How to nip plate rims so they fit well when used as a border on curved pieces, for example, a guitar. I refer to these pieces by their technical terms, inies and outies. Instead of positioning the wheeled nippers straight across the plate, I angle them slightly with each nip and alternate so that some slant outward and some inward. That way, I have pieces that work well when I go around curves. See the photo of the Conquistador guitar. Under My favorite links, click on the Happycraftn link for a comprehensive tutorial on nipping plates.
I just stumbled across this blog feature today (August 29, 2010) so I will be adding to it periodically and organizing it so that it's easier to use. I plan to glean tips and tricks from all over the internet and also include what I have learned by trial and error. I haven't figured out yet how to include images and links so I will work on that ...
How to trace a pattern on stained glass -- Does your pattern wash off when you try to cut stained glass pieces with your wet saw? DecoColor Opaque Paint Markers will stand up to the water from the ring saw. They're the kind of marker that you press the tip to a piece of paper to get the paint flowing.
To remove the marks from the glass, alcohol won't work but I can scrape it off with an old dull-bladed knife, or I can sand it off with one swipe of a 3M fine sanding pad. (November 23, 2010)
Mixing grout -- for small projects, put the dry grout in a baggie, add water, smoosh it around until it's thoroughly mixed, cut one corner off and squish out as needed. (April 10, 2011)
Stay Organized -- I just spent the last several days working on the garage and back porch, organizing all the various and sundry mosaic bits that one accumulates after a decade. I am almost done, and here's one thing that I came away with. Starting with my next project, I will set up several little bins in my work area and as I go through the process, I will toss items into their proper space: stained glass, crystals, costume jewelry, tools, marbles, etc. When I am done I will return these things to their place. I just sorted ten year's worth of this stuff, and I ran across a couple of things that would have been wonderful in my space mosaic but they weren't available at the time; they were buried in a bin of rubble! No more mixed bins.
I just added a note to the end of the page about quality.
Email me at silvahayes@gmail.com with questions.
I just stumbled across this blog feature today (August 29, 2010) so I will be adding to it periodically and organizing it so that it's easier to use. I plan to glean tips and tricks from all over the internet and also include what I have learned by trial and error. I haven't figured out yet how to include images and links so I will work on that ...
How to trace a pattern on stained glass -- Does your pattern wash off when you try to cut stained glass pieces with your wet saw? DecoColor Opaque Paint Markers will stand up to the water from the ring saw. They're the kind of marker that you press the tip to a piece of paper to get the paint flowing.
To remove the marks from the glass, alcohol won't work but I can scrape it off with an old dull-bladed knife, or I can sand it off with one swipe of a 3M fine sanding pad. (November 23, 2010)
Mixing grout -- for small projects, put the dry grout in a baggie, add water, smoosh it around until it's thoroughly mixed, cut one corner off and squish out as needed. (April 10, 2011)
Stay Organized -- I just spent the last several days working on the garage and back porch, organizing all the various and sundry mosaic bits that one accumulates after a decade. I am almost done, and here's one thing that I came away with. Starting with my next project, I will set up several little bins in my work area and as I go through the process, I will toss items into their proper space: stained glass, crystals, costume jewelry, tools, marbles, etc. When I am done I will return these things to their place. I just sorted ten year's worth of this stuff, and I ran across a couple of things that would have been wonderful in my space mosaic but they weren't available at the time; they were buried in a bin of rubble! No more mixed bins.
I just added a note to the end of the page about quality.
Email me at silvahayes@gmail.com with questions.
2 comments:
I like some of your comments, I have used my peanut butter jars, plastic salad containers, etc as I went along. Works great. Just need more shelves for displaying them. I have a suggestion. Instead of the Decopaints, I just use a cheap chapstick on the outline and never lose my line during sawing or grinding.
Interesting! Thanks for the tip.
Post a Comment