_Next PageEvery so often I get a question "Mike, what am I supposed to look for when buying stained glass"? Well, that's a toughie, the list can be quite huge. I've mentioned some pointers on various pages; but I'll re-list them, with a lot more detail. This page is written for the glass idiots... don't take that the wrong way...I mean that in the nice way. I'll try to make you more glass savvy.
I'll try to be as complete as possible (you know I usually succeed in that). I can only write about projects with foil, since I don't enough about lead to give an accurate description. Besides lead is bad for you.
Today we'll be discussing panels, boxes, kaleidoscopes, and suncatchers. Lamps won't be mentioned either, since i don't make enough lamps to be considered and "expert".
Most of what's covered in panels (or windows, or whatever you want to call them), applies to the other items below. There are different things to look for in a window. Most of the things I mention, can only be seen in person. This means if you buy stuff from E-Bay you may not be able to see any problems, that I've listed.
The first thing you want to ask yourself is: "Do I want this ugly thing in my house???" This is an important question to ask, stained glass can be custom made to your specifications. You don't have to buy pre-made things to fit into your home or lifestyle. However for those of you that are picky about color, don't expect to find your exact colors in the glass store. You might get lucky to find your color, but glass comes in too many variations. Stained glass art should stick out in your home, it's supposed to catch the eye. Also, keep in mind, that just because it's stained glass, it doesn't mean it has to be beautiful. There some really crummy glass designs, make sure you get the one that you want. After all there are other glass fish in the sea. Chances are you'll find something you'll like, don't settle on something ugly.
Quality is the next issue. You don't want junk. The first thing to look for is the quality of the solder lines. The solder lines are the "strips" of metal that lay between the glass pieces. Those "strips" of metal are what hold the glass pieces together. For the glass for dummies a quick description - glass is cut, then it's foiled with very thin copper foil, the solder goes on top that. The initial step in soldering is called flat soldering. Basically the seams are fluxed and filled in with solder. This allows the glass to be joined. At this stage the window is essentially done. But it's rather ugly. I flat solder the back, since no one really see's that (if it were a divider it should be finished on both sides).
To finish it, a bead of solder needs to be applied over the flat solder. Every stained glass artist strives for the perfect bead. It's like striving for the perfect state of Zen. A good bead should be round. Like a worm - rounded and shiny. The joints should flow together evenly. A professional window should have most of the beads round and smooth. The joints (where the lines converge) should look nice as well. Not every window is perfect, and not every bead is perfect, in every window you might find small ripples. They look kind of like faint pond ripples. It usually occurs near joints, as the solder cools the iron may bounce a little, causing those rings. The melted solder overlaps the cool solder a few times. If it occurs a lot, it's not a big problem, but it may be a sign of sloppiness. Though don't confuse this with decorative soldering (description towards the bottom).
What things do you not what to see in soldered seam? By the way all these things shouldn't effect the strength of the window just the looks. You definitely don't want to see drip through's. A drip through occurs when there is too much heat applied in one area, or if there is a gap between pieces, or the iron itself is too hot. Basically it looks like this: where there would normally be a bead of solder, looks more like a valley. Sometimes the back will have a corresponding drip. This is a lack of details problem. Sometimes it happens, and they may not notice, though if it was patinaed, it should have been seen and fixed.
You don't want to see anything spiky, or anything sharp. Even decorative soldering, shouldn't ever be sharp to the touch. A spike can occur if the solder was too cool to work with, or if there wasn't enough flux used. The solder will peak like an ice cream sundae....Mmmmm ice cream sundae...gurgle... and...Um... You don't want that. These things should have been fixed when the artist was polishing it, either the towel or the persons hand would have caught on it.
Look for a messy bead. As I mentioned, a smooth bead, is even and round. A bad bead (usually from a lack of experience), will often be lumpy, uneven, or missing in spots. If you look at it's reflection you'll see a pasty look to it. It has the appearance of metallic snot.... Like a Borg sneezed or something. Now that should paint an interesting picture... But how else do you explain a look? The over all appearance will be lumpy. This often happens when not enough flux was used, the iron was moving to fast or slow, a cheap solder was used, or they went over it too many times with the iron. Other bead problems happen when they put too much solder on a joint that is too narrow. I even do this at times. I'm used to a bead being a particular height (usually it's about as high as it is wide). But a very narrow joint doesn't allow for a lot of solder. And it's real easy to over do the solder. Not a biggie, but it's still for looks.
Splatter. Doesn't take too much to describe this. It looks like a metal egg splat... Better then the snot example...eh? Only invert the egg. Usually it will look like little balls of solder coming off the joint, as if an ant walked across a land mine. The center will have some drip through. If this is on the panel, especially if it's often, don't buy from this person. This should have been fixed. Trust me, the artist knew about it. You see, this happens when there is too much flux trapped under the solder. The soldering iron is usually, at least 800 degrees fahrenheit, the flux boils. When it boils, it turns into steam, the solder is in the way - and it turns into a tiny volcano. Boiling hot solder on your new sweater and face. It hurts, and it makes a popping sizzling sound. It's quite hard to miss. If it's not fixed, it means they were that lazy or really stupid, or both. It's like dropping the roast beast on the floor, and just leaving it there.
And lastly, overall appearance. Are there any balls of solder still on the glass? This is just general clean up that should have been done. A window shouldn't have more then 2 or 3 balls of solder left on it (really small ones). If there all over the window (especially the front), it may mean they missed other things. Such as small cracks in the glass caused by too much heat. Or left over flux and patina residue (which if left on will oxidize your solder lines very quickly).
The foil isn't really your concern. The glass artisan chooses the best foil type and size to use. For you however, you want to look at the quality of the foiling itself. Copper foil, is basically a very, very thin copper sheet. Some is thinner then paper. It also comes in many widths. I use 3/16" (it's width), a professional shouldn't use anything more narrow then this. 3/16" covers most glass edges. Glass comes in different thicknesses as well. The foil has to overlap the glass edges, and the solder goes over this. If the foil isn't wide enough the project is going to fall apart. Most good solder lines are a little larger then an 1/8". If it's narrow 3/32" or so, the foil can't do it's job and pieces may lift out. If the foils is too wide, the panel will be much heavier then it should be, the lines will be more unattractive. Thicker lines won't make it any stronger (depending on whit i mean by thick lines) - This would be difficult to see when a project is done, but a wide seam can mean one of two things: the foil is simply wide there, maybe a stem of a flower. Or the glass is not cut very well there. A project using wider foil, will make the panel stronger. More metal mass allows for a stronger frame. But using narrow foil on wide gaps, will actually weaken the project. there is a lot of bulk between the foil, but not enough flange to allow the glass to hang on.
The foil should be stuck down. If you can see the edges of the foil(like on a suncatcher), rub your finger lightly over the edge. As if your gently wiping off a smudge. The foil should hang on. If the foil is too narrow it may lift. This doesn't necessarily mean the rest of it will fall apart later on, but it might. Sometimes the edge simply lifts off because it wasn't stuck on right. This happens to even the best of foilers... ME?? Never....
If you haven't figured out by now, the glass is really the most important thing. First of all make sure it's actually glass. There is no one true way to confirm that it is glass. The thump test doesn't work. (Where you gently smack the edge with your finger as if testing a melon for freshness). The only time this will work is if your checking for crystal or bone china (both should ring when flicked), and break when thrown. Glass is smooth on one side, most of the time. The back usually is rough, rub your nail across the surfaces. Plastic is smooth on both sides, and if it's soft enough, your nail may actually dig in. If the artist claims this as glass, don't buy it, he's lying to you. Glass sparkles in sunlight. Paint can never achieve this with perfect results, nor can plastic. It should catch the light and sparkle or have a good solid glow. The color should go all the way through to the other side (except in the cases of flash glass where it's mostly clear with a thin coating of color on one side).
Hopefully, by now, you know it's glass. But look at it further. Do the colors look right to you? Is the sky green? Pink? Half and half? Are the rocks green? The tree's purple? Getting the idea? It's not that the colors are wrong or anything, but they may look right, to you. The sky can be any color, a sunset is a good example. The artist may want to represent his or her work with those ridiculous colors, because they think it looks good, but who am I to judge? --- (say that part with your best Bubbe yiddish accent.)
A professional artist (not crafts person), should have a good color sense. The colors should be balanced, and there shouldn't be any one distinct place where your eyes go; it shouldn't be distracting. A professional glass artist, is more of an artist then other artists (such as painters). A painter can make up any kind of paint color they want, and place them where ever they want to. A glass artist has to use what's currently available. The artist never knows what quite to expect when they open the box of glass or goes to the store. When building a nature window, like the one's Tiffany made, it should show depth and shadow. A special type of glass is used, it's called Art glass. Art glass has special characteristics built into it. It's more expensive then normal (basic), glass. Art glass has built in shadows, highlights, and moods. The shadows are seen in the dark parts of the glass, highlights are seen in the sharp lighter parts of the glass. It takes a true artist to "see" the rock in the glass. A rock, for example, would be shadowed on one side, and have a highlight on the other. To give it a more "real" look, green is added to simulate moss. A realistic window can be very expensive, it's due to all the time it takes for that kind of planning. The artist needs to see every highlight and shadow, and see them in the right places. The location of the sun needs to be known for proper lighting and shadow placement. This can be difficult to see in the 2-D world. The artist needs to imagine that they are actually standing in the scene, and can see all the nuances. Then place the corresponding shadows in the right places. Placing the highlights in the right areas defines the object giving it depth and shape. So if your buying a window that's already made, look for those things. It can be tricky, but if the shadows aren't going in the right direction, it will always bother you. You'll look at it each day and think, "something just ain't right about this window".
Glass selection is very important for a stained glass window. But grain selection also plays a role. The sky shouldn't be running in all different directions. for example, it can run diagonally if they want it to look like it's raining. If I choose an opalescent glass, I'll usually run it in a horizontal position. If they choose a direction they should stick with it, and not change it. It's unprofessional to have it mixed up, unless that's their original intention. If your going to have a custom window made, (hopefully), they'll ask you what colors you want. After picking them, see what grain direction you would prefer. The artist may disagree, but remember, the customer isn't always right. The artist, may prefer it a different way because he or she knows it will look better in that direction. I suppose you can ask why, most likely they won't really be able to give a real good reason, they may say: "it's just because it looks better that way", trust me, it's and artist thing.
Pay attention to the condition of the glass itself. If it's something your buying at a garage sale, or a flea market, take a good look at it. Are there any cracks? Missing pieces? Are there any fractures? Some fractures are hard to see, often caused by too much heat from soldering. This will later spread the glass is flexed (picked up roughly, for example), or just spread when it's in the sun or any other sudden thermal events. In either case those pieces need to be replaced. You may find that it's not such a bargain buying stained glass at a garage sale, for those reasons. All too often, I see cracked, broken, bulging or warped windows being sold, for some fairly hefty prices. The owner thinks it's hot stuff. But in reality, your going to have to repair those windows. And it's probably going to be more expensive to fix it then to buy it new.
What kind glass used, is very important for the price they may be charging. A high price means that it's from a (hopefully) professional artist, but to get what you pay for you should get some nice glass. If it's a sign the colors will be basic. But if you order a nature type window, and charge what you would normally pay as a down payment for a house, then you deserve some awsome glass. Art glass as mentioned before, is what you want. It is expensive, for a 12x16" sheet it may be $20-$40 per sheet. If it's a large window, you'll need lot's of glass. It also takes a lot skill just to cut the glass out properly.
Occlusions - these are little things in the glass. Bubbles, strangely placed lines, thin spots, are all normal. Look out for stones. Stones a little bits of rock that falls off the brick inside the furnace. A good artist will see this and not line it up in a window, but then again it may enhance the window as well. The only main problem for you the consumer, is that it may crack at that point someday. Big scratches are not. The occasional scratch may appear, and it can be over-looked. It's usually caused by the grinder. Watch out for Baroque glass, it's not a defect just a gentle warning. This glass has the characteristic of a wavy pattern in glass. It's very pretty. A nice way to use the glass, is to have it as one piece for a background, it gives the window a nice flow. However, this is very tricky to do maybe even impossible. Why don't you want it? Well, if it ever breaks you'll never have a match for the repair. The repair will always stick out. Baroque is like a fingerprint, you'll never have the swirls in the right place ever again. It's kind of like buying that expensive car for the paint job. Only to find out later, after the accident, that the paint is impossible to match, sticks out like a sore thumb, and was really expensive.
Lest we not forget design. Design can be anything. The lines of the solder are what I value most. They should flow as smoothly as the gentle breeze, over the petals of a small white flower - grasshoppa. In other words, it should look like everything is A-Ok. What in the world am I talking about? The lines don't just divide up the space, it allows the pieces to be cut out. When glass is cut, it want's to go in one direction. You can only cut glass so deep before it wants to do it's own thing. The best example I give is this: take a graham cracker, and score it with a knife. Make a light score, just scratching the surface, with any luck you should be able to break it along that line. Now do the same thing only make a triangle, score up, stop in the middle, and go down. Now try breaking it. Where did it break? It broke straight across, and not where you wanted.
Where am I going with this? Today, diamond band saws are making it possible to do what was once impossible. People are making those impossible cuts (that triangle for instance). Just about any cut can be possible now, but in the long run this can be bad. A band saw should be only used for hard cuts, or difficult to cut out glass such as ripple, or drapery (looks like a curtain). What happens is, the panel may flex, even a little, and guess where it will crack? Right where the break line should have been in the first place.
Break lines are needed to prevent the glass from cracking in the down the road. It's one of the first rules taught to you when you learn how to design for stained glass. However break lines can really be ugly and distracting if done wrong. It takes a skilled glass artisan to place break and division lines in so you can't see them. Case in point:
BAD - The lines are anywhere. There coming out of a guys head, out of someone's finger or shooting off a petal like a ray-gun. Straight lines are placed off of clouds, leaves etc. Ultimately you can be a real stained glass doofus, and still be able to see that something is severely wrong with the project.
GOOD - The lines are so well place you didn't even know it needed anything. For starters they are more natural. They aren't straight, they're curved, and flowing. A line flows off of one curve and attaches to something nearby. Or best of all there are no lines at all. This is the best type of break point, the type I try to achieve. The idea is to place things where break lines should be, like squirrels, berries, leaves, branches, flowers, whatever. If I have to add an extra branch, or move fence post, or place a rock somewhere, I will, all for the sake of the window. It's difficult to do this, especially if the object needs to be solid, like a tree or something. The lines can also give the object more depth, a tree can have a curved line around the trunk. This can give a tree a more rounded look. Or a stone could have a line across it's surface to describe the stone's over all shape.
Once the break lines are in place, does it still look out of place? Is there a break line that looks like it should continue on the other side? Or does it come of a tree, looking strangely out of place? When I place break lines in panel, I try to continue the break lines throughout the window. Even if it isn't needed, sometimes it just needs continuity. Tiffany divided up his break lines in an interesting way, he would add extra branches if it was coming out of a tree. The break line divides off in branch like directions. It makes extra pieces, but it looks real cool.
So basically, look for the break lines, if it just shoots up anywhere, then the stained glass artist isn't yet skilled enough, and still needs to learn more. Buy it from a professional and get it right the first time.
Boxes are up to you. What design you want, size, colors, etc. But you know that already, here's a few pointers too watch out for:
Check the foil, usually the foil lifts up on the top edge of the box, mainly it's just a something to look for.
Soldering - it should be neat, nothing pointy. Some boxes have decorative soldering. Make sure all surfaces are tinned (have a uniform appearance to the rest of the project, no spots of copper foil showing).
Hinge - open and close the box a few times, does it feel good? Does it feel like it's rubbing somewhere? Or does it feel like it's crooked and binding? And if you keep doing this, does it feel like it's going to rip off? Don't get that one. When you open a box it's normal to feel a little resistance, the wire or tube may be rubbing in an odd way; a tiny bit of oil could fix this. As you open the box pay attention to the gap at the back of the box - is it even? If it's crooked, it means that the hinges where put on at different heights, and the hinges could be binding. The hinges may fail over time, if this isn't fixed; or they may simply be torn from the box. The artist should have checked or felt this. Look at the back of the box, right where the hinge is, make sure it looks solid. Sometimes the hinge pulls away and can later break off, look for gaps where the hinge meets the box.
The chain should also be examined. Does the box have any kind of stopping device at all? A box should have something to prevent the lid from over-opening. If the lid opens too much it could be torn off, kind of like box whiplash. The lid should have some kind of stop on it, whether it's a piece of filigree (stamped brass in a shape - usually an animal) attached to the outside, or a chain (within the box). If it has chain, see if it's the right length, open the box and let it fall open (gently), in your hand. It shouldn't feel like it's falling open, this can be stressful on the chain. And it shouldn't stop at a height that can suddenly let the lid fall suddenly, this can be stressful on your fingers. Check for a good solder connection, the solder ball shouldn't be too large (ugly), and it should look like it's attached to at least 2 points on the box. If there is a seam avail abe, the chain should be attached there. Otherwise the corners of the box will have to do.
Glass selection is important, if they choose a clear glass like clear glue chip, you may be able to see thorough the glass and see the end one of the box sides. There are several ways to join a box together, the one I use is the overlapping method. Where the joint has a bead in the front and the back. I like this method because it means that the hinge has something to hold onto. But if they use a clear glass, you can see the end of the side piece, which looks unprofessional. The other method, is the corner to corner method, where the inside corners touch and are soldered, it uses more solder, and has fatter lines, but you don't have to worry about seeing through the corners. This method is often used for candle sconces, since you want a uniform appearance on all sides. There's a third newer method: the miter method. The glass is angled with a flat diamond coated disc. The angled glass is joined together with hardly any solder line showing. This looks good if you have a lift off lid. But this joint does not work with a hinge, there just isn't enough solder to attach the hinge too.
If it has mirror base, look for scratches on the bottom of the mirror. Even worse, the dreaded black spots of Zinos. The mirror needs to be replaced if it get's these spots. The spots, are caused by an acid (usually the flux), eating the silver (which makes the mirror reflect). Flux can enter the little scratches, most likely, it enters in from the side, usually from a ground edge. Zinosians prevent the spots by using a mirror spray (pretty much clear polyurethane). But sometimes that doesn't help, it comes if it wants, or doesn't come at all. They do make a mirror flux, but it doesn't solder very well. The other cause of the dark spots, may be from the glass cleaner used, it should say on the bottle that it's safe for mirror.
If mirror is used the base should have felt on the bottom, flocked, or fuzzied over in some way. For my regular boxes I use felt or cork dots. I try to avoid using mirror, mainly due to the spots. --Just be for warned, this mirror disease may develop if you choose to have mirror-- Besides, there is no real point in a having mirror bottom, all the junk you keep in the box will hide it anyway.
The box itself should be square (providing that's it's shape in the first place). Mainly your checking if the sides are at odd angles, if the sides are different heights, or if there are uneven gaps in the soldering (the width changes here and there). But most importantly the lid should line up with the box, even if the sides aren't perfectly straight.
Watch out for filigree feet, they can scratch the hell out of your furniture, especially the lion feet. Ball feet are a little better. Solder feet are ugly. But if it's a display box and it's going to be on a glass shelf, any feet should be fine.
There are many kinds of boxes available. If you find one with a tray, make sure you can actually use it. Remove it, place it back in. Make sure the chain doesn't get in the way. Look how the tray sits, does it simply sit on the bottom? Or does it rest on it's own guides? When I make a box I use guides, it allows for the maximum room on the bottom. If you get one with a drawer, try it out. Does it pull out easily? Or does it catch somewhere. Usually if it catches, it means that the foil is slowly peeling off, not good. I will often scrape off the foil on the bottom of the drawer and drawer chamber with a razor blade. It mainly allows for a smoother glide. Lastly is dividers. Some are permanent other's are removable. The removable type is harder to build, and therefore will usually be more expensive.
If you don't know what these are - let me explain. A kaleidoscope is a hard word to spell, and a mouthful to say, you may hear this word spelled wrong by kids in spelling bee's. You'll often see these things at gift shops, they'll average at around $100. Most are more, a lot more. Most appear as a triangular tube, when looking through one end you'll see multiple images of the object on the other end. Kaleidoscope collectors are always on the look out for a new catch to add to their collection.
Kaleidoscopes are made up of several parts depending on the type you choose. The main parts are: the mirror chamber, the outer tube, the eye pieces, and the image chamber. Here's a break down:
The Mirror Chamber:
Front Surface Mirror:
This is the heart of a kaleidoscope, it's what makes the images what they are. If there wasn't any mirror, you might as well use a tube from your toilet paper, it would be the same thing. The type of mirror used is very, very, important. The proper mirror is called front surfaced mirror, or aluminized mirror. This is a special type of mirror, it's hard to cut, difficult to use, much more delicate, and a lot more expensive then normal mirror. The mirror has a coating of very shiny metal (usually aluminium) on the top surface of the glass. This allows for perfect clarity of the image. An amateur will use normal mirror, even if it's thin, it doesn't look as good.
Front surface mirror allows the image to repeat once, bounce with near perfect clarity and bounce again and again and again. Normal mirror does the same thing, only it also reflects an image of itself (due to the depth of the mirror). And clear glass (mirror use clear glass), tend to look blue or green, looking from the edge on. When you look down the barrel of the scope, you'll be looking at a very steep angle through the glass. If normal mirror is used you will see a blurry image and due to the color variation of the clear glass, it may degrade from the color in the scope.. The triangle will look clear, the rest will degrade the further out it goes. A good scope uses front surface mirror; the image will appear clear all over. You shouldn't be able to distinguish the original from the copies.
Mirror Shapes:
The angle, amount of mirrors, length, etc., will determine the pattern you see. I can't give you all the shapes that can be made will the angles used, I'd like to know that myself. Square makes the worst shape. It looks like a grid, it's pretty, but it didn't work for me. Triangle is the most popular, each angle changes the amount of repeats that you'll see. Think of it as a pie wedge, only expanded more. Some scopes have only 2 mirrors, it creates a mandala pattern; basically a circle. A lot of scopes with a two mirror design will often have steep angles. The top will either be black (for a black background), or dichro. The dichro give a cool, almost fluorescent look to it.
There are other designs that have 5 or more mirrors. I don't know what these look like, (image wise, though). Kaleidoscope artists are always striving to get the most unique pattern in their scopes. I mentioned earlier that 4 sided scopes don't make good images. This isn't totally true, there's a kit out there, that makes a trapezoid shaped scope. The mirrors angle downward (in a cone like fashion). The effect is really neat. Instead of getting a round image, you get a spherical image; each copy is slightly tilted when it's copied, and the corner images are naturally blended due to the angle there set at. These scopes are usually referenced as a planet scope, because the image is a geodesic ball shape.
The Image Chamber:
The Wheel:
By far the most popular. You'll see it on almost every scope you find. The wheel should be firm on the axle, and spin freely. It should have mostly transparent colors. It can contain jewels, or pressed flowers. Often wheels are installed in set's of two. Three generally aren't used, mainly it's too hard to spin all of them, a sixth finger would come in handy here. With one wheel, you'll get the same image over and over, it's fun, but get's boring pretty fast. With two wheels you'll get a multitude of images, which takes a lot longer to see all the image possibilities. If the wheel has gems or dichro mixed in, the possibilities are endless. Most wheels are cut out like little suncatchers, other's are fused, no one type is better then the other. Each have there own distinct look, collect them all!
Wheels are generally mounted on the front of the scope, some remove and can be exchanged for others. Another type mounts on the top of the scope, these scopes always look like helicopters. There's an angled mirror at the back and the light comes through the top. It comes in a kit, and it always looks like a helicopter.
The Marble:
Marble scopes are the next most popular. There very easy to make. You'll often find these in a kit form as well. All the marble scopes I've seen are triangular in shape. Some are round and stubby (meant as a necklace), but the mirrors are still triangular. Marble scopes are limited to the marble you shove in the end. Usually the holder is wire of some kind (I use an opened and tinned key ring). Marble scopes are the only scopes that doesn't have an end piece that covers and protects the mirrors. The marble sit's in this recess. Most kit's have an oak base and a few cheapy marbles to choose from. The better scopes have hand made marbles....it's more unique. Most marbles average about 3/4" - It's the master marble found in a marble pack (other possible names - the mega marble, the super marble, Mr. Marble, or the Awsome Colossus marble). Some can range in excess of 2" (heavy).
The Pocket Chamber:
The pocket chamber is just that, a hollow recess to allow your colorful junk to roam freely. Most pockets are made from two clock bezels (a rounded shallow bowl like piece of glass with a hole drilled in the center). These pieces are foiled together after half of it is filled with colorful bits of things. This is in the form of a wheel when completed.
Another type is a one piece scope with nothing sticking out. The mirror chamber is made shorter then the whole of the body. Then a pocket is formed in the front of it. Not as many items can be placed inside though. It's looks most like the cheap pieces of junk your parents bought you from a toy store, when you were a kid. -- I took mine apart.... Along with the Etch-A-Sketch ...What a mess...
Yet another type can be found. It's related to the 2 mirror design and has the dichro top. It's sold as a kit, the top is about a 1/2" to 3/4" wide. The inside has small beads or the like in it, the objects rest against the mirror. The effect from the dichro is nice, the objects sit right on the mirror (probably scratching it); the pattern is fairly vague.
The Oil Filled Chamber:
These are the coolest of all. The pattern is always changing, it's never the same every time, the image you see will always be unique. Most are sold in kits, They consist of the usual mirrors, but also contain a oil filled wand, sometimes two. The wands are about 8-12" long, about a 1/2" wide. They can slide in a hole (a few rubber washers keeps it snug). Inside the wand, is usually colored oil, glitter, and other things that sparkle. Wand type scopes usually only have one wand in them. Some of the newer scopes have two. The most popular place you'll see these scopes are in the planet scopes with the tapering mirrors.
People have made their own oil chambers. I have no idea how there made, but I'd love to know. As far as I know, either mineral oil, or glycerin is used (no not nitro). I'm still not sure how it's sealed. In any case, it has the best effect of the choices available, the artist can put what you want in it. I've seen hand blown things, gems, glass scraps, etc, slowly floating around in the liquid. These give the best effect of all.
Jewels:
Jewels can be used on the end instead of a wheel. The world is your viewing chamber. A similar design is having nothing at all on the end; simply look at anything. The nice thing about a jewel, is that it divides up the image in many pieces before scattering it further when it hit's the mirrors. You would need to look at colorful things to get the maximum enjoyment from it; bring it to a flower garden or a buffet.
Dangling pendants are another method. Usually they are tear drop Swarovski gem that dangles and spins in the front. It is a simple design, and looks elegant on the outside. But from what I heard, the viewer see's the light spectrum (rainbows) reflected within the scope, due to the crystal's prismatic effect. These are best used in sunlight.
Other types:
I've seen barrel scopes. Where there is a barrel that's rotated instead of a wheel, just another idea that's out there.
Wheels that are a part of the base. You'll see these in hoity-toity art/gift shops. The scope is set up like a microscope, and is pointed at a turn table. Objects can be placed on this table, or you can let the wheel spin and let the enjoyment begin. This spinning of the wheel is often accompanied by annoying music, being that it's a music box. In order to see the wheel spin, the music has to be heard, which means once on, you have to tip-toe away, so not too many people saw you touching that thing on the table.
Other's are set up to look like a telescope. Tall tripod, polished brass outside. Usually it's a basic scope with a fancy skin.
Binocular type: Some even have two sets of mirrors to give a stereo effect.
The Outer Tube:
Plain Glass:
Plain glass can be anything at all. It needs to be a solid color, otherwise you will see the tape holding the mirror together. Some are solid glass, other's are fancier and may have a pattern in the side. Still other's form a design as a whole for a theme, such as a dragon.
Glass rods are used in the Laser Scopes, also a kit. Most museum gift shops will have these. At first glance they look like a real original design. The only thing original about these is the possibility of a design in the foiling on each rod. A Laser Scope consists of 1/4" glass stirring rods. The ends have been fire polished. Each rod is about 8" long. The mirror is covered in a iridescent paper, so it has a rainbow charm to it when looking through the rods. Each rod is foiled about 1/4" from the end. The creator (notice I didn't say artist), could then arrange the sections of foil to form a pattern. Like an ASCII drawing, or space invader graphics. If you see these scopes, there isn't anything wrong with them. However if the "artist" claims that these are all original designs then he/she is a big fat liar and he/she should be ashamed of himself/herself - I can be PC if I wanted to....
Small metal tubes are used in kits. Most are spiraled. It has a clean shiny look, the scope is light, and some are small enough to put around your neck.
What to look for:
The mirror is very sensitive to dirt. A good scope will be clean on the inside. The mirror shouldn't have any gaps. A brief description about the mirror; it doesn't come in large sheets. It is very thin, about 1/32" of an inch. The shiny side has a blue film on it. The aluminum is very touchy. Every finger print, and spec of dirt shows up on this stuff. The glass is scored on the other side, and pieces are very carefully broken out. These mirror strips are taped together, but you can't tape them together (completely), until the film is removed. The glass is thin, and can bend and possibly break, and the film is difficult to remove. Scopes are expensive, this is one of the reasons.
The scope needs to have a high tolerance of accuracy. When I make mine, it has less then a 1/16" all the way around (triangle mirror tube, to triangle outer body). It needs to be very snug, since there isn't anything else holding the tube in place, it shouldn't ever rattle. The mirror is held together usually with electrical tape. Electrical tape is used because it's stretchy, and it allows for some stretch when the mirror sides go together. The tape also adds a little bit of friction to keep it from sliding around.
Every scope should be covered on both ends with a piece of clear glass (with the exception of marble scopes). This prevents the dirt from entering the mirror tube. I've seen some poor designs using a lamp cap (the brass thingy on top of a lamp where it attaches to the base). It provides a peep hole to look through, but also provides a dirt entry point - not to mention moisture.
Moisture is a big problem in scopes. Once moisture get's in, it's not coming out. If there is a film on the inside, kind of like a greasy spot - it's not going to come out. It's most likely flux, there's no way to clean it, once it's soldered together. Flux needs to be applied sparingly, using a Q-Tip and very little solder. Solder drip through can be a problem too. NEVER, EVER submerse the scope in water, or let it run under water. It will fill up with water, and it's not going to drain. To clean it spray a glass cleaner on a rag, and clean it with that.
Other useful things to look out for: Is it too heavy for you? Is the soldering neat? Does the decorative soldering make it uncomfortable to hold, making it too heavy, or sharp? Here's an odd one, does it leave a bad smell in your hand? I made one with a particular type of patina, and it leaves an odd odor behind.
Suncatchers are like tiny panels, the same rules apply. You still have to watch for the break lines. Only this time you have to look at them more closely. In a panel, a break line could mean that the glass can break a on any line where there should have been a break in the first place. A suncatcher, the piece will simply fall or bend off. Or the whole thing will flop around like a defrosted waffle. It's hard to describe exactly what happens. But basically it will bend if there's a long straight uninterrupted line. Solder lines should be wavy; curved lines are stronger. If there's a bird on a branch, the branch may be weak. It will be stronger if the branch is an overlay, or if there's a support wire to keep it together.
I'm not an authority on jewelry. Basically it should be light weight and of course look good, to you. Lead free solder is available, it's made up of: tin, silver, and copper. A pin may say it's lead free, but unless the artist used an iron that never touched lead solder. And a flux brush that never touched regular solder, there's no absolute guarantee that it's 100% lead free. But it's small, and unless you put it in your mouth and suck on it, you should be safe. A clear coat on the back may help reduce lead. But if your overly cautious, get fused jewelry. Formed in a kiln, completely safe, and if you want, you can stick that in your mouth.
Decorative soldering is any kind of soldering that produces a design. Commonly it's found on kaleidoscopes and boxes. It can consist of carefully arranged solder droplets. The most common is the ball method, where a line of balls are placed upon the seam (like marching ants). Other methods are done by tapping the solder bead making a hammered effect. Or parts of the seam may be missing, as long as it's in intervals it's ok. My favorite is to apply hot solder on the seam and squish it with a wet sponge. It produces a mashed bug like surface, (it looks better then it sounds and it tastes worst then it looks).
Back to Tips and Observations Index
Home | About Me | Aliens | Foil | Miscellaneous | Shop | Projects | Shopping List | Links | Awards
Started on 2-20-2000