This article is on the techniques of lead came and copper foil glasswork. For a general overview of stained glass art, see stained glass.
 A typical copper foil Tiffany lamp, with a jonquil daffodil design Lead came and Copper foil glasswork are the arts and crafts of cutting colored glass and joining the pieces into picturesque designs. Image File history File links Mergefrom. ...
Copper-foil glasswork is the art and craft of connecting pre-cut pieces of glass by wrapping their edges with copper adhesive tape, then soldering the copper-wrapped edges together. ...
Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ...
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Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) circa 1908 Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass and is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and...
Small wooden sculpture depicting a Native American mother holding her child. ...
This article is about the material. ...
The traditional method uses lead came. This is the method used for centuries in Europe, mainly in Religious buildings such as cathedrals, churches and monasteries, and also in aristocratic houses. For Pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ...
A came is a divider bar used between small pieces of glass to make a larger glazing panel, sometimes referred to as leaded glass. ...
For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...
Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ...
Monastery of St. ...
Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: The term aristocracy refers to a form of government where power is held by a small number of individuals from an elite or from noble families. ...
An alternative method, replacing the lead came with copper foil, was invented in the 19th century, enabling creation of three-dimensional works, in addition to two-dimensional ones to which the lead came method is limited. The copper foil artwork is commonly called Tiffany stained glass, even though there is a debate about whether John La Farge or Louis Comfort Tiffany invented this alternative to lead came glasswork. For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation). ...
A foil is a very thin sheet of metal, usually made by hammering or rolling a piece of metal. ...
Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The space we live in is three-dimensional space. ...
Dimension (from Latin measured out) is, in essence, the number of degrees of freedom available for movement in a space. ...
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) circa 1908 Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass and is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and...
John LaFarge (March 31, 1835–November 14, 1910) was a painter,stained glass window maker, decorator, and writer. ...
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) circa 1908 Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass and is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and...
Overview In both lead came and copper foil glasswork, cut pieces of stained glass are joined together in a framework of lead.
In the lead came method the pieces of glass are embedded into the channels of the came, and the joints between the came strips soldered together. (De)soldering a contact from a wire. ...
In the copper foil method, the edges of the glass pieces are wrapped with copper, and soldered together along the adjacent copper strips. (De)soldering a contact from a wire. ...
The process
The steps in creation of Lead Came and Copper Foil Glasswork Image File history File links Size of this preview: 368 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (1033 × 1680 pixel, file size: 34 KB, MIME type: image/png) A flowchart describing the common first steps in lead-came and copper-foil glasswork, and the separate next steps for each. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 368 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (1033 × 1680 pixel, file size: 34 KB, MIME type: image/png) A flowchart describing the common first steps in lead-came and copper-foil glasswork, and the separate next steps for each. ...
Design The first step for both techniques is to create a design on paper. This draft must consider constraints such as reduction of buckling risk, overall structural integrity, limiting the convergence of lead lines, and cuttability of each piece of glass within.
The next step is to make a template copy of the design for cutting the glass. The width of the lead came or the copper foil that separates the pieces of glass may be compensated for with double blade pattern shears that remove a thin strip of material on the template copy.
For large designs, a scale model may be made, which is digitally photographed and further modified with AutoCAD. After measurements and other notations are applied, the full pattern is printed on a large-format printer. AutoCAD is a suite of CAD software products for 2- and 3-dimensional design and drafting, developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. ...
An Epson inkjet printer Inkjet printers are a type of computer printer that operates by propelling tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. ...
Transferring the design to glass Four methods may be employed. - The cut paper may be glued to the glass before cutting it
- The cut paper to may be pressed against the glass and its outline traced on the glass with a marker.
- The pattern may be affixed to a light box or light source. Sheet glass is placed over the pattern, and traced with a marker.
- The edge of the pattern piece may be followed with the cutter.
Cutting the glass The glass is scored using a steel or carbide wheel glass cutter lubricated with cutting oil. Glass is broken at the score using breaker-grozier pliers, running pliers or built in groziers on a traditional glass cutter. The ball end on many glass cutters is used to break complicated cuts in a piece of glass. Tapping the ball end along the score on the opposite side of the glass sends a vibration through the glass that helps it break along the score. Also, the notches in most basic glass cutters can be used to grab small bits of glass for breaking. For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ...
Monotungsten carbide, WC, or Ditungsten Carbide, W2C, is a chemical compound containing tungsten and carbon, similar to titanium carbide. ...
Breaker-grozier pliers Breaker-grozier pliers are pliers that have a curved jaw below, and a flat jaw above, both with finely serrated edges. ...
Grinding the cut glass At this stage, the cut glass pieces have sharp edges and inaccuracies in their shape. The glazier can use an electric glass grinder with a diamond-coated grinding wheel to smooth the glass pieces, or a carborundum stone. This article is about the gemstone. ...
Grinding wheel A grinding wheel is an expendable wheel that carries an abrasive compound on its periphery. ...
Silicon carbide (SiC) or moissanite is a ceramic compound of silicon and carbon. ...
Glass saws An alternative to the cutting and grinding steps is the use of a ring saw or band saw. Such saws permit the cutting of shapes impossible with a wheel cutter. Large resaw blades used in a sawmill. ...
This is where the processes for each of the two methods split. The next section describes the steps for the lead came method. The equivalent copper foil steps are described in the copper foiling section below.
Lead came technique
A 16th century lead came glass window, church Notre Dame, Les Andelys, Normandy, France The lead came has channels into which the glass pieces are inserted. There are two types of lead came: for the circumference of the design, came with a U-shaped cross section may be used, as it takes glass only on one of its sides. For the middle of the design, came with an H-shaped cross-section is used, taking glass on both its sides. The channel or "heart" height of lead came is available in different thickness to allow for thicker or thinner glass as well as the "face" (profile) in various sizes for design options and construction. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 310 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (816 × 1579 pixel, file size: 444 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Les Andelys, church Notre Dame, stain glass, 16th century, Normandy. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 310 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (816 × 1579 pixel, file size: 444 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Les Andelys, church Notre Dame, stain glass, 16th century, Normandy. ...
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. ...
A 3-D view of a beverage-can stove with a cross section in yellow. ...
Preparation of lead for assembly Traditionally, lead came strips are stretched for straightening and stiffening using a lead vice attached at the edge of a work bench.
Lead came is available in 5-6 foot pieces and on dispensing rolls for smaller gauge lead. Lead came is commonly cut with lead dikes or glazing knife. Table top chop saws are also used where repetitive sized pieces are needed or when working with a zinc based lead or zinc came. Cut lead came is also done in angles to allow for proper mitering where the stained glass design requires it.
Assembling the lead and glass
Schematic cross-section drawing of two glass pieces embedded in three lead came pieces: 1 - U-shaped came; 2 - H-shaped came; 3 - glass Each piece of glass is set in place upon a glazing drawing, with came shaped around it to make a matrix. Horseshoe nails and scraps of lead are used to hold the already-assembled pieces to the work surface. Horseshoe nails are used, because the steel is not tempered, and therefore has less chance of breaking the edge of a piece of glass. Sometimes on a delicate piece, a scrap of lead will cushion the glass from the nail. The glass and lead are assembled gradually, beginning from one corner of the work, and building-up away from it. The ends of the came are tucked under the ears of the other lead it meets. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 163 pixelsFull resolution (1090 × 222 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/png) Schematic depiction of H- and U-shaped lead came cross sections, with embedded glass pieces. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 163 pixelsFull resolution (1090 × 222 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/png) Schematic depiction of H- and U-shaped lead came cross sections, with embedded glass pieces. ...
Soldering the lead joints The lead came is soldered at the joints between strips with lead/tin solder. This is in contrast to the copper foil method described below, where the whole length of the copper strip is soldered. General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Standard atomic weight 118. ...
Cementing the lead and glass panel The final step is applying a waterproofing putty made of linseed oil and calcium carbonate (commercial whiting). The glazing compound is worked into the space between the glass and lead, to strengthen and waterproof the work. Lastly, the ears are pressed down against the glass, securing the piece and further waterproofing the panel. Whiting is reapplied to window sparingly for cleaning and removing excess oils left from cementing. Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with the chemical formula CaCO3. ...
Waterproof fabrics are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated to or coated in some sort of permanently waterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, and wax. ...
Adding reinforcement bars Lead is one of the heaviest metals, and because of its malleability and ease of soldering, is perfect for the stained glass art. But because of this, stained glass panels can be very heavy. These windows from Zettler Studio of Munich, Bavaria were made in 1928 for a church in Philadelphia, now closed. One of these sections alone can easily weigh 80 lbs and use a matrix of 7 bars in some examples. Because of this, the original installer have included copper wires soldered onto the window to be twisted around bars set into the frame. These round bars and wires help carry the weight and prevent buckling, a fatal problem for stained glass windows if not caught. The copper wire method is obsolete now, though still used in historical preservation. A preferable technique is that of soldering a flat bar perpendicular to the window. The ends of this bar will set into the frame and prevent deflection. For Pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ...
Look up malleability in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
A lead came window that buckled because of lack of reinforcement bars Image File history File links Size of this preview: 301 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (786 × 1566 pixel, file size: 630 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
| Front view of the buckled window shown on the left Image File history File links Size of this preview: 628 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1076 × 1028 pixel, file size: 735 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
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Copper foil technique The steps of the copper foil process are depicted in the images below. - The edges of the glass pieces are wrapped in copper foil. This is similar to the lead came method, where the edges are inserted into the came channels. The foil is then burnished onto all three glass surfaces.
- Flux is applied to all visible copper sparingly.
- The copper-wrapped glass pieces are soldered together. A bead of solder is run across every spot of visible copper foil, in contrast with the lead came method, where only the came edges called "joints" are soldered together.
- A finishing patina is applied to emphasize details or to quickly achieve the natural black patina that all lead develops with age.
Glass pieces wrapped with copper foil, before soldering In metallurgy, flux is a substance which removes passivating oxides from the surface of a metal or alloy. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 621 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Copper-foil glasswork: glass wrapped with copper, before soldering. ...
| Soldering the copper foil wrapped pieces Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 600 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Soldering copper-foil wrapped glass pieces. ...
| The finished work, after tinting with dark patina Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 632 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Finished copper-foil wrapped glass art work, after tinting the solder joints. ...
| Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1096x960, 237 KB) Summary Summary Description: Tiffany glasswork Hanukkah menora, made and photographed by my daughter, who granted permission Source: self-made Date: Photographed December 2005 Author: Shai Pelleg Permission: GFDL and Creative Commons Licensing File links The following pages link...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1096x960, 237 KB) Summary Summary Description: Tiffany glasswork Hanukkah menora, made and photographed by my daughter, who granted permission Source: self-made Date: Photographed December 2005 Author: Shai Pelleg Permission: GFDL and Creative Commons Licensing File links The following pages link...
Grand Rabbi Israel Abraham Portugal of the Hasidic group Skullen lighting Hanukkah lights Hanukkah (‎, also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. ...
Tools and materials
General Glasses, spectacles, or eyeglasses are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes, sometimes for purely aesthetic reasons but normally for vision correction or eye protection. ...
For the band, see Adhesive (band). ...
glass cutter, showing hardened steel cutting wheel (far left), notches for snapping, and ball (on end of handle) for tapping A glass cutter is a hand tool which aids in the cutting (strictly, the controlled breaking) of flat or pane glass. ...
Cutting fluid or coolant is liquid used to cool and lubricate the cutting edges of machine tools and the pieces they are shaping. ...
Rotating abrasive wheel on a bench grinder. ...
This article is about the gemstone. ...
Grinding wheel A grinding wheel is an expendable wheel that carries an abrasive compound on its periphery. ...
Using a soldering iron. ...
A solder is a fusible metal alloy, with a melting point or melting range of 180-190°C (360-370 °F), which is melted to join metallic surfaces, especially in the fields of electronics and plumbing, in a process called soldering. ...
flux in science and mathematics. ...
For lead came work - Lead came
- Lead nippers
- Glazing hammer
- Fids (tapering pins)
- Cement for lead came glass (glazing compound)
Nippers in surf lifesaving are young Surf Lifesavers aged between 7 and 13 years old. ...
A free induction decay (FID) curve is generated as excited nuclei relax in an NMR machine. ...
In the most general sense of the word, cement is a binder, a substance which sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. ...
For copper foil work - Copper foil
- Patina
- Solder 60/40 tin lead
- Soldering Iron
The Statue of Liberty gets its green color from the patina formed on its copper surface Patinas are chemical compounds formed on the surface of metals. ...
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