Solder Tip
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
Common solders are a mix of tin and lead. The numbers that describe each type of solder refer to their % of each metal in that solder. The melting temperatures are: 50/50 421 degress F. 60/40 374 degrees f. They "set up" at 361 degrees F. Most lead free solders are usually within a 430 to 465 degrees F. Melting temperatures of lead and zinc came also vary. Lead came usually melts at 620 degress F and zinc came at about 780 degress F. Many people use 50/50 for the back side of a lamp or to fill gaps in a project. If you have big gaps in a piece that needs to be filled, turn your irons up and us ..read more
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Colors of the Year 2024
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
  For years we have been following Pantone’s Color of the Year.  It is very fun.  They pick a color and relate it to trends, lifestyles, and the future.  The color is announced in December.  This year not only did Pantone announce its color but many paint manufacturers also chose their Color of the Year.   Here are some of them:   Pantone—Peach Fuzz Selected to highlight our society’s desire for togetherness, kindness, compassion, and connection.     Valspar-Renew Blue The shade is an uplifting blue that includes hints of grayish sea green and ..read more
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Glass Blogs
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
Here are some other glass blogs you might light to look at. Stained Glass Express Stained Glass Express - The Blog We try to do lots.  We give info on how-to, emerging artists, classic artists, industry news, products, and anything that we find interesting.    Jack Storms -The Glass Sculptor News - Jack Storms If you are interested in looking at some amazing dichroic glass it is a fun look.   Corning Museum of Glass Their blog has turned into a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/corningmuseumofglass as well as a written blog: https://blog.cmog.org/ Corning has wi ..read more
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What You Can Expect to Find in a Glass Store Owner's Home
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
People often ask if Janet's house is made entirely of glass--here are the photos to prove it only nearly is! These pieces in order are: Youghiogheny stipple glass abstract by Joe Barberio Entrance door by Glenn Parkhurst Pumkin, Janet’s own first fused glass piece Hanging head dragonfly, Tiffany reproduction, James Mercier Mouth blown flower, Jan Royal Medicine wheel, Jan Royal Peacock ceiling light, artist unknown Abstract night light, Xavier (7 year old grandson) Loon Night light, Pam Wilcox Winter Tree, Bruce Grantham Bathing Lady, T&T Glassworks Southwest Lamps, James Mercier Do ..read more
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Soldering Iron Maintenance
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
TAKE CARE TO MAKE IT LAST--SOLDING IRONS Ending up with a great looking project so often depends on your soldering.  Having skill at soldering is one thing and caring for your soldering equipment is another. The part of your iron most apt to cause trouble is the tip. If the tip develops a crack or a hole, that is the end.  It will just disintegrate.  To make your tip last, keep it tinned to prevent oxidation.  A clean tip will give you better heat transfer.   Even if you are done for the day, tin the tip.  That will keep air away and keep oxidation away.  ..read more
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Making Fused Glass Snowflakes
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
Making Fused Glass Snowflakes     Picture by The Avenue Stained Glass   To make these amazing snowflakes, you will need: A snowflake mold Primer brush Small measuring spoons Digital Scale Zyp primer Assorted fine and medium frits (96 or 90 COE) Dichroic frit flakes You can watch a Youtube video here:  Making Snowflakes with Colour de Verre Molds - Bing video       Colour de Verre snowflakes are amazing.  They are great as an ornament or gift, or you can use them as embellishments on other projects.  Colour de Verre introduced the first sno ..read more
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Artist Spotlight: Mary Harris
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
Mary Harris is an artist from Wisconsin. She has a studio called Harris Art Glass. Mary came to my attention once before when she was winner in the Gallery of Excellence Art Competition at the Glass and Bead Show. This year she was a double winner in the same competition at the 2023 Glass and Bead Show. Below are her two winning entries. Tree of Life 1st place popular vote Professional Stained Glass Under the Cherry Tree 1st place popular vote Professional Mosaic Below is a link to Mary’s website where you can see more of her amazing work. Portfolio | Harris Art Glass Glass Craft & Bead ..read more
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How To: Frame Stained Glass Panels using Zinc Came
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
Intermediate / Advanced How To: Frame Stained Glass Panels using Zinc Came "Came" is a channel made from a variety of metals and is available in various shapes. The two most commonly used metals used to manufacture came are lead and zinc. We carry multiple sizes of both Zinc Came and Lead Came on our website. Zinc Came is available in different widths. The wider the width, the stronger it is. Zinc Came is rigid and can be a challenge to cut. It lends itself well to geometric shapes. When used as a border for a stained glass panel, it will provide a nice clean, strong edge to that panel. Choos ..read more
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Tools for Effective Soldering
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
How to Effectively Solder Stained Glass By James Veilleux Note: Soldering Stained Glass can be a fun but sometimes frustrating process. There is a definite learning curve involved but, with time and practice, the end result will be worth the effort. In order to even begin the soldering process, you need to have the right tools to successfully create a stained glass piece. Below are the 7 essential items necessary to Effectively Solder Stained Glass Soldering Iron The soldering Iron is the most important tool that you will need to solder stained glass. The soldering iron is used to melt the s ..read more
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Glass Safety
Stained Glass Express
by Janet Parkhurst
18h ago
SAFETY June is National Safety month. Hopefully it is not a surprise that we are an industry that should be tuned into our personal safety. Not only do we deal with lead, but we also deal with lots of dangerous chemicals. FLUX Flux is one of the worst we deal with. It contains acids, sometimes solvents and other chemicals. We heat it up and create fumes. If you are not careful, you will be breathing these fumes. Set yourself up with a fume trap or at the very least something that is blowing the fumes away from you. Weller Fume Trap Smoke Absorber It is a little tough to do as you don’t want t ..read more
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