Do you want to learn how to make stained glass but faced with a confusing array of stained glass tools and materials? Here's the top 12 essentials for a stained glass kit, with buying tips and brief user descriptions to help your stained glass career take off without a hitch. All are available at any good stained glass suppliers.
Cutting
1 Oil-filled cutter. There's lots of different types of cutter, but make sure you buy one that has a reservoir for oil. This automatically lubricates the tugsten carbide wheel as you make your scoreline, which saves you from constantly having to dip it in oil. Buy an oil-filled pistol grip cutter if you think you might have trouble applying pressure with a pen-shaped cutter.
2 Grozing Pliers. A tool specifically made for stained glass, the grozier is used for breaking difficult cuts and nibbling the edges of glass.
Leading
3 Lead knife. You'll need to cut those 6ft lengths of lead accurately, so buy a dedicated stained glass lead knife and keep it sharp.
4 All Nova Tool or Fid. Silly names, but it's actually one of the most useful - and cheap! - tools in your stained glass kit. Use it to open up the lead cames before leading, and to close them down after cementing.
5 Lead Vice. You could trap lead cames in your door before stretching it, but instead, keep your partner happy by investing in a lead vice. It grips one end of the lead whilst you tug on the other with pliers. Hold on tight!
6 Horse Shoe Nails. These have been stolen from blacksmiths - they use them to bang into horses hoofs, we use them for holding in place all those really annoying bits of lead that pop out all over the show when you're leading up.
Soldering
7 Tallow Candle. These are made of animal fat and are used as a flux for the solder. Rub a bit on to each lead join before you solder. Think roast beef!
8 100W Soldering Iron. Try to get a soldering iron with a thermostat, as it won't melt you're carefully cut lead. My students have tried both gas and 200W soldering irons over the years, but the general consensus is that the 100W is the easiest to handle, and powerful enough for any soldering job.
9 Grade C Solder. Made sure you buy solder that's 60% lead and 40% tin for leaded stained glass work. Try to work in a well ventilated area when soldering - along with everything else related to stained glass, it's dangerous!
Cementing and Polishing
10 Leaded Light Cement. Strictly speaking this isn't exactly an essential, as you can make this up a lot cheaper with standard putty, white spirit and black powder paint. But I don't want to put you off with that hideous messy job right at the beginning - so buy a pot of ready made cement for starters.
11 Whiting. Used for absorbing all the mess made by the cement. Just sprinkle it over your panel and brush it off. Use some muscle.
12 Black Grate Polish. Use a shoe brush to shine your leads to twinkly perfection. Stand back and admire.
I admit it, I cheated. Top marks if you've spotted the two vital missing items in this otherwise most comprehensive of stained glass kits - glass and lead! But that's the fun bit and for you to enjoy - gazing in wonder at all the different types of glass, the amazing array of textures and colours, and imagining the creative possibilities ahead...bliss!
