Tips for the Stained Glass Beginner
So you have decided that you want to try working with stained glass.  There are a number of reasons you might have chosen this craft, but how do you begin?  This page will help you with some of the necessary information needed to start working with stained glass.
First off, you will need to get some basic supplies.  A beginner should be familiar with cutting glass and foiling first off, then you can progress to assembly.
(photo is a stained glass sculpture of a butterfly -- its construction would be for someone more advanced)

Basic supplies needed
  • glass -- you will want to have glass to practice with before you actually begin working on a project.  Once you have the cutting down, then you can actually acquire the glass needed for a particular project.
  • glass cutter -- this can be a rather simple tool or complex.  The simplest glass cutter is a steel wheel attached to a handle.  With a little pressure, it creates a fissure in the glass that creates a controlled break.  As you get more advanced, you might even decide to go with a saw, but for now, stick with a basic glass cutter.
  • runner -- this is a tool that will aid in breaking along a straight line.  This can be as simple as a dowel or goes as far as a pair of specialized pliers.
  • grinder -- this can be a glass file or specialized stone.  As you get better, you could get an automated grinder, but for a beginner, the basics are what matter.  The grinder smooths the edge of the glass and rounds the edges and corners a bit, so that the copper foil will not be damaged when it is applied.
  • safety equipment -- safety glasses and gloves to prevent glass particles from getting into your eyes or onto your hands.
  • copper foil -- a thin sheet of copper with an adhesive-backing.  Basic copper foil is available in sheets or rolls as a tape.  The backing color will only matter with the appearance of the tape in a project.  If opaque or dark colors, you will use the black back, and for lighter colors, clear, or transparent, you might want to go with copper or silver back.
  • fid -- this can be a specialized tool or a simple popsicle stick.  The fid is used to smooth the copper foil on the surfaces and with pressure make sure that it adheres to the glass.
Now for the basic tips
  • Practice on different glass before you start cutting glass for a project.  This will help keep you from wasting glass and becoming discouraged.  As a beginner, you will most likely want to stick to projects that require straight cuts.
  • When cutting and breaking glass, you can only work in one direction at a time.  This means that if you are cutting a square, you will need to cut a strip the entire length of the glass first, then from that, cut your square.  You cannot do it any other way without breaking the glass.
  • When grinding, the edge needs to be smooth and the corners slightly rounded.  Otherwise, the copper foil might be cut by the sharp edges and corners.  Also be sure to clean the glass prior to applying the foil, otherwise the dust particles will interfere with adhesion.  Cleaning is just wiping off with a clean rag or rinsing with water.  Either way, be sure surface is also dry
  • When foiling, it is best to have one continuous strip per piece, rather than trying to piece together scraps.  It is possible to piece together, but might be a bit more difficult.  If you have scraps, save them for smaller pieces or simply discard if too small.
  • After foil is applied, use fid to smooth the foil on the surface.  When you are dealing with corners, try to get the overlap area smooth in both directions.  Foil might bunch or fold over in these areas if you are not careful.  It does not take much pressure, just simple stroking motions to smooth it out.