by Eileen Hughes

Created on: October 14, 2007

How to make a stained glass mirror

Stained glass has been around for hundreds of years. Many people have different ideas as to what actual stained glass means. Church windows look beautiful with their pictures created with colored glass. These consist of thousands of tiny pieces of glass joined together with lead. They individually cut out each piece by hand and the pieces, trimmed on a grinder to fit the exact shape. They add one piece at a time, placing the led around the edges of each piece. The glass actually slots into the ridges of the lead, then soldered together.

TOOLS REQUIRED
Different colored glass, piece of mirror, soldering iron, flux, solder, pattern, and lead.

METHOD TO MAKE MIRROR
You need to have a pattern drawn to scale of the article you wish to make. Whether square, oblong or oval. To protect your pattern, place a piece of solid, not too thick clear plastic over the top and staple it into position. Make a frame of wood around the edge of pattern, if square mirror, place a piece of lead along one edge next to the wood.

Put the first piece of glass over pattern and cut to shape. When correct, slide that piece into the side of the lead. Continue in this manner, adding the mirror section to complete the drawing. Now brush flux on each join in lead and solder each piece of lead together, making sure the joins are smooth and not lumpy. Turn mirror over and solder joins on the other side. You can solder a piece of wire onto the back to hang mirror. Another idea is to put this into a wooden frame. It would depend on design of your mirror. Many people make beautiful lampshades this way.

IMPORTANT Lead is poisonous, you can use gloves when handling, although this makes handling difficult. Make sure, you wash your hands after handling lead, and do not eat anything while handling it.

IMITATION STAINED GLASS
With imitation stained glass, you paint the pattern onto glass and imitation lead is stuck to the glass so it looks like lead lighting or stained glass.

COPPER FOIL
This also looks beautiful and is great for making, atrium's, lamps, or mirrors. Do this, in much the same way as with the first description. The difference is instead of lead between the pieces of glass you use copper foil (depending on thickness of glass as to which size foil) and wrap around the edge of each piece.

It is important to make sure you center it, so that it folds over on both sides. Then fit onto your pattern, brush flux onto the copper and solder every piece together. Making sure to keep a smooth finish, turn over brush copper with flux and solder.

It is important to clean off any excess solder and wash in soapy warm water, whichever type you make. For more information on all forms of stained glass, do a search on the Internet. You would be surprised how many web sites there are.
If you decide to make this your hobby, a good place to buy glass is from Delphi Glass - http://www.delphiglass.com/index

Although there are many others, I hope you enjoy making your stained glass mirrors.

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