Lead Came Method for Stained Glass

The lead came technique offers a uniform and antique aspect to your stained glass design. The lead came is wrapped around the glass and then joined using solder.

 

 

Lead came, used for soldering stained glass pieces are available in 2 forms. With a single channel called “U” came and with two channels called “H” came. The “U” strips are used to frame glass edges and decorations made of 2-3 pieces of glass. The “H” strips are used to fasten together two small pieces of glass.

 

If you stretch the strips before wrapping it around the glass it will become inflexible and stronger. Some pre-extended lead, could have acquired some twists in wrapping, therefore you must stretch it a little to remove those twists. Be careful when you stretch the leads because if you stretch them to much they can get to thin or they can even break.

 

The lead strip is malleable enough that after you’ve fixed it on the glass you can cut it using a nippers or even a lead scissors. Make sure the joints you cut are strong enough through the glass. Else, you must fill the gaps, which will require a lot of solder and it will also make the joints very fragile.

Put your stained lass design on a pine board made of two wood strips fixed at a precise angle. This wood board is the support of your project. The mixed strips of glass and lead will be temporary fixed using horseshoe nails.

 

Every piece of glass and every strip of lead have to fit the pattern before you can move to the following piece. If a piece doesn’t fit your pattern then the remaining pieces won’t fit the pattern either and your entire design is ruined.

 

Before starting to fuse the joints on your stained glass design you can practice on some lead fragments. Because lead melts you must check the fusing iron’s temperature. If the temperature is too hot you must lower it so that the lead won’t melt. It is recommended to use a forty watts fusing iron.

 

Right before soldering the joints make sure to prepare the metal using some flux and then create a pool of solder by moving the fusing iron over the lead. The solder pool will pour over the joints and lie flat. You don’t need to pour too much solder over the joints.

 

Be careful to solder the joints on both sides of the glass board. Then you can clean the flux using warm water and soap. Finally, strengthen the glass board by inserting a glazing composite into the lead channels.