Glass Staining: Is This a Good Hobby for You?
Some think of glass staining as a really fun hobby. There are actually a few different techniques for staining glass. In the past they had only very small panes of glass available. Because of this a lot of the earlier work looked like you were looking through a kaleidoscope. When they began to use larger sheets this spacial affect was lost. To cut out the design the glass worker would trace the shape of a picture onto the glass using a fine line of liquid. Once this was complete he would go over the line with a hot iron. There was no guarantee at that time that the glass would break properly, so you just had to kind of hope that it did. A grozing iron was then used to nibble at the edges until the piece accurately fitted the pattern.
Today however, cutting wheels and electric grinders make it a lot easier to cut the very intricate shapes. There is also a wide variety of colors and textures of glass to choose from. In the past staining glass was something that was done only in Churches, but now it seems to have become very popular. Architects are now incorporating stained glass windows and skylights into the new homes that they build. If you happen to visit New York City restaurants you will find that a lot o f them also use a form of this art as part of their decor. It really creates a pleasant dining atmosphere.
There are also so many different patterns that are available. Not only is this a great hobby, but you can use this hobby to earn an additional income as well. Just think about it for a minute. Since the popularity of glass staining is continuing to grow, there are many people who are looking to have this added to their home. If you take classes and discover that you are talented in this area then you can offer your services to others. To get started try looking in your town for studios that teach glass staining.
They will usually let you come and observe their class before joining. You can also visit your local library and look for how-to books, that will help you to get started. The key is to truly appreciate the fact that this is an art that can be enjoyed for a long time. You can also try looking up some information online, some additional websites that may be able to provide you with additional information are www.beaumontleadedglass.com, www.masonite.com. These are just a few websites that you can visit, try typing in glass staining into your search engine and see what you can find.
