Expert: lyn buerger - 7/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am building a lead-came panel for my son for a house warming and am using a mixture of 1/4" and 1/8" came. How do you deal with the different heights of the came? The 1/4" lead is slightly higher than my 1/2" zinc border came, and the 1/8" is quite a bit lower. Seems like if I soldered the back first, everything would be flush on the front side. I'm thinking about taping the front with painters tape after soldering the corners of the border came, the 1/8" joints and the 1/4" joints (just not soldering the different sizes together on the front yet). Then sandwiching the panel (about 16x24) between two pieces of sheetrock or plywood and gently flipping. I'm thinking all pieces would then drop to the bottom (which would mean they'd be flush on the front). Does this make sense, or do you have a better way? Thanks in advance!

ANSWER: I think I understand what you are saying.

I always teach my students to do their glass on a wood panel so they can easily "sandwich" it over for the soldering on the other side.  So you got that one "dead on".  One side is soldered and so the piece will be weak.  Try turning one that if 4x8 feet.  

For that size, you should not have a problem.  There is available  "ribbon steel" which is coated in copper so that it will easily solder that should be available at your local stained glass shop.  It will go into the lead channel across critical joints so once soldered the piece is much stronger.  But if you already have it put together you may not want to disassemble to add that and I only mention it for future reference.  You can also place the ribbon steel in a copper foil piece to brace internally and just solder over it.

And don't worry about the differences in heights, once it is soldered and hanging in a window no one will even pay attention to that and if they do...... They are supposed to be looking at the beautiful glass not the heights of the lead and zinc.

When I do a piece of stained glass, I alwsys cut from the smooth size, of course and I usually like the rough size as my front, so when I am finished my piece is laying face down. So when I solder the back and flip it the flip side is my front. If it is important to you then solder the corners and carefully place something strong on both sides and flip it over, as you suggested. That should definitely work OK, but for me it would not be important enough to do. I would solder the back, flip it and solder the front.  You are going to have to slip it several more times anyway to putty the pieces, clean and polish it.

Have fun and good luck.   I love my stained glass.
You can see some of my stuff on www.lyn-arts.com




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lyn - Just to clarify: I always cut on the smooth side, too, but assemble with the front (textured side) up. Seems like if I solder all the similar-height joints (but don't join the different heights on the front yet), then flip (yes, I've built the panel on plywood) and solder everything, I'm hopeful everything will be on the same plain.

Answer
Yes, that will work just fine.  Maybe have some help when you flip it so that it doesn't shift too much.


I've just always worked from the back, but sometimes,  Iwill flip over the pattern so that I can reverse how the texture will be shown. when the piece is up in a window with light coming through you almost can not tell which side is facing which way except maybe the more opaque glass.

But you will always have different thicknesses of glass and different channel sizes so just learn to work in a way that is pleasant for you.  

lyn