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1 cutting perfect curves

2 Everything Stained Glass. Milly Frances. All rights reserved. Published by Everything Stained Glass (ESG). This workbook is part of an online course. It is designed to be used as an integral part of the whole course, and is not to be distributed separately by individuals. If you would like to reproduce or distribute this publication in any form for educational purposes only, you will need written permission from ESG. Just ask, I have been known to say yes! Everything has been done to ensure that the content of this tutorial is accurate at that the time of publication, but you will need to verify details - such as current prices - for yourself. ESG bears no responsibilities for any injuries that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the tools and materials in this publication. ESG strongly advises that manufacturers health and safety guides be consulted before using any tools or materials. Read our Terms and Conditions of Use Keep safe and have fun creating! For more information, please contact: Milly Frances Everything Stained Glass milly@everything-stained-glass.com Website: Facebook: Everything Stained Glass 2

3 Contents What You Need 1 Making The Score Line 2 Tapping The Glass 3 Separating The Glass 4 Cutting The Curve 5 Finishing Off 7 Introducing Myself 8 3 3

4 Cutting Perfect Curves When you can cut curves you can make absolutely anything in stained glass! The door is miraculously opened to creating all those designs that you love and admire. Trees, birds, animals, angels they all need curve-cutting skills. This tutorial shows you how. You ll be surprised at how easy it is. I ve even chosen the hardest type of curve to cut here - the inside curve - to encourage you to see for yourself. All you have to do is follow each step below and creative freedom is yours! What You Need Don t be put off by astronomical lists of so-called essential tools and materials. It s possible to make beautiful stained glass without going bankrupt. The method I ve chosen here uses the least amount of specialist equipment - just two tools that will cost around $25-30 for both. If you need a supplier, Delphi Glass sells a wide range of stained glass tools. You ll need a decent cutter. Don t buy one with the very cheap steel wheel, it might put you off cutting forever! I d recommend an oil-filled one. Whichever one you buy, make sure it has a carbide wheel. The one I m using here is a Toyo, but a Studio Pro Acrylic Glass Cutter is another similar example. A pair of breaker/grozer pliers is a must. They are used for breaking the glass after you ve made the initial score line, and removing any stubborn nubs of glass that remain after you ve made your cut. You ll also need a permanent marker pen and a carborundum stone. 1. Essential tools for cutting curves And safety goggles. I wear safety glasses when cutting and would recommend that you do, too. You ll need your eyes for the soldering :) 1 1

5 Step 1: Making The Score Line You don t need a pattern, template, or expensive art glass for this. Just draw out a shape similar to the one below on to a piece of window glass and get practicing! I took these photos when I was making a commission for a school. I d done some workshops with the young children, and they all loved spirals. So, lot s of inside curve-cutting for me! 2. Drawing around the template and removing unwanted glass If you do have a pattern or template, trace the shape on to the glass. The first cut is made to get rid of all the unwanted glass - see Cut 1 in Photo 1, right Make the first score line. Hold the cutter vertically to the glass. Start at about 1/16 (2mm) in from the edge so that you can get a nice smooth cut The little screw should be in front of you I push the glass cutter away from me, so that I can see the line at all times. If you find it easier to pull, that s fine, but you do need to see the marker line! Use an even amount of pressure along the score line, and don t stop in the middle. You must go from one edge to the other. You can stop half way for a breather, but don t take the wheel off the score line when you gasp for breath! 3. Ideal cutter position for making a score line 2 2

6 Step 2: Tapping the Glass It s important to know that you don t always need to use the tapping method to open up the score. Sometimes you can ease the score line open by moving the pliers along it, and putting a bit of downward pressure on them to snap the glass off. You ll get used to knowing when to tap the glass and when not to. It s better not to do it if you don t have to, as the break is sometimes cleaner. With the ball end of the cutter, gently but firmly tap along the length of the score line. See Photo 4, left Notice that my hands are supporting each side of the score line underneath, and are close to where I m tapping. This is safer and allows me to keep control of the tapping and the glass You need to look at the score line to see it opening up from underneath. I ve tried to take a photo of it - Photo 4, right - but it s tricky! I ve put an arrow where you can see it best. It starts to look shiny and almost broken underneath You also need to listen to the tone. When the score is ready to break the noise it makes becomes lower. You ll get used to hearing it after a while 4. Tapping the score line until it opens up 3 3

7 Step 3: Separating the Glass Now you re ready to learn how to use the grozing pliers. 5. Using grozer pliers to separate glass Carefully place the flat jaw along the score line Gently exert some downward pressure If your score was sufficiently open, the glass should break off Don t worry if it doesn t come off in one piece, just keep using the grozing pliers as above until it all comes off 4 4

8 Step 4: Cutting the Curve Now we have to go for it! It s a good idea to do the hardest cut first. This is for two reasons: 1. If it goes wrong you haven t wasted time on cutting the rest of the shape 2. It leaves the largest possible area of glass protecting the weakest part of the shape (the middle of the curve) 6. Scoring the curve Take courage in your hands and make a steady and accurate score line along your inside curve. See Photo 6 This will prevent any subsequent cuts from running beyond this score Now we need to work our way towards that score line slowly, otherwise the glass runs the risk of breaking Draw a series of curves about 3/16 apart until you reach the edge of the glass. See Photo 7. When you ve got the hang of it, you won t need to draw these lines Cut the smallest one out first. Do this in exactly the same way as you learnt for Cut 1. Scoring, tapping (if necessary) and snapping off with the grozing pliers 5 5

9 7. Move slowly towards your inside curve in small cutting steps 8. Use the grozer pliers and tapping techniques to separate the glass 9. Snapping off the final piece I didn t have to tap any of these cuts to get them off. Rather, I eased the score open by applying gentle pressure with the grozing pliers from one end to the other, and then snapped it off. 6 6

10 Step 5: Finishing Off If you re working to a pattern, check your curve against the template or pattern before continuing with the rest of the cutting 10. Check the curve against the template or pattern Use the carborundum stone and the serrated edge inside the jaws of the grozing pliers to get rid of any stubborn lumps and bumps Success! You ve cut a perfect curve accurately and easily. Now for those lovely wavy designs! My commission was successfully installed at the school - despite all those curves! What the photo below doesn t show is the unique drawings by the children that I managed to incorporate into the design... but that s another exciting technique to share with you at a later date. 7 7

11 11. Finished spiral school commission by Milly Frances Introducing Myself My mission with Glass Steps - the home study part of Everything Stained Glass - is to share my skills so that as many people as possible can enjoy creating their own beautiful stained glass. As a qualified teacher and experienced stained glass artist, I like to think I m offering a really clear and easy to follow set of instructions...but I could be very, very wrong! I d love to hear your suggestions for improving this tutorial, or ideas for future topics. You can me on milly@everything-stained-glass.com. I also have a very lively Facebook page packed with lots of colorful images that I d love to share with you. You re more than welcome to join in and introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting you there! 8 8

12 If you find anything in this tutorial that needs fixing, send me an on com. I ll do what I can to mend it. Thanks, Milly 9