How to Do Stained Glass - Glass Cutting 105: Cutting Glass with Patterns

You can cut a piece of glass to shape in several ways. Before you pick up the glass cutter for a piece of glass to shape the first time, you should familiarize yourself with these different methods. You might like to try all of them to find the one that suits you best. I have used them all at one time or another.

If the glass is transparent, you may put the piece of glass onto the pattern and follow the line of the pattern with your glass cutter.

You may cut a copy of the paper pattern into pieces to use as stencils. You may then hold the pattern piece on the glass and cut around it with your glass cutter. (You must make an extra copy of your pattern so your original will be left intact.)

After cutting out the paper pattern, you may trace it onto the glass with a glass marking crayon. Or you may place the pattern under the glass and, looking through, trace the pattern lines onto it. In either event, you can then score the glass along the crayon mark.

When you progress into more intricate work, you will need to make allowance for the lead came or copper foil which is used in assembling the glass, and you will need to cut the glass smaller by this amount. In these instances, the paper pattern will need to be trimmed to make this allowance. Special tools are available to do this. A double-bladed pattern shear is the usual choice of the professional. This tool removes a 1/16" fillet of paper when used to cut a pattern into stencils.

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This version of the double bladed stencil shears removes a strip of paper approximately 1/32" wide from the pattern, which is all the allowance that is needed when cutting stencils for copper foil work. Stainless steel blades. Imported.

From Inland. Cutting your pattern apart with lead or foil shears removes just the right amount of pattern to allow for copper foil or lead. Projects fit together properly without "growing". Precision ground stainless steel blades.

Be a Schablonenscherenmeister! This tool removes 1.75mm of paper between the blades to allow for the lead came. Used by studios since early times, they are almost indispensable for any intricate pattern work. 8" long. Imported.