No. 10 of 19. How to fix you border to your stained glass garden mosaic 

It’s always difficult to photograph shiny reflective surfaces to show what they and how they’re made up. I’m glad you found the videos useful and I hope I can provide more. If you go to a local glazier they might cut these pieces for you. If you’re going to cut them yourself I would recommend that you use 3 mm mirror. You can also use clear glass, normal clear glass. This gives you a similar look but softer and it’s easier to cut. I am hoping that I can return to the USA to teach again. Sue

It can be tricky to get the amount just right. It does say in the video you only need about 1mm depth of silicone but this very hard to judge if you’re not used to it. If you use too much then pick out the silicon that squeezes up in the gaps with either a toothpick or wooden skewer. Or, at the end when it is dry, you can use a single sided sharp blade or craft knife to cut out the dry silicon where it’s oozed up in the gaps. Once you get used to using it you’ll find it much easier than the other glues. But always work small areas at a time. Sue

@@SueSmithGlassMosaics Thank you Sue. I will get another canister to use.

Not until the end, I show how in no. 19. Once you put the border in place you are affectively creating a reservoir into which you put all your stained glass pattern. This is all covered it with the grout so any sharp parts inside the reservoir will be buried. In the last video I show you how to smooth the edges to take off any sharp parts. You can also run a soft cloth over the surface of the mosaic and if it catches on any points of glass sticking up, which may be slightly thicker than its neighbour, you can just use either a very coarse piece of Emery, small grinding stone or pad to soften the point.

I always buy new mirror for my work and these days most of it is made suitable for wet rooms. However you can buy a self-adhesive film which is put on the back of the mirrors to stop them breaking into lots of pieces, it’s safely film. Sue

Thank you!

Hi Carolyn, All my work is designed for the garden not for indoors which means you then have a choice whether you hang it inside or out. You may have thought that the name ‘garden mosaic’ is because we are making a ‘garden’ but it is because my technique weather proof. It’s very rare I make anything for the indoors only. Much of that has to do with the materials which includes glues and grouts. I have two Facebook pages: Sue Smith Glass and the group one Mosaic Connections. Both of these have files for tips and tricks…. if you use Facebook. As to which silicon I use I can recommend the ones I use here in England and in America but I wouldn’t know brand names for any other countries. What you’re looking for is a crystal clear/transparent glazing silicone. You’ll find it in the DIY aisle in any hardware store. There are other glues that you can use which come under ‘grab adhesives’ but they dry quicker so you have less working time and normally I would use those for working on a clear glass base. I don’t like using a white glue that dries clear just in case it doesn’t. The ones I use are transparent to start with so you know that you will not have any problems later on. This video is based on a 76 x 10 or 12 cm wide panel of mirror which is 4 mm thick. Once you’ve added stained glass the total thickness will become 7-8 mm which is strong enough for a piece this size. I never use 2 or 3mm as a substitute, it’s too thin. If working anything over a metre, I would buy 6 mm which becomes 9-10 mm with the glass added. I have special fittings made for all my work which now, due to demand, I sell in my shop: Sue Smith Glass Mosaics. For these particular panels it is a long spike with a metal panel on the back to which the glass is glued. When using mirror you must also use a mirror safe glue for this. There are different mirror fittings on the market you can buy to hang these pieces but I wanted mine to stand in amongst the plants. You can make a similar display using a wood panel and a wooden stake. Hope that helps. Sue

@@SueSmithGlassMosaics absolutely! Thank you kindly for the help and information. I will look for your pages for more tips. I thought the mirror I have is too thin. I will check out your fittings you mentioned.

Goldman Family No, tried etching..eek! So now I have a sheet of glass done at a laser printing company. I also use them to etch memorials, names, dates, poetry etc., for commissions. Then I cut them into tiles to use in my work. Sue

This one is mirror. 4 mm thick measures 10x76cm but you can make it any size or shape you want.

I cut them all there is a video in my RU-vid showing how I do this it’s called ‘cutting thin strips.’

Susan White Do you mean use glass for the edge instead of mirror? I used to but found I prefer the mirror, it lightens and frames it clearly. I also have edged them with glass nuggets. Sue

Sue, I meant more like standing a piece of glass on the sides not the front. I could see where it would be really tricky to get it just the right height before putting the front piece on. I will just have to try it. Thank you.

You could not use silicone to do this. You would need more of a construction glue and the cut/break would need to be perfect to get a secure watertight bond.

Sue Smith Glass Mosaics, thank you.

I have fittings made for most of my work but it depends on how and where you want to display it.

Sorry….hadn’t finished that answer…. If you glue anything to the back of mirror you must use a mirror glue. If I hang on a wall I use a set of clips which drill into the wall. If free standing I glue a specially made stand onto the back. For small items you can glue a ‘D’ Ring on the back, using the correct glue.

@@SueSmithGlassMosaics thank you so much.