How our stained glass suncatchers and jewelry boxes are made.
You will find close-up photos of the process of making the stained glass pieces below these larger pictures. We have been working in Port au Prince, Haiti for approximately 30 years, employing many worderful Haitian artists.
We work in an outdoor environment, under a roof, but open to the fresh air and trees. A nice breeze is always present, making for very comfortable working conditions.
To begin the making of a stained glass piece, the original pattern is drawn on paper. Templates are made of each piece. The correct color of glass is cut according to the shape of the template.
Each of the cut pieces of stained glass are ground on a grinder to smooth out edges of glass. This process continues until all of the pieces fit properly into the the original paper design.
Checking to see that all pieces are cut correctly. The prepared pieces are fit into place, according to the original pattern.
When it is determined that all of the pieces are cut correctly, the edges of each stained glass piece of glass is covered with a copper foil tape. This is to give a metalic surface that the solder can adhere to.
The seams between each piece are coated with a solution of flux. This helps the solder adhere to the copper foil. This is to prepare for the actual soldering of the seams.
All of the seams are covered with a flow of solder. This holds all of the pieces together. In most stained glass pieces, this is the last stage of soldering
To add more sparkle and luxury to our stained glass pieces, a second stage of soldering is done. We come back over all of the seams with a decorative solder. This sets our pieces apart from the others and gives you a piece that you are very proud to own or to give as a gift.
Finally, the chain is attached and a glass polish is applied to give a beautiful shine to the stained glass design. Enjoy!
