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Stained Glass/Questions Answered by Expert David Gomm
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Wood Frame | 10/12/2011 |
| Q: We recently removed stained glass window from a 90 year old home. They have wood frames that are ... A: I would personally take the glass from the wooden frame and have a furniture stripping place remove ... | |
| church window stained.id | 10/6/2011 |
| Q: Our church is 300 yrs old founded in 1714,new church was built 1804,we have many stained glass ... A: A book "The Stained Glass Apprasial Guide" by Gary M. Gray is available which discusses many aspects ... | |
| Glass Cutting - Where to Stop | 4/23/2011 |
| Q: I'm a SG newbie. When scoring a piece of glass do I start from the very edge of the glass and run my ... A: When you get to the edge, you need to ease off on the pressure so that you don't crash your cutter ... | |
| Value | 4/15/2011 |
| Q: Good morning! I have two identical leaded stained glass window panels measuring 42" in length by 16 ... A: That's an interesting piece of glass, we've worked on similar designs to repair them. Let me give ... | |
| framing a peice of stained glass art | 2/28/2011 |
| Q: We have a large peice of stained glass artwork we would like to frame and hang. I was wondering how ... A: I've had the most success hanging stained glass by getting a frame to fit the glass. I go to a ... | |
| bracing | 2/2/2011 |
| Q: I am new to st. glass. I jumped in over my head by making a panel 2'x4'. It has a lot of pieces and ... A: What you need to do is cement the window. You can obtain glass cement from a stained glass supply. ... | |
| stained glass outside? | 12/3/2010 |
| Q: She wants to hang it outside (front porch) in an area that gets nice sun. My thought is to frame it ... A: All windows are subject to wild swings in temperature. During the day, glass (especially colored ... | |
| band saw use on glass | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: I am new to band saw use and my question is how do I keep my pattern lines (I draw around my pattern ... A: If you think this is bad, you should have seen it in the old days when we didn't have Sharpie ... | |
| What to charge for large stained glass panel | 9/12/2010 |
| Q: I have the opportunity to do my first large panel. I need some advice on what to charge. My level ... A: The reason that I included the photo I did with my answer is that those sidelights were the size of ... | |
| What to charge for large stained glass panel | 9/10/2010 |
| Q: I have the opportunity to do my first large panel. I need some advice on what to charge. My level ... A: In our studio we charge for the number of pieces of glass in a design. I've written an article on ... | |
| Custom frame for stained glass panel | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: I recently had a stained glass panel framed. The panel is loose in the frame. When I questioned ... A: You can probably do the fix yourself. It's quite messy, so make sure to keep a roll of toilet paper ... | |
| Custom frame for stained glass panel | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: I recently had a stained glass panel framed. The panel is loose in the frame. When I questioned ... A: We always leave an 1/8" gap in frames, but what your framer has neglected to do is add some silicone ... | |
| Copperfoil troubleshooting on panel | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I am currently working on a stained glass panel using copperfoil. The panel has painted figures on ... A: The instructions on the Jax bottle are fairly helpful. I find that the best results come from ... | |
| dried flowers in glass | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: Just read your answer to someone asking how to prevent moisture when putting pressed flowers between ... A: I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy. I put foil on each individual piece and then foil over the ... | |
| Copper foiled windows | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I think the question has already been answered on here but just need conformation really. I have ... A: Copper foil is superior to the lead came method. It is stronger and tighter. You can pour water on a ... | |
| Copperfoil troubleshooting on panel | 3/29/2010 |
| Q: I am currently working on a stained glass panel using copperfoil. The panel has painted figures on ... A: Go ahead and get all the soldering done all at once. Don't go covering areas with masking tape, ... | |
| Stained Glass in the garden | 3/21/2010 |
| Q: I use the copper foil method on all my projects. I would like to put some of my project in my ... A: The thing to look at when pieces are going to be up against the elements is how rugged they are. So ... | |
| Zinc came | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: I am about to refurbish a door with all beveled glass. It currently has zinc came in the design. I ... A: We specialize in copper foil construction. But we do have experience with zinc came as we used to ... | |
| window | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: HAVE 100 YEAR OLD WOOD INCASED ARCHED PANEL. TRIANGLE PATTERN WITH LEAD IN BETWEEN EACH PIECE. ... A: It would not be too expensive to rebuild the window. Call around to some of the stained glass ... | |
| Cracked Suncatcher | 12/26/2009 |
| Q: I made a stained glass dog and due to the difficulty of cutting the curves in the pattern, the body ... A: I do have a technique which may work. It involves making a fake repair to the piece. Go to ... | |
| Putting came around small panels | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: I have just completed my first stained glass panels (8.5" x 11") and have encased them with wooden ... A: You are on the right track, but zinc came doesn't need to be stretched (only lead came which I never ... | |
| Extreme Cold Temps. | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: I am about to make a stained glass 20 X 20 copper foil glass framed panel for my son's cabin in Lake ... A: Stained glass can develop stress cracks from expansion and contraction. Make sure that your glass ... | |
| assembly of very large window | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: I have been asked to do a 52" x 40" window. I have never done a window quite that large before, the ... A: This sounds like a daunting task, but you'll find that it is actually quite easy to build a window ... | |
| lighting stained glass window | 10/17/2009 |
| Q: i have a large (4 foot by 5 foot) stained glass panel set into a wall viewable from both sides. i ... A: This is an interesting subject. How best to light a window. I usually start at the home improvement ... | |
| stained glass and presed flowers | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: when foiling the two pieces of glass.. do you foil each one and solder or do you foil the two ... A: I use 1/4" foil on each of the two pieces of glass. burnish them down and do my pressing , then add ... | |
| copper foil size? | 10/6/2009 |
| Q: on doing a lamp shade whats the proper size thats most commonly used? & whats brand(s) are the best? ... A: The thing that determines the width of the foil is the thickness of the glass you are using. I ... | |
| Stained Glass Panel Frame | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: I just made an oval, copper foil piece, 16" x 48". This will be hung in my son's office. Is it ... A: I understand that the frames are different sizes, but the idea of building 2 separate halves to the ... | |
| Stained Glass Panel Frame | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: I just made an oval, copper foil piece, 16" x 48". This will be hung in my son's office. Is it ... A: Using Zinc Outer Bar will work. If you're putting it in a wood frame then don't put zinc around the ... | |
| soldering | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: I was trying to help a friend do some stained glass (talk about the blind leading the blind!), and ... A: Okay, the easy question first, how to keep the tip tinned. You need to use a Sal Ammoniac block, add ... | |
| Dulled solder | 7/29/2009 |
| Q: How can I polish up the solder that has dulled on my stained glass transoms? Would you recommend I ... A: First of all, let me explain that there is no such thing as silver patina. Patina is a chemical ... | |
| repair old came windows | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: Which exact Canfield flux product did you mean? Also, is there a specific solder that works best for ... A: Canfield Soldermate soldering flux is what I was refering to. There is also Laco brand flux which is ... | |
| zinc came | 7/18/2009 |
| Q: I would like to know if you use the same size came for the same size foil you have used. A: There are many sizes of Zinc, but we pretty much stick with using 1/4" zinc outer bar for the ... | |
| Foiled window | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: I have designed a panel which will be installed into an existing window. It measures 67" wide x 34" ... A: We always reinforce panels that are over 36" x 36", that's the size that approachs the limit of ... | |
| How to solder on old zinc came | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: We have been working on connecting two old windows from a church. They are going to be used in a ... A: The three things needed are getting the metal clean, heating it up hot enough and using a strong ... | |
| framing large stained glass panel to be hinged | 4/26/2009 |
| Q: I would like to make a stained glass panel (or two) to fit in a window in my daughter's house.The ... A: Sharon, I like to start with the window frame and then draw the stained glass pattern to fit. That ... | |
| Combining Foil and Lead Methods | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: I am new to stained glass, but hitting the ground running. I have a two part1. My back ground is in ... A: I don't paint glass with the type of glass paint you're refering to but I do apply paint to glass.. ... | |
| Copper foil sidelights | 3/1/2009 |
| Q: I have been doing stained glass for a number of years and am ready to tackle some copper foil ... A: Your windows don't met the minimum size requirement to need additional reinforcement. They are so ... | |
| Changing From Metal to Wood | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: I purchased a stained glass piece for my wife from an old church. The window that it is currently ... A: There are a lot of factors to consider, the first being how confidant are you? If you are fairly ... | |
| attaching stained glass | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: I just purchased an 8-sided stained glass piece for a window in a bathroom in my house. It is ... A: If the window is just 1/8" smaller than the window you want to cover, then you have an ideal fit. We ... | |
| Brands of Solder | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me if there's any appreciable difference between Choice and Canfield 60/40 solder? I've ... A: The difference in cost between Choice and Canfield is that Choice has recycled lead in it and ... | |
| Hanging large pieces | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: A client/friend has made a large stained glass piece for the window in my massage room. The window ... A: You can solder each panel together if you desire, it will be very strong vertically since you'll be ... | |
| Hanging large pieces | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: A client/friend has made a large stained glass piece for the window in my massage room. The window ... A: I don't want to sound too simple, but it would be very easy to solder a ring at each top corner of ... | |
| Displaying stained glass | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I have just purchased as 20"x40" panel of stained glass and do not know how to display it. It does ... A: You can find a light box, the Morton company makes some. Do an Internet search for Morton Light ... | |
| stained glass | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: why dose my solder smoke and smell and leaves a hard crust on my glass? is it because of my flux? ... A: Check your solder. I suspect that you are using rosin core solder. This is a solder which has flux ... | |
| Polish Brass Channeling | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: What I've been doing is polishing with 0-0-0 steel wool, and it gets shiny, but doesn't take out ... A: This is something that doesn't often come up with us because we feel that brass came isn't quite as ... | |
| patinas | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: I used novacan. It doesn't matter how I polish it, it seems dull and not dark enough. I also frame ... A: Zinc just doesn't take patina well, you can "tin" the zinc with a thin layer of solder and then it ... | |
| stained glass light fixture | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a large stained glass light fixture missing a few glass pcs. this came out of a old stone ... A: This is a question for someone who values stained glass all the time. I think you should go to ... | |
| Beading | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: I am in the process of soldering my work together. I am using 50/50 solder. How do you achieve a ... A: In our studio, we do traditional, copper foil stained glass. The decorative soldering techniques ... | |
| Lead panel | 7/18/2008 |
| Q: Hope you are well. I was just wondering....Once my project is complete. Basic rectangular panel. I ... A: I don't recommend using lead as a border material for the reasons that you stated, it's soft and ... | |
| hanging chain on a stainedglass piece | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: I am fairly new at doing stained glass my problem is that my chain seems to come off the piece ... A: If the chain is just coming loose, then you may be experiencing a "cold" solder joint. This happens ... | |
| copper foil | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: I am making a piece to fit in a window. It's on the inside of course. The problem is I am using ... A: So, you're asking if you should foil all around the beveled pieces, or if you should just foil the ... | |
| Removing- lightening patina | 6/27/2008 |
| Q: Just getting started and completed a transom window- foil method.Window turned out great but was ... A: If you are going for a nickel look, you don't apply patina. Look at the article at ... | |
| back lighting a window | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I have a stained glass window approximately 2 1/2 feet x 4 feet. I want to hang it in a fake window ... A: There are several ways to light a window, this usually is based on what kind of space you have ... | |
| framing with zinc or lead came | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: I am ready to frame a 26 inch by 38 inch project, which I plan to hang. It has an arched top -- ... A: This is pretty easy to accomplish, if the arched top isn't too tight of an arch. I wrote an article ... | |
| loose stain glass | 6/2/2008 |
| Q: I make stain glass crosses and the one I did I foiled it well and sodered it good but it keeps ... A: Your problem stems from the weakness in the design, not in the solder or foil. The design alows the ... | |
| Choice of Solder | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: David, Two questions.... Can I use any type of solder for stained glass eg. plumbing solder 60/40 ... A: You asked two questions so lets take them in order. You asked about solder. You can use 60/40 ... | |
| Framing a Staine Glass Panel | 4/30/2008 |
| Q: Being a relative beginner at creating stained glass panels, I have just finished my third piece ... A: You can either frame the panel in wood or metal. If you decide to frame it in wood, then go to a ... | |
| Cutter Keeps on Slipping | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: I recently bought an oil filled cutter(Toyo brand) which slips everytime I try to score the glass. ... A: Let's see if we can get to the bottom of this problem. First of all, you've got a good brand of ... | |
| very thin glass | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: I was interested in pressing flowers between thin sheets of glass, then copper foiling. This ... A: I go to my local glass store (not stained glass store) and purchase single strength glass. Normal ... | |
| Choosing a soldering iron | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: Help, I would like to start making stain glass (jewelry charms with lead free solder) and am looking ... A: You ought to buy an inexpensive 100 watt iron, one with a 1/4" blade that is common when doing any ... | |
| Repair of multiple broken pieces in a panel | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: It was not yet framed and got knocked out of a window, cracking and breaking dozens of pieces. ... A: I've had the same problem and when I repaired the window I wrote an article which has photos of the ... | |
| Problem with zinc | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: Mice got into a whole box of zinc came. I took the zinc out of the nasty box and left the came out ... A: Hardware stores and stained glass suppliers sell a small wire brush, a little bigger than a tooth ... | |
| pressed flowers between glass | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: I would like to make suncatchers with clear thin window glass on the front and decorative glass for ... A: We did some of that type of work when we first started in glass art and we occasionally get a ... | |
| Reinforcement | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: How to you reinforce an intricate copper foil panel internally? A: I've written three articles with illustrations about reinforcing copper foil panels. ... | |
| Tiffany window authentication | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: Greetings David, How can I go about authenticating a Tiffany Window. It has a small metal plate at ... A: What you need to do is contact someone who can authenticate your Window. ... | |
| Framing | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: I've been working with stained glass for about two years now and am beginning to make bigger pieces ... A: For that type of installation we continue to use Zinc. The type we use is zinc outer bar which has a ... | |
| Repairing a Tiffany lamp | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: I have made quite a few flat copper foiled items over the last few years, mirrors, photo frames, ... A: I'm not sure why you are having trouble accessing our site. I'm using explorer and am easily able to ... | |
| Repairing a Tiffany lamp | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: I have made quite a few flat copper foiled items over the last few years, mirrors, photo frames, ... A: Right off the bat I'd refer you to the article you mentioned on how to fix copper foil glass pieces ... | |
| glass panel construction for inside door | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: David, I've worked in glass for many years, but have an intersting challenge. My husband, a ... A: Well, right off, I'm going to answer your question a part at a time, because you've actually asked ... | |
| Large Patterns | 1/18/2008 |
| Q: unrelated to my question about foilers earlier in the week. I've got a pattern created in Glass Eye ... A: For many years we couldn't justify getting a plotter (which prints 36" wide prints) So what we did ... | |
| Foiling Machines | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: can you recommend the best one and tell me why you like it? I'm considering the Glastar and the ... A: Okay, now since we only do copper foil windows in our studio and since we have been building them ... | |
| Lead and Cancer | 12/26/2007 |
| Q: I have just purchased three Tiffany style lamps with copper foil. But the letter of authentication ... A: Andrea, Lead poisoning is something that we as artists take very seriously. In days gone by, there ... | |
| Safety Film | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: Have you or anyone you know used safety film on a stained glass piece to prevent glass shards if ... A: There are times when it is prudent to protect the public from glass breakage, we artists often ... | |
| stress cracks | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: Most of the designs I draw (on Auto Cad LT) have enough detail in them that they are copper foiled. ... A: This is difficult without seeing the actual placement of the crack (you could e-mail a picture to ... | |
| rings | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: "I have been making glass panels to sell for a few years and have had some of the rings where I ... A: Here’s the most important thing to know when soldering rings to a panel; any movement when the ring ... | |
| repairing copper foil stained glass | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: I have a 3' by 4' project I'm working on and cracked one of the larger pieces. Is there a technique ... A: I'm excited to answer this question, because it seems like a big deal, but it really isn't. Copper ... | |
| framing stained glass | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: What is the best way to frame a glass panel? I have seen wooden frames with a channel to fit the ... A: This is a very good question, and to answer it properly, we first need to consider the window ... | |
Stained Glass
Answers by Expert:
David Gomm
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Copper Foil stained glass panels are our specialty. Both architectural and residential questions can be asked. We build windows and teach classes in our studio. We design custom patterns by hand and then draw tham using AutoCAD. We recently donated over 100 square feet of glass to the Covey Center For The Arts in Provo, Utah. I write a monthly newsletter that gives tips and tricks for the stained glass trade at www.betterstainedglass.com We also teach classes because the joy of new stained glass students rubs off on us and keeps the hobby fun.
Experience
Started business in stained glass in 1983. We build and design architectural and residential stained glass and we write a monthly stained glass newsletter at www.betterstainedglass.com. We also install glass, fuse panels and produce instructional videos. Jeanne's first book on Mandalas For Meditation is available on Amazon and she's working on a second. David is halfway done with an instruction manual. Together they have produced 6 instructional videos on projects and techniques.
Organizations
Utah County Art Gallery, David is webmaster, Jeanne is recording secretary. Utah County Art Guild, showing members. Covey Center For The Arts, Donors and volunteers. Heritage School, Donors.
Publications
Go Articles,
Ideamarketers, and
Ezine Articles. We also contribute to newspapers and ezines. Also have several videos on You Tube betterstainedglass assorted videos.
Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Arts in Education, Missouri Southern State University. Taught stained glass college course at MSSU, currently teach classes in our studio. Write monthly newsletter. Seminars in advanced lamp design, drafting and design, and glass fusing.
Awards and Honors
St. Francis Of Assisi Merit. UDot Mural Competition-2011.
Past/Present Clients
Covey Center For The Arts. Heritage School. Finer Consigner. Larry H. Miller. Keith Barton. UVU Alumni Association. St Francis Catholic Church.
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