Here's a few tricks we've learned along the way that make things easier ...

Foiling glass nuggets (and marbles, rocks, small jewels ...)
We all know that foiling small round things can be annoying.  The glass is small, your fingers are big, and foiling can be quite a chore.  Here's a couple tips that can make this process easier:
 
Some nuggets may have an oily coating on the surface either from manufacturing or from handling before you bring them home.  If you find that the foil won't stick to the glass you can clean the nugget with some rubbing alcohol.  Also, quickly grinding the edge of the nugget will give the foil rough surface to adhere to.

Once you have your foil wrapped around the nugget, loosly mash in the edges of the foil to the top and bottom of the nugget.  Toss the nugget (with a few others for best results) in a small plastic container (approximately 1/2 to 1 cup volume) with a lid.  Put the lid on and shake shake shake the night away!  After shaking the nuggests for about 10 seconds, the foil is nicely burnished all around the nugget.  No more burnishing by hand!

Here's another fun idea!  If you have little ones at home, letting them shake the nuggets is a great way to let them be safely involved in your stained glass addiction ... er ... hobby.

• Use a Mitre box to cut your frame.  Cut the corners at a 45 degree angle, not a 90 degree angle, for a professional looking frame.
• Masking tape is your best friend!  Use masking tape to tape off the corners of the frame before you flux and solder.  By using masking tape, you can keep your solder contained and shape it instead of having an unruly blobs of solder on your frame.  You can also use masking tape where your solder lines meet the frame.  By placing masking tape on the face of the frame, you can keep your solder confined to the inside lip of the frame.
• Keep it on the hook!  When you're attaching hooks or rings for hanging, be sure to put enough solder on top of your hook where it's attached to the frame.  If you don't use enough solder, the hook will come off in a matter of weeks or months.  Also, be sure to use a hook strong enough to support the weight of your panel.  If you're making your own hooks using wire, use a heavy gauge wire (no smaller than 16 gauge) to ensure strength over the years.
• Shine shine shine!  After you've cleaned your panel with a flux remover and let it dry, use a metal polisher, such as Nevr-Dull, to buff out finger prints, stray patina, or other marks or discoloration.  Using a product like this will also bring a beautiful shine to your frame.

Bronze and Copper Patinas
Bronze and copper patinas can be fussy.  Here's a couple things we've learned can make the patina look great:

First, the sooner you apply the patina after you've finished soldering the better.  Before you apply, be sure to thoroughly clean off all the flux and dry the piece completely.

For copper patina, wax the piece before you apply the patina.

For bronze patina, work with the patina as little as possible.  The more you work with the bronze patina, the more coppery the finish becomes.

Broken Glass
Loctite Clear Glass Adhesive works well for gluing together clear and light colored glass.  If applied properly, the break can completely disappear!  This can be used for glass trinkets, broken wine glass stems and a ton of different things.  Apply a thin coat of adhesive to the broken surface, then put the piece together.  This glue uses UV light to set up, so it's best to use it on a very sunny day, and take the piece outside and expose it to direct sunlight.  Depending on the amount of UV it is exposed to, it may take between 30 seconds and 5 minutes to set up.  Our experience has been that on a sufficiently sunny day, the glue sets in less than 1 minute.
Loctite adhesive should not replace a proper repair when it comes to repairing and replacing broken glass in a stained glass window.

Keeping Marker on Glass While Grinding
If you have to mark your glass with a marker before grinding for cutting in on a saw, it's frustrating to lose that mark!  We've found that if you use a Sharpie (or other permanent marker), and then put a thin coat of Chap Stick over the marker the water doesn't wash away the mark!

Why We Love Duct Tape
It's the only way to pull up a panel lamp!  Forget using any other type of tape.
Here's what you do, put the panels on your work surface inside facing up.  Duct tape the panels together.  Now you can pull up the panels into the final shape.  Sloppy solder the panels together, wire reinforce the top and bottom and you're ready to do your final solder job and add the vase cap.  Duct tape is the only way to go for panel lamps!

What's your burning question?  Email us with your questions and we'll be glad to help where we can!