This guide will help walk you through the steps to making a small stained glass project.

Getting Started

     You will need a pattern, foiling scissors, double sided tape, a marker, a glass cutter, breaking pliers, a grinder, copper foil, a foiling tool, flux, a flux brush, solder, a soldering iron, flux remover, safety goggles, copper wire and your choice of glass.

     The pattern. The first step is to draw a design, or buy one that you like. Make two copies of the pattern. Number the pieces identically on each pattern. This accomplishes two things: 1. When you put your project together you'll know exactly where each piece goes, and 2. You will know which way to cut the glass and won't end up with upside-down pieces. Cut out the pieces of one pattern using foiling scissors. These allot for the width of the foil. Keep the other one whole, you will lay your glass pieces on it as you go.

     The glass. Choose glass for your project that you love. You want to match the "grain" or design of the glass to the direction your piece is going. Don't have an up and down piece with swirls going across. Carefully tape your pattern piece on the glass with double stick tape. Trace around the pattern piece with a black marker. Remove the pattern pieces. Wearing safety goggles, carefully cut on the inside of the black line. Using a pair of breaking pliers, snap the glass at the break until all the sides are broken.

     Grinding. When all the pieces are cut, you're ready to grind. Pour water on the grinding head, turn it on, then firmly but gently hold the glass against the head. Turn the piece slowly until all the sides are ground. Make sure the edges are all ground. If you have any shiny spots, the foil will not stick there. Put your  pieces on the pattern. If any edges stick out where they shouldn't, grind them off.

     Foiling. Wash each piece with hot soapy water, rinse well and let dry. Peel the back off the foil tape and stick the tape to the edge of the glass. Very slowly, center the tape and wrap it around the piece. When you're done, run your hands around it to push the foil down, then use a foiling tool to crimp the foil over the edge of the glass, then use the wheel to smooth the foil and apply it firmly to the glass.

     Soldering. Once your pieces are cut and soldered, you're ready to solder your angel. Place the pieces on the pattern. Make sure they fit well. If they don't, unwrap them and re-grind until they do fit well. Lightly apply flux with a brush. Using a hot soldering iron, "tack" the pieces together so they won't move. Turn your angel over, and solder the back so the seams are flat. Turn it to the front, and solder the front so the seams are "beaded", or rounded. Make a hanging hook by shaping copper wire, fluxing it, then soldering it so it's silver.  Solder it to the back of your piece, and you're done! Wash the flux off your angel with flux remover, and you will have a beautiful angel to enjoy for many years to come!