Overview

This page is for students working on the Stained Glass video podcast. It will have the following features:

• Student notes from their individual research, edited into a draft script 
• Revisions by team members and the Subject Matter Expert
• Questions to ask the SME and others during the interviews at the sites
• Transcripts of video clips of the interviews and tours
• Final approval by the SME and company PR people 

 

Team

• Sam Comstock: History of stained glass

• Megan Parish: Chemistry for coloring and making glass, hazards 

• Quinn Whitman: Processes for cutting and building windows

• Bernardo Martinez: Modern Techniques

 

Timeline

 

 

Script Sections:

 

Lead In:

 

 

History of Stained Glass:

     

   Glass is all around us today and is one of our most common building materials.  We use it on our cars, buildings, and for decorating.  Nobody really knows who discovered or where stained glass was discovered possibly because of how fragile it and could not withstand natural disasters.  Most stories of stained glass begin with Pliny’s Tale where glass was accidentally discovered by shipwrecked sailors.  The legend says these sailors set their cooking pots on blocks of Natron (mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium Bicarbonate, and salt; all used in soda) and built a fire on the beach.  In the morning the sailors woke up and discovered the Natron and sand had melted together and cooled into a clear substance we today call glass.  Historians are not sure on the validity of this story and most believe that Egyptian potters discovered it.  Some of the earliest form of glass is found in Egyptian beads.

 

     Stained glass windows were first used by  Romans in their villas and palaces.  At this time stained glass was considered a domestic luxury rather than an artistic medium. After the fall of Rome stained glass carried on to other countries in europe.  When Gothic arcitecture began to appear in the 12th century it helped the art and image of stained glass grow incredibly.  Gothic cathedrals all throughout Europe were filled with new stained glass windows.  At the time craftsmen could only make panes of glass about the size of a hand so the images resembled a mosaic.

 

   The first decorative stained glass windows appeared in Christian churches between 348 and 410 AD. Stained glass was reintroduced into Britain via Gaulish churches. To date, the earliest example found goes back to 540 AD.  Stained glass served more than one purpose in churches.  They brought light into the cathedral without making the church totally see through.  Since the general population was not well educated and could not read most of the windows told or illustrated stories from the bible or remembered saints.

 

   In the year 1547 the Dissolution of the Monasteries (formal process which King Henry VIII disbanded monastic communities) ordered the destruction of all decorative glass in churches claiming it was a form of idolatry. Calvinist iconoclasm (Calvinist’s destruction of their religion) ended most production of stained glass in the north. With destruction, religious iconoclasm, political upheavals, and lack of knowledge stained glass fell out of favor and slowly vanished.  From the 1600’s to the 1900’s stained glass was not near as widely produced.

 

   Stained glass made its comeback in the 1900's when people began creating it into an art form as well as continuing to use it in churches and other traditional ways.  Today stained glass is used all over, churches, buildings, houses, and bathroom windows. 

 

 

 

http://www.stainedglass.org/html/SGAAhistorySG.htm

http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=111576

http://www.buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/mat/stained/stained.html#Romanesque

http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/the-history-of-stained-glass-windows-758262.html

 

The Chemistry and Creation of Stained Glass:

  

   There are many different ways to add color to glass.  The most common technique is to mix certain powdered metals are added to the mixture while the glass is still molten.  Milk glass, cranberry or ruby glass, cobalt, amber, and opaline are created using this method. Staining, overlay, lustre, cased and enamel overlay are examples of other methods used for coloring glass. ¹¹  

 

Milk Glass by Manfred Heyde

Cranberry glass by PetitPoulailler

      

Bristol Blue glass and a cobalt bottle. 

 

   Early glass became colored due to impurities present when the glass was formed.  Black bottle glass, which was a dark brown or green color, was first produced in 17^th Century England.  The color came from the effects of the iron impurities in the sand used to make the glass as well as the sulfur from the coal burning that was used to melt the glass.  

 

    In time, people began to purposely add minerals or purified metal salts (pigments) to color their glass.  In 1659, ruby glass was invented using gold chloride.  Uranium glass uses uranium oxide and glows in the dark. This was invented in the 1830’s. 

Uranium glass glows under UV light. Picture by Z Vesoulis. 

 

    To make clear glass or prepare glass for coloring, it may be necessary to remove color caused by impurities.  Decolorizers such as Manganese dioxide and Cerium oxide are used to remove the iron and sulfur compounds.   

 

   The following compounds are used to create different coloring effects in glass. ¹⁰  

Iron oxides..................................................... greens, browns

Manganese oxides......................................... deep amber, amethyst, decolorizer

Cobalt oxide................................................... deep blue

Gold chloride.................................................. ruby red

Selenium compounds..................................... reds

Carbon oxides................................................. amber/brown

Mix of mangnese, cobalt, iron....................... black

Antimony oxides............................................. white

Uranium oxides.............................................. yellow green (glows!)

Sulfur compounds.......................................... amber/brown

Copper compounds........................................ light blue, red

Tin compounds............................................... white 

Lead with antimony........................................ yellow

 

   Another method of staining glass is the method of Staining. It is accomplished by applying a metallic oxide to the body and then reheating the glass.  A thin layer of color created from the oxide is left on the surface of the glass.  The clear glass underneath is revealed through scratching, cutting, or engraving this layer.¹¹

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Links

2. http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/HD/glas/hd_glas.htm

10. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/inorganic/a/aa032503a.htm

11. http://www.beerstein.net/articles/bsj-3d.htm - coloring glass

 

Cutting and Assembling Stained Glass Windows:

 

   Tools used: Self-lubricating glass cutter with a tungsten, carbide wheel, glass pliers, glass grinder, glass marker, soldering iron, lathekin, work board, push pins, copper foil tape, flux, solder, flux application brushes, stained glass, glass cleaner and patina.

 

   Types of glass: There are lots of different types of glass that you can choose from, the three main types of glass are cathedral glass, opalescent glass, and full or sheet antique glass.

 

   After choosing a type of glass and a pattern you make two tracings of the pattern then number each individual piece, then cut the pattern to create templates. Then you trace each numbered template onto the glass with the glass marker. Then you cut the pieces out with a glass cutter, then you take your glass pliers to carefully take out each piece from the glass to make separate pieces of glass. Some of the glass may not fit so you have to use the glass grinder to grind the edges of the pieces that don’t fit, you then compare each piece of glass to the tracing pieces. Then foil each glass piece along the edges, smooth the foil tape with your fingers then use the lathekin to burnish them. Assemble it all together. Now brush flux over the foil seams, Hold the solder over the seams and melt it with the soldering iron. Make sure that the melted solder covers the foil entirely. Solder all the seams this way. When you’re done, turn the soldered glass over and solder the other side. Clean the glass with a soft rag and glass cleaner. Rub patina over the soldering with a rag to give an antique effect.

 

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-make-stained-glass.html 

http://fredruffenach.com/4.html

 

    

 

Modern Techniques:

 

  There is a basic way to make your own stained glass. First, you must obtain the necessary equipment (glass cutter, glass pliers, glass grinder, glass marker, soldering iron, work board, foil tape, flux, solder, patina). Create a simple pattern, nothing to complicate. Make two copies of the pattern and number parts of the pattern. Cut the patters out so you can use them as templates. After, trace the templates on the glass with the number using a special glass marker. Using a glass cutter, cut along the lines that you traced. There is no need to rush. The pieces must be cut perfectly. After cutting, break off the glass carefully, using your hands. If needed, have someone help you. Then, start arranging them. Make sure the pieces don’t shift around. At first, the shapes might not fit perfectly. So you might have to grind some parts down. Now use the foil tape to tape the around the edges of the glass. Use you fingers to smooth out the tape. Apply a layer of flux over the glass. Use the solder and soldering iron to melt the glass together.  It is recommended to clean the glass with glass cleaner. If you wish to give it a antique look, then apply patina.

 

Hazards of Stained Glass Manufacturing:

 

 

   The lead cames and solders used in stained glass poses a hazard if the lead dust is swallowed or inhaled.  Lead fumes or dust in any amount is a health hazard.  When the solder is melted, lead fumes are produced, more so when using very high temperatures.  Wetting the item down before taking them apart or cutting with a sharp knife or tin snips decreases the spreading of the lead dust. The plaster and fillings around the glass may also absorb lead as years pass creating a hazard. Caution must also be used even in handling old stained glass windows.  Over time, lead cames oxidize, creating a white powder coating.  This powder can be inhaled and sticks to hands, clothes and tools.

  

   Whether you are restoring a piece or creating a new stained glass piece, certain precautions must be taken.  Workrooms should be adequately ventilated but contained and be able to be easily cleaned.  Carpet is not recommended.  When working with stained glass, wear protective clothing, eye protection and use an air-purifying respirator or a half-face particulate.  It must meet the Australian Standard 1716 and should be fitted with a P1 (dust) or P2 (dust and fumes) filter- both of which capture small particles of lead.  Wash the clothes you wear separately and shower and wash your hair soon after finishing work.

 

   When cleaning the workroom use wet dusting or mopping rather than dry brushing or sweeping.  Wet sponging should be used in cleaning tools and equipment.  Walls and windows should be cleaned at least once a month.  Any cleaning equipment should not be used for cleaning anywhere else.  Vacuums equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are an even better alternative to wet mopping.  Only vacuums with these filters should be used. Waste materials that contain lead, including the water from wet mopping should be disposed of according to State/Territory or local government regulations. 

 

http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/stainedglass.html

 

 

Summary:

 

 

Credits:

Megan's links:

http://www.palos118.org/South/curriculum/team6c/midages/stainedglass/index.htm

     A nice timeline

http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/HD/glas/hd_glas.htm 

     Stained Glass in Medieval Europe.  Also tells a little about how they made, colored and put it together. 

http://www.holdmanstudios.com/ 

     Tom Holdman

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,595100117,00.html 

     An article about Tom Holdman

http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArtHistory/StainedGlass/index.htm

     Light, Color, Glass: Patterns of Illumination

http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArtHistory/StainedGlass/history.htm

     Introductory History of Stained Glass

http://www.thestorefinder.com/glass/glass_lib_history.html

     A History of Stained Glass

http://www.thestorefinder.com/glass/glass.html 

     About Stained Glass

http://www.buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/mat/stained/stained.html

     More History.  Has a glossary of terms as well

 

 

FrontPage     Brick Manufacturing     Household Chemicals     Liquid Air     

Pottery Making    Synthetic Diamonds      

 

Journals

Megan P

Quinn W

Bernardo M

Sam C