Introduction to stained glass

This is my first blog post for Old Time Crafts Online. I make stained glass sun catchers. When first starting out I had a difficult time finding information in this area. I wanted to create a space where newbies could come and get that info. I'm not a master at the craft, but I have enough knowledge to get you started. I've been creating with stained glass since 2012, and yes, I'm still learning. I'm not real big on lead came style stained glass, but maybe working together we can fill that gap. For now let's stick to the basics. I'm listing some things you'll need to get started.

• Stained glass, you can pick some inexpensive pieces up from Hobby Lobby, ( side note, some Hobby Lobbies do not sell stained glass, so check before going.). This way you don't have to pay for shipping fees.
• Glass scoring tool, most hardware stores carry them for a few dollars.
• Breaker pliers, not a necessity, but it will save you a lot of blood shed.  I found mine at DelphiGlass.com for around 7 dollars.
• Copper foil, you can get that at Hobby Lobby for around 8 dollars.
• Flux
• Solder, I use lead free but there is lead solder you can use that is cheap. You can get that at Hobby Lobby or online for a range of 10 to 25 dollars, depending on the type.
• Soldering iron, you can pick one up at Hobby Lobby and pay around 20 dollars or order one online for 80 dollars. I recommend a Hakio 600, it's a 100 watt and work great, but I also used the 100 watt Hobby Lobby soldering iron for about a year and a half before imvesting in pricier tools.

 At least now you'll have some idea if it's manageable for your budget. Not everyone that tries the craft, likes it. This way you can try, see if it's something you like it before you get into the expensive tools. Hope this helps. I'll be adding more to my blog as I get comments and questions. Thank you so much for stopping by.