Framing stained glass pieces with Lead Came 

Thank you Jared, I’m glad it was helpful

Thanks, Hope you got your piece framed successfully framed

Ahhhh yes....Antiques can be a real beast. If the came is super tiny, like hobby came, try putting a tiny bevel on your glass by holding it at a severe angle, do a small grind all around, flip and do the same on the other side. Sometimes just taking off a bit and making the edge more tapered will facilitate holding the came on the edge.

I’m glad it was helpful

Thank you Nancy, Good point. We use just a conventional stretcher clamp and expect the lead to stretch somewhere around 6".

All irons are calibrated differently.....as well, the body of lead cames are quite different sooooo, all that means is that you have to experiment with some sacrificial pieces of lead to get the right temp. We start by turning the iron down a notch and then adjust to a temp where solder flows nicely but the iron can be right down on the lead material without burning through. Hope this helps

I’m glad it was helpful! We use nokorode paste flux and victory white metal 60/40 when doing lead work.

The brand of flux is called nokorode and it is non corrosive (you do want to wipe it off after soldering though as it can stain the lead. Im glad youve found the videos helpful. Thank you for tuning in!!

No need to solder the edge in fact preferable not too as it makes for an easier fit for the came to snap on an unadulterated edge!!

We buy wholesale so i do not have a source for retail. Where do you live?

Strength is determined by design. As long as you don’t have a ton of straight lines (always becomes a hinge where the piece wants to bend) you may be ok with out edging. When hanging, make a hook with a long tail and solder it into seams that are in the top third of your piece. Be aware the seams may be in the interior of the top third of piece and not directly along the edge.

Yes, Lead came first around the edge will help to even everything out. In fact, we use an H channel instead of U channel when we need to even out an edge and it’s ultimately going into a wood frame. This does two things; one, It gives rigidity to your piece and makes it easier to handle two, it allows you to shave down the lead came in areas where it doesn’t fit perfectly into the frame because the outside part of the H is empty. Does that make sense?

Yes that makes perfect sense, thank you! When I get a frame made it should also have an H channel as well right?

@@brookedavis3028 Sorry Brooke, I commented above. Please see the explanation

You should be able to buy from your local stained glass store. I buy from company in georgia but they are only wholesale. Let me know how you make out.

@@shardsglassstudio9298 can you give me the name of the place where you buy it? For I have been looking online and also Hobby Lobby without any luck.

You could contact Ed Hoys international. They have a retail business sight as well as wholesale

The one that im using is a 5/16" u channel but typically you would see 1/4" (you wouldnt have to fight as much as i do in the video with 1/4")

I use a cheap little chop saw from Harbor Freight. Makes 0-45 degrees.

The paste flux stays "put" because its thick...big advantage. I know there was no external support on this one but there may have been flex bar soldered in between the foiled seams. Flex bar is a braided flat mesh strand that goes on end in between seams and it is extremely maliable so can be bent around all sorts of shapes curves, etc....

@@shardsglassstudio9298 Thankyou so much for all this valuable info appreciated

Typically we just use dressmaker T pins to hold the round perimeter. Use two pins per piece.

This is a u channel 5/16"

Thank you for your inquiry....Good question, to which there are several answers. In order to frame a round, oval, or anything that is not straight requires a zinc bender in order to use zinc. This is a tool (mercedes bender) that is pricey and has a learning curve to get proficient (not a bad thing). Lead came is stretched before using, bringing the metal alloy into its tensile range, which means it is fairly rigid and much of the "sag" is mitigated. With that said, still a good idea to remember that over the course of time lead will stretch. The real key is hanging your piece properly. A piece should always be hung with 2 hooks that have long tails (we twist pretinned 14 gauge wire to accomplish this) that can be solder right into two seams in the top third of your piece. Never should a piece be hung from the edge trim regardless of it being zinc or lead came. Your piece should then be hung "museum style" which just means with two chains, or whatever you are using for a hanging apparatus, straight up to two anchors. Never should a piece be hung from just one anchor as that will encourage the piece to bend regardless of what has been used (zinc or lead) for framing. Our rule of thumb is, if the piece warrants external support (rough guidelines, every 18-22") then the piece should be framed in wood, in order to properly notch into the framing. (commercial framing in aluminum or steel also allows for external support to be secured) Wowsa....sorry that was a waaaaaaay longer explanation than i intended. Hope it helps!

I also shoud have stressed that the edge treatment, zinc or lead, is to add rigidity.....NOT for hanging from

Thank you so much for your reply. Do you have a video showing what you are referring to when you say a piece should always be hung with 2 hooks that have long tails soldered right into two seams?

Thanks for this video and this reply! Saved me from hanging a teardrop shaped piece from just one hook at the top of the came.

We stretch with a stanton stretcher which is put out by Glastar. They are no longer in business but if you can find one on line or at your local stained glass supplier, BUY IT! Other than that, you can get a spring loaded lead vise (pretty much at any glass supplier and pull the lead by hand, one end in the vise and hold onto the opposite end with a pair of grozing pliers. It takes a fair amount of upper body strength and an average, depending on the lead size and profile is about a 6" stretch. If you can, stretch over a table so that once it is straight you can lie it down to keep it straight till you cut it into lengths. If you can help it don't cut it smaller before the stretch because that will take away your leverage and it will be much harder to get the "slack" out of the lead. Hope this helps

Im sorry. I do not. We buy all our came from a company in Georgia called DHD metals

We offer only private lessons now but yes, we do teach the method of lead came Please call 978 977-0460 if you would like information about private seminars or to schedule a time.

This piece is not very big….I’m going to guess that it was around 21 “. It was hung from two points, with long tailed wire that were soldered into a seam. I inform clients to hang their pieces ( when not in a wood frame) museum style (straight and from two points) This prevents pulling that can make a piece bend no matter if zinc or lead is on the edge. Hope this was helpful.

@shardsglassstudio9298 Where do I get information about this hanging style? What do you mean into the seam if it's got a frame. I really need help with this as I moving into larger pieces. TIA 🙏

@@valerieburgess6602 this technique is what you would use if you were NOT using a wood frame. The piece should always be hung from two areas that are as close to adjacent as possible in the top third of the piece

Nice ....Most of our stuff that is artificially lit is done in a full installed frame method. Meaning it is installed into an opening that can be lit, usually by bouncing light off of a white shiny background, but full disclosure, ive never done anything that is free hanging and lit artificially. Sorry not much help for your situation. Good luck with it!

Oh boy….where to start. Being in this industry I accepted early on that the ubiquitous material is lead and that I would find ways to use it responsibly for the health of myself, family, and the environment. What does that mean? Always use a lead VAPOR (not dust) barrier respirator. Never solder around children or pets…and recycle scrap lead with a metal scrap yard. Lead IS a hazardous material (as you point out) and should never be discarded in the trash. If your goal is a stained glass without lead ( solder or came) give mosaics or dalles de verre a go. They are beautiful.

@@shardsglassstudio9298 Hi, I’m just..really admiring the physics of glass (or just thin glass?) and the limits of the curves that can be made :) I’ve once wanted to make one of those rectangular infinity tealight boxes. Didn’t require much more than thin window glass, some transparent foil and a tough silicone sealant. - that’s pretty much it

Thank you for the comment and suggestion. Yes definitely to washing hands copiously! As you might be able to tell from looking at my hands, they are quite a mess (dry,dry,dry) from so much soap and water....We never wear gloves (Ive tried and get my fingers caught constantly). When soldering its a bad idea to wear gloves, in my opinion. If you drop a blob of hot solder on your hand without gloves, it rolls off and causes nothing more than maybe a small blemish, but if you have gloves on, hot solder can get trapped and cause a much worse burn.