SELECTING GLASS - Here is some advice courtesy of the Spectrum Glass Company.

   There are two major areas of concern: 1) structural problems  2) characteristics that affect the appearance of glass.  Structural problems result in glass with poor cut ability, high waste and a lot of frustration to you.  Defects can be caused by a poor manufacturing process, poor composition, incomplete melting or faulty annealing.

BATCH AND STONES
    The most common problem is stones or batch in the glass sheet.  These are unwanted alien bits of granular raw glass material that has failed to melt.  They appear as tiny grains of sand like material on the glass surface or small rocks imbedded in the glass.  They are not only unattractive but may interfere with your cutting wheel.

THICK, THIN AND WARPAGE
    Always inspect the edge of a piece of glass.  Look for irregular thick or thin edges that are not a part of the normal texture of the glass.  Warpage is detected by laying the glass on a flat surface; it should lie flush.

  MIXING PROBLEMS
    Here you see a steak of opal that is "resisting" the mix and trying to flake off.  Look at the edge of the glass where two colors meet.  Bad mixes look as if one color is trying to flake away from the other color.

A GLASS WITH POOR CUT ABILITY
    One clue to poor cut ability in a piece of a glass is the edge.  If the glass has a very irregular, uneven edge as shown above, it is probably because it is difficult to cut and has broken in an unnatural way.    Another clue is the unsuccessful score mark vertically in the picture.  Pay attention to the cut.  Did it cut smoothly and straight?  Look for scores on the surface.

    Appearance problems are different and some what subjective, since one person may not like a particular affect, while the next person can't live without it.  Here a some examples.

POCK MARKS
    Pock marks are caused by gaseous composition that enters the glass during manufacturing.  Look for surface defects by tilting the glass in the light and viewing it at a low angle.

ORANGE PEEL
    This surface flaw looks like orange peel or rough leather.  It may either contribute or detract from the appearance of your work.  You be the judge.

UNEVEN MIX
    Sometimes when the glass is poured into a sheet, there is an uneven mix of colors.  Know how you are going to use the glass before selecting it.  Examine glass for qualities in both reflected and transmitted light.  Many characteristics change under different light sources, so check the glass in the same type of light it will hang in.  Buy quality glass and you will be on your way to quality work.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (answers by Murray)

Q. How do I get my solder joints smooth - especially on zinc came edges?
A. Soldering is an art that takes practice.  First use a good solder, either 50/50 or 60/40.  On zinc came edges, flux the zinc well and heat it with the iron for about 6-10 seconds before applying solder.  Apply the solder at the point where the zinc and iron touch.  As soon as it flows, swipe the iron sideways to feather the solder onto the zinc.  On foil, again apply the solder at the point where the iron and foil meet.  Move the iron steadily at a rate that lets the solder cover both foil edges.  Once you have enough solder, if the results are not quite right, start at the farthest edge and draw the hot iron over the joint one more time in a very steady pace so that the solder melts evenly behind it.

Q. I am thinking about starting stained glass.  What tools must I have?
A. That is a difficult question because there are many aspects to stained glass.  However, assuming you will start with copper foiling techniques, I recommend the following tools as a minimum.
1. A soldering gun of no less than 80 watts.
2. A good 60/40 solder, such as Classique 60/40.
3. Copper foil, 1/4" for your first few projects and 7/32" as you gain experience foiling.
4. A glass cutter.  Your choice.
5. A pair of dikes, or something similar to cut copper wire (and later lead).
6. A pair of running pliers (at least 8") to make clean breaks with you glass.
7. An easy cutting glass, such as Spectrum.
8. A fid (lathkin) for burnishing the copper foil to the glass.
9. A glass cleaner, such as Dawn.
10. A spray wax, such as Pledge for glass and wood (not Pledge for wood only).

This will get you started.  As you gain experience, you can decide on other tools you might like to have.

Q. Why don't my solder joints shine like the ones I see in the stores?
A. Commercial joints are nickel plated (or brass plated).  We can't do that.

Q. Is there a front and back side to glass and which do I score when cutting glass?
A. Yes.  The front side can be identified as smoother and shinier than the back.  If you can not tell the difference in smoothness or shine, score either side.

Q. My solder often falls through the foil to the other side of the glass.  Can I stop that?
A. Yes.  Place the bottom side of the solder joint on a wet sponge.  It will cause the solder to solidity before it leaks through.  Sometimes the problem is caused by an iron that is too hot.  If you have a variable heat iron, try turning it down a bit.  However, whatever the cause, a wet sponge will solve the problem.

Q. Do I have to use a fid to burnish the copper foil?  I find it clumsy to use.
A. No.  Use what works best.  Anything that can press the foil firmly to the glass without tearing it can be used.  I personally use a small pocket knife.

Q. I need to cut small 1/2" circles.  How do I do that?
A. There are a number of ways to do this.  I like the following method, illustrated by the picture.
     1. First draw the circle on the glass.
     2. Score the circle by keeping your cutting tool on the glass and rotating the glass for leverage.
     3. Make four scores tangent to the circle and perpendicular to each other.
     4. Break the four sections away.
     5. Make four more scores for the remaining edges.
     6. Break the glass away and grind as needed.

Q. Does copper foil have a shelf life?
A. Yes.  If it is left in air, it will eventually tarnish and the adhesive may fail to work properly.  To increase the life of your foil: 1) Don't open a new package until you are ready to use it and 2) when finished, place it in a zip lock bag and store it in your refrigerator until the next time you need it.  This should keep your foil in good shape for a long time.

Q. I am a beginner having a hard time knowing when to stop heating the glass I am fusing.  Can you help?
A. That is a very complex question, since it involves the kind of project you are working on, the type of glass, the effect you are trying to produce, the type of kiln and controls you use, etc.  Having said that, here are some guidelines that might help.  Because the softening of glass depends on both temperature and time, you might want to experiment with test pieces.  You might get the same effect by heating a piece at 1550 F. for a minute or 1400 F for an hour.  Most glass softens at above 1100 F. and there are stages.
STAGE 1 - The glass begins to slump or bend
STAGE 2 - Glass stacked together begins to stick and unsupported glass start to flow.
STAGE 3 - The glass surface begins to look wet and stacked layers are bonded together.
STAGE 4 - Glass placed on the bottom layer begin to change and sink into the base.
STAGE 5 - The glass is fully molten and has lost any texture it might have had.

Your decision is to stop the process at the point where you have achieved your desired results.

Q. I have some zinc came channel that has oxidized.  Is there any way to restore it?
A. Yes.  Go to the hardware store (or tractor supply store) and buy some Navel Jelly.  It is used to eliminate rust on metal, but works well for cleaning oxidized zinc.

Q. How do I cut a small hole in a piece of glass?
A. You can't.  There is no way to break it out cleanly.  To get a small hole, try using a grinder with a small head (1/4" or 1/8") or glass drills in a Dremel tool.  Start the tools at an angle to the glass and as it "digs" into the glass straighten the tool vertically and continue grinding through.

Q.  I am considering buying a saw.  What kind would you recommend?
A.  Many people are using band saws, but I do not like them.  In my experience, the blades tend to twist, warp and break to easily.  My choice would be ring saw, such as the Taurus II.  It has a diamond coated circular blade that cuts in any direction and actually grinds (smooths) the cut edges as it goes.

Q. What do they mean by compatibility between glasses?
A.  The term compatibility is usually associated with working hot glass.  Different glass expand or contract differently.  The coefficient of expansion (COE) is a measure of how much a piece of glass will expand when heated.  If you use two pieces of glass with greatly different COE's, they will contract at different rates as they cool causing great stress and breaking of the glass.  Most glass has a COE around 90.  Bullseye and Wasser label their glasses.  Many others do not.  If you are not sure of their compatibility (same COE's), you must run a test on the glasses you are using.

Q. What is dichroic glass?
A. Dichroic glass is is used in fusing and is made with thin film vacuum deposition.  It has beautiful optical properties because of the way it is made.  Dichroic coatings, placed on the glass, act like an optical filter.  The dicrhoic film filters light.  The color tranmitted through the glass is different from the color relected by the glass.  You may see different colors when viewing the glass form different angles.  When fusing, never fuse the coated sides of dichroic glass together.  Also don't overfire dichroic because it will burn out at high temperatures.  After all, it is just a coating - although a very beautiful one.

Q. I use 1/32" fiber paper instead of kiln shelf primer and it curls up.  How can I stop that?
A. It is the nature of fiber paper turn curl up when heated.  Just place some small furniture pieces on the edges.  That will keep it from interfering with your glass.

Q. Can I use fiber paper to make molds?
A. If you are using the thicker paper ( 1/8") you can do Bas Relief by cutting shapes and laying them in layers.  Then you can lay your glass on top and slump it to the form.  Fiber blanket can also be used to make molds by using fiber hardner to it.  Fiber board (1/2" or 1") can be carved into shapes for slumping glass.  A good book on mold making should cover these techniques.

Q. What is the advantage of Thin Fire fiber paper?
A.  Thin Fire paper is as it says, very thin.  It provides the smoothest finish to a piece of glass.

Q.  I get a lot of primer stuck to my glass when I'm fusing.  Is there any way to stop this?
A.  It is not unusual to have some primer stick on the glass during the fusing process.  Some primers are better than other in this respect.  I use Bullseye primer because it seems to be one of the better ones.  Also there is a product called Wash Away which is quite effective for dissolving minor primer problems.
 
 

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