My husband travels a lot and has time on his hands in the evenings. He wants to put together a kit he can take with him so he can make stained glass projects to compliment my woodworking projects (windows for display cases, decoration for inset mirrors, inlays for desks and entertainment centers) when he's bored. We've never worked with it, so we're starting from scratch. I know not all equipment is created equal, regardless of hobby, so how about some pointers for a beginner?
2007-04-12 16:08:11 · 5 answers · asked by SLA 5 in Games & Recreation ➔ Hobbies & Crafts
Stained glass is definitely not something I would recommend as a portable hobby, for several reasons.
First, quality stained glass tools are expensive and you run the risk of breaking or losing them, or having them stolen by carting them around with him. If he flies, there's NO WAY he's getting the tools he will need through airport security, and I wouldn't trust baggage claim not to break or damage not only the tools, but the glass and any finished pieces as well.
Second, the stuff is heavy and not easily packed.
Third, doing stained glass involves soldering, and that needs to be done in a well ventilated area on a sturdy surface that you can protect. Dripping solder can leave nasty burns on a table.
Finally, you need room to spread out and lay out your patterns ahead of time, and you want some place you can leave them where they won't be disturbed. Also, once you've soldered a piece, you'll want to have somewhere it can rest so the joints can set up properly.
Trust me, my husband has been doing this for years and this is definitely not a portable hobby. It's a very satisfying and creative one, and something that your husband would really enjoy, but it's definitely something he should do at home.
My advice would be for him to find a local shop that deals with stained glass - you can find listings for them on the internet, and go in and talk to the owner or sales staff. We have never been in a stained glass shop where the staff wasn't extremely knowledgable and friendly and very willing to give advice and assistance. Many shops either offer classes or advertise classes for local artisans, and getting into a beginner's class is the way to go.
It can be an expensive hobby and not something you can really experiment with and figure out on your own without at least a basic education from someone who knows what they're doing. It can be very confusing to figure out tools and technique on your own, and in most cases, you'll want to try out different tools like saws and grinders before buying your own. A class will allow him to see if he really likes doing it before he makes a major investment.
I would definitely consider a more portable hobby - maybe drawing or painting? You can find many great portable sketch kits or artist kits that are very packable. This may sound weird (and most men would say it's not manly), but what about knitting or crocheting? Both are very portable and rather inexpensive to get started with. So is cross stitching (I take mine with me all the time).
He could also get language tapes and learn a new language.
Origami is another very portable and lightweight hobby.
Get him these books:
http://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Hobbies-Things-Room-Arrested/dp/1592235328
2007-04-12 17:49:39 · answer #1 · answered by Silver_Stars 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know alot of good art stores will sell a stained galss paint set. They can be pricey but it's not that plasticy cheap looking kids stuff. Look around or ask an artist where a good art store is. You just paint it on really thin and it looks awsome!
2016-03-18 00:16:47 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cutting glass leaves tiny bits of glass everywhere, i dont know how well that would go over in hotels, you need to have a glass cutter and flat pliars to break the glass, you need patterns and a supply of glass, you need to have a work surface the size of the area of glass you are trying to fill, this is so you can keep your project in line, you need copper foil tape and lead came and you need flux , solder and a soldering iron. these are just the bare essentials, lots of glass artists also have a drum sander made especially for glass with the sander under a table with just the drill bit sanding bit on top of the table so they can move the glass around the sanding surface or grinder , whatever it might be termed, and you need good leather gloves for handling glass.
2007-04-12 19:28:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This site will show you a videos, to get you started.
http://art-of-stained-glass.com/1videos.html
2007-04-12 16:28:13 · answer #4 · answered by Pat C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
www.delphiglass.com
2007-04-12 16:16:00 · answer #5 · answered by visioncarejenn 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋