manufacturing technology of any stained glass window does not require deep knowledge. But you definitely need an accurate eye, a faithful and steady hand and extreme accuracy. The smallest errors, accumulating as production progresses, ultimately give the product an unattractive, or even simply sloppy, appearance. So the main conditions for success are skill, ingenuity, and training. If after three trial compositions the size of a large book you come up with a good real one, you are a gem.

Stained glass window in the Cathedral of St. Vincent in Blois

Required materials and tools

The technology for self-production of stained glass is examined using the example of artistic painting or the so-called poured technique. To work you will need:

• stained glass paints without firing;
• contour, sold either as a set or separately;
• acrylic varnish to fix the finished image;
• stencil, sold in the same department;
• marker for transferring a design to the surface;
• conical brushes for editing the design;
• palette for mixing colors;
• glass product;
• acetone and alcohol, for degreasing the surface and wiping away stains;
• toothpicks and cotton swabs;
• a rag for wiping brushes;
• solvent.

Be sure to use a solvent from the same company as the paint.

About sketches and scissors

The basis of any stained glass window is an element-by-element sketch. Stained glass sketches are always made in duplicate. If they are made on a computer and printed, there are no problems: the printouts are absolutely identical.

However, for a large panel, the sketch must be drawn by hand and then copied on a photocopying machine. Despite such a serious name, the simplest photocopying machine is just a sheet of glass (which will later be used as a base), laid on two chairs, and a light bulb under it.

To make a stained glass window without errors, you need to firmly remember: the assembly is carried out according to the PRIMARY, most accurate sketch, and a copy from it will be used as templates. Otherwise, inconsistencies are inevitable, and adjusting fragments along the way complicates and spoils the work.

You need not simple scissors, but special template ones, with three blades. The third cuts a strip 1.76 mm wide. Before cutting, the secondary sketch is pasted onto a sheet of thin but dense cardboard (the ideal case is 0.5 mm electric cardboard) and the paper-cardboard puff is cut. Otherwise, when making fragments, it will be very difficult to trace the outline on soft paper.

When gluing, be careful - paper soaked from any glue stretches when smoothed, and you need to glue over the entire plane. Each finished template is verified according to the primary sketch. By the way, the pieces of both sketches must be uniformly numbered before cutting.

Useful tips

Example of painting

If the object you are painting comes into contact with food or drink, then make sure that the drawing is strictly on its outer side, and the edges in contact with the lips are free from the paint layer

When firing water-based paints, you need to follow an important rule: the work is placed in a still cold oven and taken out of it only after it has completely cooled. Firing time is approximately 1 – 1.5 hours, temperature is about 160 degrees

The manufacturer's exact recommendations are usually located on the paint bottle. Make sure that all contour lines are completely closed. You need to remove any imperfections - bubbles, excess paint, etc. - before it dries. Remove excess paint with a cotton swab or adjust it closer to the contours. It is convenient to pierce the bubbles with a toothpick. If the contour is smudged, it’s okay, just wipe it off the glass and try again. If the paints have thickened, then they should be diluted with thinners of the same brand.

Types of stained glass

Classic or glass stained glass is a window made of many colored glasses, transparent or milky; milky in this case means - opaque colored in the mass. Frosted glass is “roughened” on one side and is transparent at the break.

Fragments of stained glass are sometimes called stained glass smalts, so as not to be confused with the smalts from which glass mosaics are made. Stained glass came from mosaic. Sometimes they even just say “smalt”, because... There are many more stained glass windows made than glass mosaics. Further in the text there is smalt – stained glass smalt is everywhere.

Each smalt is framed with a U-shaped profile made of lead, tin, copper or brass. Then the smalts are laid directly on the primary sketch, and the seams are soldered. The result is a window framed from H-shaped profiles. A frame of brass angle is immediately placed on it for strength, and soldered along the contour. The resulting picture is inserted into a window frame or into an opening illuminated from behind. In this case, smalts are matte or milky.

Stained glass windows made in classical technique

The picture in the previous section shows one of the world's greatest stained glass masterpieces, the stained glass window in the south window of St. Vincent in Blois. The picture above shows modern stained glass windows of the classical type. In both cases, a combined technique using fusing is used, see below. Classic stained glass is very difficult to work with, labor-intensive and not particularly durable. They were not installed in casement windows - they could crumble from the clap of the open sash.

Application area

Now stained glass windows are found not only in church premises, but in apartments and private houses.

Compositions based on impact-resistant glass are inserted into entrance doors. They are also used in interior doors, but the main thing is that the image is the same everywhere. Then the interior will be designed in the same style.

In apartment design, stained glass is placed in the windows of balconies, loggias or in the kitchen. They are often used in the doors of wardrobes and furniture sets, which gives the furniture an antique chic.

A stained glass composition looks very elegant in the sliding doors of a living room or bedroom.

It is used in the manufacture of decorative items and lighting fixtures. Painted dishes, handmade lampshades, glass paintings or illuminated panels are especially popular.

Stained glass ceilings add special luxury to the room. They came into fashion at the end of the 19th century, but were undeservedly “forgotten”. And only a few years ago they began to be used again, but with the use of new technologies. These are so-called lightweight stained glass windows based on durable acrylic plastic.

From simple to complex

Film and ceiling

Film stained glass (first from the left in the next figure below) refers to false stained glass: on a glass base, transparent, matte or milky, a pattern is applied in one way or another to imitate borders between the smalts. In this case, it’s just a self-adhesive film; We’ll talk about simulating contour borders below; it’s not at all difficult.

Making a stained-glass window from film is no more difficult than simply covering something with self-adhesive tape. The main thing is to degrease the glass well with a solution of dishwashing detergent in water 1:5-1:20 and then rinse with distilled water. The bubbles on the film are pierced with a needle and disappear within a day or two without a trace.

Modern films are quite durable, but up close you can immediately see that this is only an imitation. And from the reverse side it has no view at all. Therefore, film stained glass windows are most often installed on the ceiling. There they are exactly in their place - cheap and cheerful.

Previously, ceiling stained glass windows were not very common: the base is heavy, fragile, and extremely dangerous if it collapses. Due to the properties of the material, stained glass on glass should not be hanging at all. Now the best basis for ceiling stained glass windows is acrylic.

Try bending or breaking your computer drive. This is the strength of acrylic plastic with a thickness of only about 1 mm. A person throws a 3x3 m acrylic sheet 2-3 mm thick by hand, and under its own weight it does not sag for many years. What if he falls out - quietly planning, swaying. And the film on acrylic holds very firmly. True, acrylic is much more expensive than glass.

Types of stained glass

Jellied

Second pos. on the left is a stained glass window with paints, or flooded. From the face it is already very similar to the real one, but from the inside the fake is still noticeable, even if it is designed at the same time as the face in a mirror image.

We will next consider the stained glass technique in more detail: from skillful hands, such compositions come out very impressive on the face, but getting them is not so easy. To complete the effect, light rays need to pass twice through the base glass; therefore, a smooth or textured reflective surface underneath. Therefore, the most common application of the pouring technique is stained glass on a mirror.

The fact is that paint, when poured correctly, forms a meniscus, see below. Rays, direct and reflected from the mirror film, pass through its sections with different curvature, and the stained glass window plays with colors with might and main. Diffraction at the boundaries of the border also affects it, so it is better to make it dark but shiny, also see below. The “fill” effect is especially effective on acrylic mirrors with a reflective tantalum-niobium substrate.

Tiffany

Stained glass Tiffany (next position from left to right) is a real, full-fledged stained glass window made of smalt glass. The only difference from the classics is that the binding is not made from cast or forged grooves, but is formed directly along the end of the smalt from soldered metal foil, which they did not yet know how to make in the Middle Ages.

When using brass foil, hard fusible solders (which were not available in the old days) and semi-active fluxes, Tiffany is quite durable. It will also work as a stained glass window, incl. swing or French, and through the door. The Tiffany technique allows you to “stained glass” three-dimensional rectangular and curvilinear structures. To do this, the side edges of the smalt are made beveled at 45 degrees or at the required curvature angle. No industrial equipment is required for this. We will also analyze the Tiffany technique further.

Facet

Faceted stained glass window, penultimate position. – an indispensable sign of a prestigious interior. Bevel – a wide, low-angle, optically precise polished chamfer on a thick, from 6 mm, glass plate. The bevel angle must be precisely matched to the optical properties of the glass in order to obtain the so-called. diamond facet, which gives the greatest light refraction.

Smalts for faceted stained glass are made transparent, colorless or colored, from special types of glass - potash (light, with a lower refractive index) and lead (heavy, with a high refractive index). Particularly impressive are beveled stained glass windows made from skillfully selected combinations of both (crown flint bevels).

Faceted smalts are assembled in special, piece-made profiles made of durable aluminum alloy, due to their high weight. In general, beveled stained glass requires high skill and industrial conditions for manufacturing. Most often, smalts are ordered in batches at optical-mechanical enterprises, and are collected in small/medium production conditions.

Fusion

Fusing stained glass, or fusion stained glass (from the English fuse - melt, melt; last position) is made from smalt heated to softening (300-1200 degrees, depending on the type of glass), laid out in a stencil on a heat-resistant plane. The entire set is rolled, resulting in smooth color transitions, which is unattainable with other stained glass techniques.

Fusion is the pinnacle of stained glass art. Even when manufactured by robots in an industrial environment, due to rolling, each product is unique. Large fusion stained glass windows cost a lot of money; True, with the development of robotization, prices are steadily falling; here, as they say, China is ahead of the rest of the world. The fusion technique itself has been known since ancient times; it was on this basis that smalts with faces, etc. were and are made. for classic stained glass windows.

Video: stained glass using fusing

About techniques for creating stained glass images

Stained glass is a type of fine art that uses colored glass to create paintings and images. In the old days, glass was available only to wealthy people, and paintings made of colored glass generally cost incredible amounts of money. Today, not too complicated and expensive techniques have been developed that make this pleasure quite accessible. There are several different techniques for creating such products:

• Stacked and mosaic stained glass windows. Made from pieces of glass. They differ in that in mosaic, the fragments have the same shape and size; in typesetting, they are cut to the required sizes and can have different shapes. The fragments are fixed in metal frames (lead, copper, brass). One of the varieties is soldering - the picture is obtained using tin partitions. This is one of the most ancient techniques. More modern - Tiffany stained glass. In them, the fragments are collected on a copper tape, due to which they have less mass.

  
  Traditional technique - stacked stained glass

• By fusing pieces of colored glass into a single whole (fusing or sintering technique). This is exactly a new and relatively inexpensive technology.

  
  Fusing stained glass can be distinguished by the absence of lintels

• Etching technique. Using hydrofluoric acid, the color is etched out in those places that should be more transparent. This technique produces two-color images. A more complex technology of layer-by-layer etching allows you to make not only multi-colored, but also three-dimensional stained glass windows.

  
  Deep layer-by-layer etching technique - glass frosting

• Painted stained glass window. Images are created using special transparent paints, which are fixed at high temperatures (finish firing).

  
  Painted stained glass - a design is applied using paints and fixed at high temperature

The techniques for making stained glass are different, but they all require special skills and knowledge. Some also require high-temperature ovens.

Imitation methods

The complex technology of creating stained glass windows is reflected in their cost - this is not a cheap pleasure at all. Therefore, in parallel with stained glass technologies, imitation methods have been developing since ancient times. The very first ones - sticking a thin sheet of painted paper onto the glass - turned out to be very short-lived. But modern technologies make it possible to obtain more similar and durable pseudo-stained glass windows:

• Filled polymer contour. It is created using transparent colored polymers in two stages. At the first, contours are drawn on the glass. After polymerization, the space between the contours is filled with colored compounds.

  
  Pouring technique - using polymers to create a pattern on glass

• Film stained glass. To create contours, self-adhesive lead tape is used, with which the contours of the design are drawn. Then the space is sealed with colored stained glass film.

  
  Film stained glass is the easiest to make yourself. but not too durable

• Overlay stained glass. Simulates prefabricated stained glass: colored glass is glued onto a base of transparent glass. This technology is much simpler, since the strength is provided by the “substrate”.

Methods for simulating stained glass are technically simpler, which makes it possible for non-professionals to make some not too complex designs. At the same time, the products look good, which determines their popularity.

Imitations

Film stained glass has already been mentioned, and there is nothing complicated about it. But, before moving on to the colorful, let's talk about imitation lead binding; it is common in both cases. A decent-looking imitation of stained glass is largely determined by the similarity of the applied border to natural metal binding.

Curbs

There are three ways to imitate the binding of a classic stained glass window for both film and paint:

• Gluing the borders of the fragments with lead tape. Specially sold for stained glass cases;
• Forming contours from soft wire, see below;
• Drawing contours with contour paste.

First way

Lead tape is real, unquote, tape: a strip about 1/8 inch wide made of lead foil, an adhesive layer, the same as on regular tape, and a protective film. Unwinding the roll, lay it out along the contour, cut it, remove the protective film, apply it, press it down - that’s it. For film stained glass windows - after gluing, for flooded windows - before pouring.

Second way

Enameled wires

The contour is bent from the wire and glued (film - after; filling - before) with PVA. But not simple, but dishonest. It is a little more expensive than the “paper” one, and the label says: “For gluing glass and porcelain products.” Chemically active adhesives are not suitable, especially cyanoacrylate “Superglue”. On top of that, it is also unusually liquid and flows everywhere where it is not needed.

The wire using this technique is traditionally used aluminum and then patinated, as for Tiffany, see below. But the author of this article has repeatedly successfully used copper winding wire in high-strength enamel insulation (enamel wire). It bends more easily, and in radio stores and radio markets it can be found with insulation in literally all colors of the rainbow, see Fig., with a diameter of 0.02 to 2.5 mm round and from 1 to 16 mm flat (busbar).

The tire is rare and expensive. But each contour curved from a round wire can be aligned and slightly flattened by strongly squeezing it in a bench vice between two even flat steel plates 8-12 mm thick. The isolation of even an almost pre-war PEV does not deteriorate from this.

Copper wire contours are especially good for stained glass windows on mirrors; this has already been discussed. If you need dullness and patina, just rub the finished piece with sandpaper, and the exposed copper will soon itself be covered with a real, uninduced patina.

Third way

Prepare contour paste according to the recipe:

1. Tableware PVA – 50 ml.
2. Natural black mascara (the best is Dutch) – 20-30 ml.
3. Aluminum powder (silver) – 30-40 g.

Add mascara to the PVA, stir thoroughly and add silver powder in small portions while stirring until a creamy paste is obtained. If you need a brass-like binding, replace the silver with bronze powder. The “leadness” depends on the ratio of the carcass to the silverfish; it is checked with a test, completely dried drop.

The pasta is prepared as needed; it is not stored. When using, you need to stir all the time - the silverware floats to the top. Apply along the contour with an artistic brush, applying it generously so that it forms a sausage of equal thickness; this requires good skill. A small pastry syringe gun is more convenient for a beginner, but then, even after washing, it is not suitable for use for its intended purpose.

Video: DIY English film stained glass window

Step-by-step instruction

When the materials are prepared, you need to read the detailed instructions on how to draw a stained glass window.

1. Initially, the surface is degreased using detergent, alcohol or acetone. This is necessary so that the paint adheres better to the surface.
2. The stencil is placed under the base for painting, and the design is transferred with a marker.
3. From the center to the edges, the contour is applied evenly, without interruption. Then the drying time is given, which is indicated on the tube.
4. Afterwards, the fragments are gradually filled from the center moving to the edges of the picture. First, parts of one color are poured, then another, and so on.
5. When the colored parts are ready, the background is filled in between them. For this it is better to use quick-drying varnish.
6. Now all that remains is to wait for complete drying, which is also indicated on the packaging.
7. Then the design is coated with colorless varnish to secure it and simplify the care of the product.

Advice! It is better to place white paper or fabric under the base to be painted, this way the colors and shades can be seen better.

"Jellied"

Filled stained glass is performed in the following sequence:

• We are preparing an assembly table: a flat panel covered with white calico, felt, flannel or flannel.
• We put a stencil on it - a numbered primary sketch.
• We degrease the glass base and place it on the stencil. We take the ends with our hands wearing new textile gloves; You cannot use a suction cup or leave your fingers on your face.
• We bend, straighten and flatten the contours, one at a time, from the left (for left-handers - right) upper corner.
• We adjust it as needed and glue it with PVA. We dry it for a day.
• Fill with paint (see below). Adjacent cells of one color are poured one by one as the previous ones dry out: if it leaks, the dried drip can be easily removed with a safety razor blade.
• Let it dry for another day after filling the last cell, insert it into a metal frame - ready for installation!

For the preparation of paints, see the following, but for now let’s focus on pouring; This is the most responsible procedure. We pour the paint with a generously soaked brush or syringe from the inside along the contour, but under no circumstances touching the curb (see figure)! The paint should naturally flow into the meniscus! If the color comes out a bit runny, after drying, pour it again in the same way.

Filling stained glass cells with paint

Pouring/topping up paint in the middle is unacceptable. If you need a thicker stain there, you need to outline it and pour more there. In this case, two fillings into the frame (along the outer and inner contours) are done without delay, one after the other.

The fact is that the “blyamba” in the middle will disrupt light refraction. The “bokeh effect” known to photographers will appear, and a single such element will disrupt the integrity of the perception of the composition. And if there are a lot of them, then the entire stained glass window will turn out sloppy.

Paints

There are four types of homemade stained glass paints:

1. PVA and aniline are the easiest to prepare and the most unstable;
2. Soviet-rare ones - on BF-2 glue and ballpoint pen paste;
3. Gelatin-aniline - fragile and fade in direct sunlight, but give an ideal meniscus;
4. Nitro-oil ones are the most expensive, but have all the advantages without the disadvantages.

First. PVA-aniline paints are prepared simply: dilute 50-100 ml of tableware PVA two or three times with distilled water. Then, in the hot distillate, add aniline dye for fabric according to the instructions for the tablet, and filter through calico, gas or thin women's tights. Drop a few drops into the PVA emulsion, stir, drop a drop on the glass and check the color. Lightened – add a pigment solution; over-darkened – emulsions.

Second. BF-2 is diluted twice with acetone and a hand paste is added dropwise to the solution with stirring. The color is checked with a test drop, as indicated above. It gives an excellent meniscus, the stand is bright, but - alas! – circulation of pure acetone is limited, because it is used in artisanal illegal drug production. But it cannot be replaced with nitro solvent or alcohol.

Third. 6 gr. Edible gelatin is diluted in 200 ml. distillate at 40-50 degrees. A solution of aniline dye, the same as for the first paint, is added drop by drop after cooling to the same temperature and the color is checked in the same way. Strength and resistance to fading can be increased somewhat by covering it with clear acrylic varnish after drying. Aniline with PVA is not possible, it will float.

Fourth. We are preparing a composition of 60% by volume transparent furniture nitro varnish and 40% 647 solvent. Squeeze out artistic oil paint directly from the tube into pea-sized balls, stir, and check the color for a drop. Suitable for acrylic coating; At the same time, the strength is acrylic, and the durability is almost unlimited.

Notes:

1. Sometimes the paint doesn’t stir, but instead gets created. This means that the manufacturer is a deceiver: it is not prepared with natural hemp oil.
2. Colors can be mixed, as artists do, but following the rules for mixing mineral oil paints. Otherwise, it may turn out like with Ozerov’s paintings.

Video: master class on stained glass

How to make stained glass with your own hands - practical advice.

Preparatory work.

So, we will need: 1.6 mm aluminum wire, white glue (PVA emulsion) and special stained glass paints. The latter can be replaced with aniline dyes - dyes that are used in dyeing fabrics.

However, before you start working, carefully consider what result you want to achieve in the end: will it be some kind of design on the glass (birds, fish, animals, people, fairy-tale characters, flowers, etc.) or is your goal just colorful ornament. Then, on whatman paper (cardboard or graph paper), draw the outlines of the pattern, indicating on it where and what color will be used. You can complete the sketch yourself, but if in doubt, you can turn to more artistically gifted friends for help.

Now remove the glass from the place where it is located (door, window opening, frame, etc.), and degrease the side where the stained glass will be made using a roller and acetone. After this, attach the previously prepared sketch to the back of the glass.

First step.

Next, our glass must be positioned strictly horizontally; to minimize the error, use a level or a small ball. Then we bend the contours of the necessary elements with wire. Gently but generously lubricate the wire with glue and press it against the glass, placing a metal plate with a weight on it. We leave everything motionless for 1-1.5 hours so that the wire has time to stick.

But this time we are not sitting idle, but preparing paints (colors). If aniline dyes are used, they should be dissolved in distilled water and strained (this will get rid of possible solid particles or lumps), and then mixed with PVA glue. As a result, you should get a solution that has a consistency similar to cream, otherwise it will not be very convenient to work with.

Second step.

Now we check the color saturation on a piece of glass; to do this, we apply a little paint there. When the paint dries, you will see what shade you have. If the tones are too bright, you can mute them by adding emulsion, and pallor, on the contrary, will be corrected by added dye. But remember, the amount of intense and pale colors should be balanced, so do not try to make all the colors as bright as possible.

Having prepared all the colors and shades, pour them into glass jars and cover with lids, this will protect them from drying out. You can proceed to the most basic and important stage of the work - applying colors to the glass, or rather to the areas marked on it. To do this you will need a little practice (this can be done on a scrap piece of glass) and a clean brush. Colors are applied to the stained glass elements starting from the wire (the outline of the part). Moreover, when adding new portions of color, it is necessary to constantly monitor the thickness of the layer of the entire element; the uniformity of the color of the element in the future will depend on this. Also remember that you cannot apply color on top of an existing one, since the paint tends to dry out, so all your extra touches will be very noticeable and will lead to a defect in the entire canvas.

Third step.

If for one reason or another something didn’t turn out the way you wanted, then under no circumstances try to fix anything. It’s better to completely wash off the bad area, let the glass dry and try again.

Only after completely understanding one color, proceed to another. And to avoid streaking, new elements should be painted only where adjacent parts have already dried.

Having finished with all the elements, inspect the back side of the stained glass window. If everything turned out well, then I hasten to congratulate you, the work is finished, and the stained glass window can be fixed in its rightful place. But often not everything goes so smoothly. It happens that the places where the wire is glued do not look very neat. Don’t despair, take white enamel paint and paint thin white stripes in these places (wire fastenings), naturally, having degreased the glass there first.

That's all for sure now. Well, if you want to make your stained glass more durable, I recommend coating the resulting work of art with varnish.

Tiffany

Tiffany stained glass windows are an order of magnitude or two more difficult to work with than those described above, so we will deal with them step by step. There are complexities and subtleties at all stages, except, perhaps, patination. And neglecting technology on any of them will ruin the work. In addition, you need to acquire some special tools and materials.

Tool

Glass cutter

The main key to success when working on Tiffany is a glass cutter, because you need to cut out small curved pieces of glass, and stained glass is very tough. Therefore, you only need a diamond glass cutter. The advisers are unlikely to be able to cut a piece of glass into a window themselves by making do with a roller Pobeditov.

Diamond glass cutter for curved cuts

Diamond glass cutters come in two types: with an edge (diamond pencils) and with a curved cutting edge. The first ones are suitable only for straight cuts, and the second ones are suitable for curved ones. The type of cutting part and method of cutting are indicated in the certificate for the tool, and in appearance - a glass cutter with a curved edge is necessarily massive, with a backing for tapping/breaking, see fig. After cutting with a pencil, the cut piece simply breaks off.

It is not advisable to buy it second hand - in 90% of cases they sell it because the diamond is chipped and does not produce a clear cut (see below). There are also glass files - thin steel strips coated with diamond. They produce quite decent curved cuts of large parts (glass for cabinets, etc.), but they are unsuitable for smalt - you cannot cut a small radius.

Notes:

1. Diamond, so you know, although it holds the record for hardness, is fragile. The ancient myth about slaves who were promised freedom if they broke a diamond with a hammer on an anvil is just a myth. It pricks even when dropped on a stone floor. Therefore, the glass cutter must be stored in its standard case and handled with care.
2. Glass cutters from different manufacturers differ greatly in the quality of the cut. A sign of good quality is a case made of genuine leather with a felt lining.

Soldering iron

Grinder for smalt

Tiffany soldering is done using the capillary method, so an electrical/radio soldering iron with a long red copper tip is unsuitable. You need a tool with a bronze nickel-plated tip; it serves only for heating, and the solder does not stick to it during the soldering process. You can recognize this type by its initially short white shiny tip (see below in the picture with soldering accessories), and they are sold under the Long Life brand. Power – 100 W, no more and no less.

Abrasive

To polish the smalt after cutting, it is advisable to have a glass grinder, see fig. But it costs a lot, and in any case, for precise finishing you need three grinding stones number 220-240 and 12-20 mm wide: square, semicircular and triangular. The latter is also necessary if you have a machine for selecting sharp internal corners; in drawings, say, with leaves, it is very difficult to do without them.

Notes:

1. For smalt volumetric stained glass windows, a grinder is absolutely necessary. It is impossible to accurately maintain the required bevel angles of the side faces with your hands.
2. It is also advisable to have a diamond needle file with a lenticular cross-section - for finishing the same corners on very small fragments.

You should look for bars made from natural garnet or corundum, heavy and very strong. The “sand” wonders of powder technology do not sharpen glass, but grind against it themselves. But grinding smalt even on the best block needs to be done under a layer of water, for which purpose the block is immersed in a bowl, baking sheet or some other suitable tray when turning.

Patina spatula

We make the spatula for applying the patina ourselves - from a toothpick and a piece of dense foam rubber 5-6 mm wide and 3-4 mm thick. Place it on a toothpick and secure it with a thin soft wire.

Materials

Glass

Tiffany smalts can be made from ordinary glass by painting it as for “poured glass”. But it is better to buy special stained glass. Translucent, matte or milky. In sheets it is expensive, but the same companies sell the battle (the material is valuable), but we don’t need much.

Notes:

1. There is no need to immediately order cutting into smalts according to the sketch. Expensive, and you won’t be able to adjust it later. You need to cut the smalts yourself.
2. Since Tiffany is assembled using soldering, the temperature of which the paint does not maintain, it must first be completely assembled from plain glass, and only then poured. You can use different colors on both sides, which will give the picture a shimmer when viewed from different sides.

Folia

Foil for framing smalt - folia - is sold in art stores especially for stained glass along with lead tape. A unit of goods is a roll of ribbon 4-7 mm. It is not advisable to cut a sheet of foil into strips yourself: the stained glass window will come out sloppy.

Soldering

Materials for soldering work are shown in the figure, including a soldering iron. Pay attention to the inscription: “Without rosin.” Thread-like solder with rosin inside (harpius) is not suitable for soldering stained glass. Soldering flux (this is the jar in the picture) is needed with borax or another semi-active one for soldering electronics. Residues of active flux (with orthophosphoric acid, etc.) cannot be removed from the binding, and it will eventually be corroded.

Soldering accessories

Usually, POS-61 solder is recommended for Tiffany soldering due to its low fusibility - 190 degrees. From ordinary tin-lead solders (240-280 degrees), smalts sometimes crack. But POS-61 is fragile, very soft. There is also POS-61M with a copper additive, 192 degrees, but it is only slightly stronger.

The best solders for Tiffany are those with cadmium additives: POSK-50-18 (145 degrees, in the figure) and Avia-1 (200 degrees, strength - like duralumin). POSK-50-18 is weaker, but still much stronger than POS-61/61M. It is inexpensive and, unlike Avia-1, it is easily accessible.

Patina

Nowadays, art and construction stores sell various types of blacksmith patina. It is better to buy liquid, ready-to-use. Preparing the composition yourself from powder will be only slightly cheaper, but it will be difficult, and the quality of the coating will be worse.

Stages of work

Design of a non-monotonic bend

Sketch/stencil

Already when choosing a design, you need to take into account the features of the technology and its weaknesses. S-, N- and deep U-shaped bends of the edges of the smalts are unacceptable: due to the difference in the TCR of glass and metal, the smalts along them will begin to crawl out and fall out over time. Ideal smalt is an area limited by convex smooth curves. If a non-monotonic bend is needed, it must be assembled from pieces, albeit of the same tone, see fig. Suddenly, due to the binding, the finished composition turns out to be flickering/clumsy - nothing can be done, you need to change or refine the drawing.

Note: drawings for stained glass windows are a separate area of ​​painting. There are many ready-made ones on the Internet for different techniques, but if you want your own unique piece, you need to turn to a stained glass artist or look for your creative abilities.

Cutting smalt

First you need to make a base, the same as for stained glass. With the correct cut, the residue breaks off with the slightest push, so there is no need to immediately bring it out to the overhang: after the cut, a thin strip is slipped under the glass behind the cut, and lightly press the residue with your finger. It didn’t break off – you can tap it while hanging.

Try cutting a piece of regular window glass. If the cut is creaky, a scratch is visible, and you need to tap it several times to break it, it’s too early to take on the smalts.

When cut correctly, the glass produces a quiet, subtle ringing sound, and the crack is completely invisible. To break it, just light pressure or a light push from below is enough. To obtain such a cut, you need to maintain the angle of inclination of the tool in the direction of the cut (about 45 degrees, or according to the specifications for the glass cutter) and keep it strictly perpendicular in the transverse direction.

The second condition is a strictly constant pressure force. The skill of angle and force must be developed to the point of complete automaticity when cutting lines of any kind. This is called placing your hand.

Note: The exact angle and pressure varies with each diamond glass cutter. Therefore, ace glaziers do not use other people’s tools and do not offer them for rent.

An example of the location of auxiliary cuts

But that's not all. A curved cut along a curve will never crack in itself, even if you crack it. It will go both ways and, according to Murphy’s First Law, exactly where it will do the most harm. What to do?

Auxiliary cuts along a tangent, the thicker the more curved, see fig. The general rule is that the deflection between two adjacent auxiliary cuts should not exceed two glass thicknesses. By the way, this circumstance also needs to be taken into account when developing a stencil. Therefore, if you order a drawing from an artist, then immediately specify the stencil. However, good masters add a stencil to the drawing without anything.

If there is a corner on the smalt, a tangent from its beak to the least convex side is required. An important conclusion follows from the above: do not try to cut out many single-color smalts from a large piece at once. Almost all expensive material will go to waste. In general, smalts are cut one at a time as the stencil is filled, see below.

Here the question arises: how to trace smalt templates? The glass cutter is not the blade of a razor or a mounting knife; it is quite thick. But that's what stencil scissors are for. The width of the third, middle blade takes into account the resulting indentation.

Set to composition

Before starting to assemble the stained glass, the stencil is secured to the assembly board with even slats on the left (for left-handed people - on the right) and at the top. The smalts are laid from the corresponding far upper corner, see on the left in Fig.

Laying smalt on a stencil

The smalts are cut out strictly one at a time, otherwise the whole set will spread out before reaching half. Having cut one out, they finish it and check it according to the stencil (you need an indentation inward from the contour of 0.5-0.7 mm for soldering). Then they wrap it in foil and roll its edges with a round piece of wood or plastic (middle position). After rolling, iron the side edge with the same smoothing iron; For internal sharp corners, it is convenient to use a school plastic ruler with a wedge-shaped edge or a plastic knife from a set of disposable utensils, and then re-roll it.

Now the smalt is placed in place before soldering, pressed tightly against the previous ones or the side, and the template for the next one is checked using a stencil. If necessary, cut the template with curved nail scissors, and only then return to the glass with a glass cutter. On the filled part there should be no visible gaps between the smalts, right pos. in Fig.

Note: the best stained glass windows are obtained when typesetting on a photocopying machine covered with calico or baize. The slightest crack is immediately visible.

Crimping and fluxing

After laying all the smalts, the composition is carefully crimped horizontally with slats, now on the right (left) and below. If the smalts begin to stick out at an upward angle, the foil is smoothed and further rolled, and pressed down from above. After this, fluxing begins.

The used smalt templates are laid out next to the shield in accordance with the composition and numbering. You don't need any special precision, as long as the pieces don't get mixed up. Now the fragments are transferred to this intermediate stencil, starting from the corner opposite to the initial one, i.e. in reverse order of assembly. This is so that the flux on the ends of the smalt does not dry out.

Next, the smalts are transferred one by one back to the working stencil in the same way as they were collected. In this case, the foil frame is coated with a thin layer of flux (it has the consistency of Vaseline) using a match or toothpick. Having assembled the composition again in the old place, they crimp again, but the right (left) and bottom slats are now secured with nails. You can start soldering.

Soldering

The main condition when soldering is not to do too much at once. Due to the difference in the TCR of glass and metal, when overheated, the entire composition may swell and fall apart. At a time, you need to solder a section of one or two men's palms, then let it cool, and solder further. Soldering is carried out in the order of installation.

Tiffany is soldered using the capillary method. First, along the contour of the next smalt, pieces of solder thread the width of a soldering iron tip are dripped onto the seam in increments of 1-1.5 cm. The operation is carried out in weight, without touching the solder thread or the sting of the foil. This is painstaking, exhausting and responsible work, so take your time and take breaks to rest.

Then the seams are soldered. Each drop or sausage of solder on the seam is heated until it all goes into the seam at once and spreads along it inside. If the flux evaporates and burns out earlier, this may not happen, so flux generously, but without dirt. The missing flux during the soldering process can be added only after the soldered area has cooled. There is no need to scatter the set; the flux can be applied on top and heated a little so that it flows into the seam.

Video: technique for working with Tiffany stained glass (eng)

Framing

The composition is also soldered into the frame. There is no need to glue it on epoxy or acrylic: due to the difference in TKR, stained glass will not last more than 5-7 years. The frame is made from a brass or bronze corner.

The frame must be solid; One soldered joint is allowed in the overlay at the junction of the circuit. Therefore, a U-shaped profile is not suitable: how can you fit a stained glass window into it, a solid one? You can, however, slip it piece by piece under the stained glass window, but then you need soldered scarves in the corners, which will be visible on the finished product. However, again, it’s a matter of taste. You can immediately coordinate the design with the scarves.

The inside of the frame is cleaned with a school eraser until it shines (semi-active flux does not dissolve the oxide film on brass) and thoroughly washed with a cotton swab heavily moistened with alcohol. Then they wipe it with a new, unused microfiber cloth for glasses.

Now the frame is coated from the inside, and the edge of the stained glass from the face and side is coated with flux, the frame is placed on the composition, and soldered like smalts, piece by piece. After cooling, the stained glass window is carefully turned over, flux is applied to the back of the gap between the edge of the composition and the frame, heated until it spreads, and the gap is soldered. All that remains is to rinse off any remaining flux and patina it.

Flushing

Now there is no need to waste liters of alcohol to remove flux residues: dishwashing detergents do an excellent job of removing them. A particularly gratifying circumstance for a non-drinker: from “him, my dear” during alcohol rinsing such a spirit...

They wash the stained glass window (now a stained glass window) in the bathroom under the shower with a foam sponge soaked in detergent. Particularly stuck flux residues are removed with a toothbrush. They do not give in immediately, so a simple operation turns out to be painstaking: you cannot press hard or cut them off. Often a stained glass window has to be soaked for a day in a bathtub, into which a whole bottle of Fairy is poured, until the flux soot becomes limp and comes off under the sponge.

Patination

The final stage is patination of the binding. The operation is simple: we cast it into a small consumable container, scoop it onto a spatula and apply it to the binding. After drying, the excess is washed off with the same dishwashing sponge under the shower without any difficulties.

There is only one nuance when patination: it is a caustic and harmful thing, ready-to-use blacksmith's patina. Therefore, you need to work in a ventilated area, wearing protective gloves, goggles, and, preferably, a petal respirator.

After washing off the remaining patina and drying, the stained glass window is ready - you can put it in place in the frame and admire it.

About matting

Film and flood stained glass windows, used with backlighting, look good if the underside of the base is matte. Do-it-yourselfers are sometimes offered recipes for chemical matting, but these recommenders, it seems, have not smelled this chemical themselves, since they are alive: chemical matting uses deadly volatile components - hydrofluoric acid and its compounds. Matting with silicic acid is no better: concentrated sulfuric acid is needed, and toxic volatile products are also formed.

The easiest way to matte the back of the base yourself is to take and apply plastic tracing paper from the inside. Lasts for more than 10 years. If the matte base is visible from both sides, then there is a labor-intensive but completely harmless method:

• We buy 10-50 g, depending on the area, of corundum powder of the smallest fraction (0.05 mm).
• Scatter in small piles over the glass area.
• We drip linseed, rapeseed, palm oil or spindle oil into each pile until a paste is obtained; The list is in order of preference.
• Rub with light pressure with a polish made of whole, not double, rawhide; A piece of an old, rough, wide waist belt will work well.
• The three front (smooth) sides of the polish, alternating longitudinal-transverse and circular movements. With some skill, you can even obtain frosted glass for photographic equipment in this way.
• Wash off the remaining abrasive with water, dishwashing detergent and a sponge.

Note: you need to flush it into the tray, not the bathtub, otherwise the plumbing will be destroyed.

Video: program about making Tiffany stained glass windows

Color of stained glass in the interior

People have paid attention to the magic of color inherent in stained glass since the appearance of the latter. This man-made magic is reflected in literature. The power of light passing through glass is described especially expressively in the novel by E.A. Poe, a fragment of which is presented below:

“In each room, to the right and to the left, in the middle of the wall there was a tall narrow window in the Gothic style, overlooking a covered gallery that repeated the zigzags of the enfilade. These windows were made of colored glass, and their color was in harmony with the entire decoration of the room. Thus, the room at the eastern end of the gallery was covered in blue, and its windows were bright blue. The second room was decorated in red and the glass was purple.

In the third room, green, the window glass was the same. In the fourth room, the drapery and lighting were orange, in the fifth - white, in the sixth - purple. The seventh hall was decorated with black velvet curtains that covered the ceiling, walls and fell in heavy folds onto the same black carpet.

But here the color of the glass did not match the decoration. It was bright red, the color of blood. In none of the seven halls was it possible to notice a chandelier or candelabra among the many golden decorations scattered everywhere, hanging from the ceilings. There was not a single lamp or candle in the entire suite; but in the corridor bordering it, opposite each window, stood a heavy tripod, on which a fire blazed, brightly illuminating the halls through the colored glass. This produced an amazing fantastic effect. But in the western black room, the fire, streaming streams of light through the blood-red windows, made such an ominous impression and gave such a wild expression to the faces of those present that only a few dared to enter this room.” (Mask of the Red Death).

Fantasy illustration for the novel by E.A. By

As the passage suggests, light shining through stained glass can create a pleasant or frightening atmosphere in a room. At the same time, the color of stained glass is perceived only through proper lighting: in the dark the colors are indistinguishable, and too bright light can distort them. That is why stained glass looks most impressive in natural light, when its intensity and brightness changes. Depending on which side the window faces, the color scheme of the glass is selected. Direct sunlight passing through stained glass creates a variety of colors. But the color density of the glass itself decreases. Therefore, the stained glass window located on the south side should be as rich as possible. For the north side, a stained glass composition in warm colors is suitable - taking into account the fact that there will be less sunlight in the room.

Finally, about aluminum

Someone, after reading the article, will remember: wait, what about furniture glazing? Why not stained glass? In standard duralumin profiles, cheap, beautiful, shiny. And you can bend them.

No, it's not stained glass. Stained glass is a separate transportable product in a solid frame, soldered or cast. Okay, let's solder. Aluminum is soldered, and even without argon - there are special “scraping” solders (TSOP, for example) and not particularly caustic fluxes based on oleic or palmitic acid.

Yes, but the temperature is needed at 350-400 degrees; glass does not keep this in close contact with the metal. If you heat the entire set very slowly on a fireproof shield, it will swell and disintegrate due to the difference in TCR. Give allowances for thermal expansion - it shrinks and falls apart when cooling.

So “real-life” stained glass windows with aluminum binding, not using glue and resins, are not yet available. If someone figures out how to make them, it will certainly be a revolution in stained glass art: aluminum alloys are lightweight and comparable in strength to steel.

Stained glass windows in a modern interior

The use of stained glass in a modern interior has the same specific features as many centuries ago: stained glass windows are most often found in the living room. Often only part of the window is decorated.

The door, decorated with stained glass, is in harmony with the stained glass window. The last photo is by Ekaterina Granina.

Stained glass interior doors can be ordinary, hinged, or sliding - compartment type. Such a door not only separates one room, or part of it, from another, but also becomes an attractive decorative and functional element of the decor. The photo shows what similar stained glass windows look like in the interior:

A stained glass sliding door made of clear glass with a colored pattern adds light and smoothes out the feeling of cold from the wall.

The ceiling is also decorated with stained glass: this gives the impression of endless space, greater height of the room. Typically, a stained glass window is built into a ceiling made of wood or plasterboard.

Ceiling stained glass has long become an integral part of a rich interior

In a small room, a stained glass lampshade will look more advantageous. They are used to decorate both ceiling and other types of lamps. A Tiffany lamp or a mirror-based candlestick can be the simplest decor for any room: such details always add coziness. And the light softly penetrating through the glass will create a magical effect.

Stained glass lamp - warm and fabulous decor. Even a cat will appreciate it

Next - how stained glass is used in the interior of the house, in different rooms.

Stained glass decor in the living room

Most often, stained glass windows serve as decoration for rooms for relaxing and receiving guests, which evokes an association with the ceremonial state rooms of medieval castles. Although it is not at all necessary for a modern living room to look like a museum.

Currently, when decorating a living room with stained glass, you can highlight the following ideas:

• Movable modules.
• Volumetric panel.
• Glass partitions.
• Stained glass wall inserts.

Stained glass windows in the interior serve as visual zoning. For this purpose, modules on rotating structures are used. They allow you to choose how isolated the desired zone will be.

Stained glass modules designed for zoning

Stained glass inserts in the doors complement the decoration of the room

A large stained glass panel is popular as decoration. It can become the center of the composition, a spectacular accent. And with illumination, it will be an original additional source of lighting.

The light pouring through the multi-colored stained glass panel creates a fabulous atmosphere in the living room

For zoning and depth of space, light partitions made of colored glass are used. They also add light to a fenced-off room, if it is a hall, dining area, or bathroom. The design on such partitions is most often abstract. Or - natural motives.

A stained glass partition in the form of a portrait of a girl is a bright accent in the decor of the room

A stained glass screen looks no less impressive than a partition.

Stained glass decorative screen made of transparent glass

Floor screen made of painted glass, size 3x2

If you don’t want bulky structures, miniature stained glass modules with lighting are sewn into wooden wall panels. This is another original modern solution that allows you to create interesting contrasts.

Stained glass inserts in the wall are a unique option for decorating a living room

Thus, when choosing stained glass for the living room interior, you can choose different, non-standard options. Stained glass decor will look no less impressive in other rooms of the apartment.

Stained glass windows in kitchen design

The stained glass window in the kitchen, as in other rooms, serves as an additional source of lighting. Stained glass can be placed on the ceiling or door, but not completely: so that part of the space is visible. Also, stained glass inserts decorate kitchen furniture, for example, cabinet doors. If the size of the room allows, you can find many options for how to decorate a kitchen using stained glass. The easiest way is to use stained glass ceramic tiles to decorate your kitchen backsplash. Decorate the ceiling, walls, surface of the furniture.

The space above the sink and work surfaces is decorated with ceramic marazzi tiles.

Stained glass in the wall and ceiling in the kitchen design

Kitchen cabinet doors decorated with small floral stained glass