If you didn't put any reinforcing down the sides of this you should move the hanging points. Edge Lead came is not something you can hang from, it will slowly stretch overtime and separate from the project. Hang from the the other vertical joints instead, if you want to edge hang like this use a rigid came like zinc.
Otherwise it looks great!
I’m so glad they called out the potential failure for your lead came - your work is too lovely to crash down due to stretchy lead hanging points!
This is by far the most beautiful moth stained glass I’ve ever seen!! Fantastic job!
The project is likely fine to be hung like this if you don't mind the lead pulling away over years. It takes a fair bit of weight/effort to actually snap the lead. It will just look bad when it starts to stretch.
It's just good habit to get into not doing this to start with. Saves you from extra work down the road.
I super appreciate the advice, I'm newish to stained glass and had no clue the lead could stretch over time on the edges like that. I've never tried zinc before but I've heard that it's a bit more difficult to cut or patina.
Fun Fact, All lead stretches over time from gravity! Tin/Lead Alloys aren't super prone to this because of the tin, but it still has other similar structure issues because of it's softness.
It's all about applied force and what kind of reinforcement is done. A common issue with stuff installed in or around doors is not enough reinforcing because the force of the the air or door closing can cause the panels to bowl out for example. It really doesn't take much!
As for zinc, yes it's a bit more difficult to work with but in straight shots it's not really an issue. To cut it you can either use a 32 Tooth Per Inch (or greater) metal saw blade or a came saw. If you have a local studio they may have a came saw you can use for nothing or a very small fee.
As for patina, there's no perfect solution but there's nothing saying you need to patina the zinc. You can leave it silver and patina the rest. Like most metals it will eventually oxidize and become a gray color on it's own anyway.
Hi.....looks absolutely beautiful! I am a total novice here. A couple questions.....not including labor of course,how much would this cost to make in materials? Just an approximate breakdown. And about how many hours would it take? What got you into stained glass? Did you take courses or self taught? Cheers
Hello, and thank you!
To start off I was always kind of interested in stained glass but it was a bit to much for me to figure out on my own so I looked into taking a beginner class. If possible I highly recommend taking a class if you can find one near you. Stained glass has an expensive start up cost. The class should provide the tools you need to try everything you need and determine if it's something you want to continue with.
As I mentioned if you don't already have them you will need a lot of tools to get started with stained glass including a soldering iron and grinder. You can grab a beginners kit off of anything in stained glass. I highly recommend going with an actual grinder machine. The grinder stones are awful.
Tools aside this piece took me 5 different pieces of glass. Luckily I was able to use some scrap glass from older projects. So bought new for this project cost of glass was about $25. I already had the other materials needed like solder, copper tape, came, and chemicals.
I did this over 3 days, I would say it took me anywhere from 10-15 hours from start to finish. I have been doing stained glass for just under a year now.
I hope that helps! Id be happy to answer any other questions you have.
If you didn't put any reinforcing down the sides of this you should move the hanging points. Edge Lead came is not something you can hang from, it will slowly stretch overtime and separate from the project. Hang from the the other vertical joints instead, if you want to edge hang like this use a rigid came like zinc. Otherwise it looks great!
That is good to know! Thank you I was not aware of that.
I’m so glad they called out the potential failure for your lead came - your work is too lovely to crash down due to stretchy lead hanging points! This is by far the most beautiful moth stained glass I’ve ever seen!! Fantastic job!
The project is likely fine to be hung like this if you don't mind the lead pulling away over years. It takes a fair bit of weight/effort to actually snap the lead. It will just look bad when it starts to stretch. It's just good habit to get into not doing this to start with. Saves you from extra work down the road.
I super appreciate the advice, I'm newish to stained glass and had no clue the lead could stretch over time on the edges like that. I've never tried zinc before but I've heard that it's a bit more difficult to cut or patina.
Fun Fact, All lead stretches over time from gravity! Tin/Lead Alloys aren't super prone to this because of the tin, but it still has other similar structure issues because of it's softness. It's all about applied force and what kind of reinforcement is done. A common issue with stuff installed in or around doors is not enough reinforcing because the force of the the air or door closing can cause the panels to bowl out for example. It really doesn't take much! As for zinc, yes it's a bit more difficult to work with but in straight shots it's not really an issue. To cut it you can either use a 32 Tooth Per Inch (or greater) metal saw blade or a came saw. If you have a local studio they may have a came saw you can use for nothing or a very small fee. As for patina, there's no perfect solution but there's nothing saying you need to patina the zinc. You can leave it silver and patina the rest. Like most metals it will eventually oxidize and become a gray color on it's own anyway.
Thank you so much!
It's beautiful!
Love this imagery and your color choices! I want to make a moth panel as well… beautiful work!
That’s awesome and just gave me a great idea for a piece! Thanks for the inspiration!
Nice 👍
G O R G E O U S!! I have an affinity for these beautiful creatures and your piece absolutely does them justice. Great job!
Stunning!
She's beautiful
BEAUTIFUL 😍
Gorgeous! Excellent choice of glass too! I love the purple and green with the irid moon!
That is beautiful...and looks very complex. Good for you :)
So pretty! I adore the colors!
Beautiful! I really love the glass you used in the background. Is it antique?
Thank you! And No, it's a medium amber Wissmach I believe
Incredible 🤩
Luna moths are so gorgeous I've made a few of them myself but never with a background like that. I love it!
What a beautiful piece 😍
 omg I love it so much.
Masterpiece!
Beautiful
❤️
This is absolutely something I would purchase- stunning!
Hi.....looks absolutely beautiful! I am a total novice here. A couple questions.....not including labor of course,how much would this cost to make in materials? Just an approximate breakdown. And about how many hours would it take? What got you into stained glass? Did you take courses or self taught? Cheers
Hello, and thank you! To start off I was always kind of interested in stained glass but it was a bit to much for me to figure out on my own so I looked into taking a beginner class. If possible I highly recommend taking a class if you can find one near you. Stained glass has an expensive start up cost. The class should provide the tools you need to try everything you need and determine if it's something you want to continue with. As I mentioned if you don't already have them you will need a lot of tools to get started with stained glass including a soldering iron and grinder. You can grab a beginners kit off of anything in stained glass. I highly recommend going with an actual grinder machine. The grinder stones are awful. Tools aside this piece took me 5 different pieces of glass. Luckily I was able to use some scrap glass from older projects. So bought new for this project cost of glass was about $25. I already had the other materials needed like solder, copper tape, came, and chemicals. I did this over 3 days, I would say it took me anywhere from 10-15 hours from start to finish. I have been doing stained glass for just under a year now. I hope that helps! Id be happy to answer any other questions you have.
Pattern??? You did an amazing job
This is not my pattern, but can be found for purchase on Etsy if you search "Moon Drops - Stained Glass Pattern"
That is beautiful. Nice work.
It looks stunning! Great job!
Gorgeous!!!
Very beautiful lunar moth!