Sugar Land Chiropractors | Are We Deserving of Your Dollar?
This content was written for Restoration Health Chiropractic.
Most people admire stained glass. From simply flowers to elegant church windows the light coming through colored glass makes many people take notice. Stained glass is a process most people can learn if they will do their research and have patients. However, this is a process where short cuts will produce inferior work. Once the ìbugî to make stained glass has bitten you then you have found your new hobby. It is the opinion of Sugar Land Chiropractors that making stained glass could very well be worth the effort. While the art of making stained glass can appear to be intimidating, however, with a little practice one can create some amazing art quickly. The staff at Sugar Land Chiropractors find the art of making stained glass to be interesting. Although, making stained glass may not be for you once you start creating art you just might find that this is a great avenue for your creativeness to shine through.
The first important step to become an expert stained-glass maker is to select the right tools and products. This is something that the staff at Sugar Land Chiropractors can relate to as they understand the necessary of having the proper tools and knowledge to do their jobs well. There are two major types of stained glass. One that utilized copper foil and one that uses lead came. While some tools work on both kind other tools are specific to the type of stained one is making.
Beginners can start making stained glass with a small investment. However, if you have professional aspirations it can be a bit expensive to get fully equipped in order to make the more intricate pieces. One can also purchase start up kits and Sugar Land Chiropractors think this is a particularly good option. Stained glass is a fun activity for people of all ages and can be a good opportunity for group activity.
There are basic tools needed in order to created stained glass. Safety is something Sugar Land Chiropractors encourage. A person should have safety glasses and gloves to wear while working with glass. When cutting glass, you can create very sharp edges. Safety glasses should be worn to protect your eyes from glass shards that can easily pop up when breaking glass.
Glass oil cutter allows you to make a shallow score in the glass piece. This then allows a person to break the glass along the score line. Running pliers are an invaluable tool for glass cutting. These pliers open score lines using even pressure acting as a fulcrum by putting pressure on both sides of the score line. Running pliers normally come with an adjustable screw which accommodates the different glass thicknesses. They also have a rubber tip to protect the glass during use. These pliers are good for straight, slightly curved cuts and for big sheets.
Breaking / grozing pliers are also and important tool for stained glass makers. Breaking pliers do just as their name states, they break glass but in a different way than running pliers. Grozing is the removal of pieces of glass with he serrated edges of the pliersí jaws. Running pliers are better at nibbing on curved cuts where breaking pliers can also come in handy in other areas.
An important to for making stained glass is a stone. This tool is used to smooth out the glass edges after cutting. This is for safety and to allow for the even application of the copper foil around edges. This is also known as a sharpening stone which is used in sharpening knives and other metal tools.
Copper foiling or a fid tool is essential a burnish tool which is used to press the foil down onto the glass and ensure full contact. This tool will eliminate any gaps between the glass and the foil. There are several ways to improvise this tool and one is to use chopsticks.
Copper foil is used to put two or more pieces of glass together. Copper foil is a quick and easy way to start creating beautiful stained glass for beginners. The standard size of copper foil is ºî. The staff at Sugar Land Chiropractors thinks that this is a good way to start out learning how to make stained glass.
The next tool we will look at is glass came. The most common material used in came is lead. Came is used in larger geometric or 3D pieces and those that may be exposed to the outdoors. Larger pieces that require additional support or structure.
Flux serves several different purposes. It is usually applied with a brush to metal pieces that are going to be joined together with solder. It acts as a cleaning agent which removes any oxidation on the metal to provide a better contact. This will aid the solder to flow better and will finally seal out any air. The staff at Sugar Land Chiropractors find that flux is necessary when making stained glass.
Solder is used to bond the two glass pieces together by melting it onto the copper foil. It is a good idea to purchase a quality, pure 60/40 solder for your stained-glass projects. This means that there is 60% tin and 40% lead which will provide a solid bond of two metal pieces.
Solder remover is good to have on hand in the event you will need to remove solder. There are two forms of solder remover and one is a solder sucker and the other is braided copper.
Stained glass patina is needed to apply to soldering joints to give a finished appearance to your work. Patina will give the solder joints and even and consistent finish. Novacan black patina works well and coming in black and a copper finish as well.
Along with the tools listed above there are various tools needed such as pens, markers/dry erase markers, scissors, rulers, masking tape and spare sheets of paper. It is apparent to Sugar Land Chiropractors that stained glass could be an extremely rewarding hobby. Having the proper tools is especially important in all aspects of stained glass along with any other hobby.