Glassmia | Designer Glass Art for the home, office and other spacious areas

The "Glass-ary"

ABRASION- Using a grinding wheel the top surface of a piece of flashed glass is grinded away

ACATATES- Using special paint on heavy plastic on a scaled down stained glass window to achieve a "see through" effect.

ANTIQUE GLASS- This glass is made by the method of hand blowing, the molten is made into cylinders then the cylinders are cut and flattened into sheets. A more expensive glass because it is hand made.

BRASS FILIGREE - A thin brass sheet that has been punched with a design. After tinning one side it is soldered to the glass. Also referred to as an Overlay.

BREAKING THE SCORE- Method used to separate the glass along marked lines in a controlled and precise manner.

BREAKING AND ENTERING- a stained-glass window offers more protection from an intruder than an ordinary window or plate glass.

CARBORUNDUM STONE OR FILE- A double cut or course sharpening stone used to file rough edges of glass. To prevent chipping keep stone wet.

CARTOON- A detail blueprint for a stained glass project containing all cut lines and possibly all paint lines.

CATHEDRAL GLASS- A transparent stained glass, uniformed in thickness about 1/8", Machine made.

COMPOSITION- A completed design containing a linear flow and color balance.

COPPER FOIL-Similar to aluminum foil this thin copper sheet has an adhesive back. It is wrapped to the edge of the glass pieces and then fluxed and soldered in place. Can be purchased in many different widths and backing colors.

CUT LINE- A line on the edges of the cut glass as indicated by the cartoon.

CYLINDER- A shape use to help make antique glass sheets.

DALLE- Stained glass in a thick slab form. Can be used with epoxy or cement. Dalles broken into pieces also called "chunks" can be copper foiled and used to give a faceted effect.

EPOXY- A glue used to glue glass to glass, it is clear and fast drying.

ETCHING- This process is done to save cutting and leading of tiny pieces, the procedure uses hydrofluoric acid. This method can only be done on flashed glass.

FAVRILE*- A word invented by Tiffany to describe his glass. The production methods to create this type of glass are still unknown.

FLASHED GLASS- One color of glass is laid upon another. Any colors may be used together providing neither one is exclusive of light. This glass is used for the hue it can bring to a project and also for etching.

FLINTS- Usually in the form of a curved triangle these are planned breaks in a diamond or rectangular window, to break up a rigid geometric design.

FLUX- Made mostly of zinc chloride and acid, flux must be applied to the surface of copper foil, or lead just prior to soldering to remove oxides from the surface. Types available are liquid, gel or paste. Becareful with flux it is corrosive.

FUSING- It is the process of melting one glass piece directly to another glass piece. The heat needed for this is best done using a kiln but small pieces can be melted using a torch.

GEMMAUX- A pattern is formed using a clear window glass and colored glass is then glued to it and then grouted.

GLASS BENDING- A method that sags or drapes the glass over a mold using a kiln.

GLASS GLOBS- Used to enhance a design, these are thick rounded pieces of glass in different shapes and sizes,

GLASS JEWELS- Made in a mold of Swedish steel then polished with different types, faceted, hollow backed, reflective, or bulls eyed.

GLASS THICKNESS- Machine made glass like Cathedral, is uniformed 1/8" throughout the sheet. Antique glass because it is hand made can be anywhere from 1/8" - 1/2" even within the same sheet.

GLUE CHIPPING- A process where a chemical reaction results with the glass after a glue mixture is applied. The glass is pulled apart and glass chips form on the glass surface.

GRANITE-BACKED GLASS- Also referred to as "pebble glass" is a form of textured glass were one side has been roughened.

GRISAILLE- A thirteenth century process for windows where the bulk of the window is in white or gray with elaborate leading. In the New York Cathedral there is a famous piece using this method called, "Five Sisters."

GROZZING- Using pliers made just for this purpose you wear away small chips of glass along a cut surface of a piece of glass.

GROZING PLIERS-Used in the method of removing remaining glass chips from a piece of cut glass referred to as GROZZING. They have teeth like jaws with one curved jaw. They can also be used to break the glass. When used for grozing use curved jaw up, and for breaking use the curved side down.

HAMMERED GLASS- Cathedral glass that is textured with a multitude of small indentations.

HYDROFLUORIC ACID- Used for etching. The only acid that breaks down the main ingredient of glass, silica.

JOINT- The point at which to lead lines meet, joints usually butt one against another.

KILN- Made of firebrick these ovens can be electric, gas heated, or wood burning.

KNAPPING- Faceting a glass slab by chipping away the edges of the slab with a glass hammer.

LEAD CAME- A long bar that is channeled on one or both sides made of lead. The channel is used to hold the glass in place, and soldered at the joints.

LEADED GLASS- A glass project that is held together with lead cames.

LEADING- Assembling the glass work with lead came.

MILLEFIORE- A technique that dates back to ancient Egypt. Beads of glass are heated in a kiln then spread into whorls of color.

MOLD- Used to change the shape of glass by using high-temperature till the glass is sagged then it may also bent or folded.

MOLD RELEASE- Applied to the surface of a mold this substance prevents sticking in the high- temperature of a kiln. Types used are powered mica, Kay Kinney Mold Release*, and graphite.

MOSAIC GLASS- Also referred as "puddle glass." An opaque glass that the colors have been heavily mixed.

OPALESCENT GLASS- Nontransparent glass. The colors are seen by reflected light.

OXIDATION- A wirebrush must be used to remove this tough outer build up that can appear on lead came before soldering.

PATINA-This chemical will change the color of your solder. Applied when all soldering is complete. Different patinas are available for different colors, black, copper, and silver.

PATTERN- The design on paper, or thin sheet metal, that is used to trace the pieces of the pattern for the purpose of cutting the glass.

PONCE BAG- Used as a stencil, this is a tied up rag for whiting.

PONTIL- A blowpipe used to gather and blow molten glass.

POT METAL- Glass was heated in a large pot and the oxides were added. This name was used in the medieval times.

REAMIES- Antique glass sheet containing delicate and faint color streaks.

REINFORCING RODS- Rods of galvanized steel used to keep a window for bowing.

RESIST MATERIAL- It is a material used to keep the glass protected and unchanged during an etching or silk-screening process. Some materials are beeswax and Asphaltum.

ROLLED EDGES- Usually found on the edges of antique glass where the cut was made along the cylinder, then smoothed from the oven, and bulges from the surface. It was be cut away before the sheet is worked.

SANDBLASTING- This process a compressor is used to give the surface of glass a frosted appearance by blowing sand or some type of grit on the glass.

SCORE- The line made when the glass cutting is run along the surface of the glass. This line weakens the glass, to prepare the glass for breaking.

SEMIANTIQUE GLASS- This glass has a brilliant tone with little texture. It is machine made.

SILVER STAIN- More of an etch, it adds a golden color to clear glass.

STREAKIES- Glass with streaks of color throughout. There may be many colors and they vary against a background of another color, either antique or opalescent.

TAPPING- Using the balled end of the glass cutter or the regular end of a cutter, the glass is tapped along the score to break out the piece of glass. Glass must always be tapped from the bottom.

TINNING- When the surface of another metal is completely soldered over to either stiffen it or to prepare for a color change.

TINTS- Stained glass that has lightly colored tones and hues.

TRACER- It is a brush used only for painting on glass.