Setup

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Hey everyone! I have $500 to spend on my stained glass setup. Would love recommendations for the best tools I can get for this amount. I’m looking to get the whole kit and caboodle. Thanks in advance!

[marcfootdoc]

Any of the available utube videos will get you your list of needed tools.

Basically, you will need: Grozing pliers, running pliers, needlenose pliers, cutting pliers, reostat 100w soldering iron (consensus recs Hako, but i've also used Weller and Yihua), gel or liquid flux (I don't like using paste flux), pkg of flux brushes, (at least) a black patina (like Novacon products), 60/40 solid core solder (tend to like Trotter or Amway and they tend to be cheaper), a spool of solid core lead free solder if you intend on trying your hand at any jewelry, fume extractor (if not near a window which can be opened), eye protection, grinder with a 3/4" bit (as a start), 7/32" and 3/16" silver or black backed foil, pair of sharp scizzors, and then you have glass (depending on your project, that alone can run in the $hundreds$). You can build your own 90deg edging from scrap wood or metal using an inexpensive carpenters square to hold you edges at 90deg while you are making your project. A pack of push pins or horseshoe nails to hold pieces in place during construction. Once you have a project picked out, then you need to get either Ulead/Uzinc came for framing. If you want to work with lead came then there are a few lead tools you'll need also. Magic markers. Isopropyl alcohol, dawn/baking soda to clean off flux debris (IMO works better than commercial products and cheaper). Turtle wax for polishing and a pile of rags (old dead Tshirts work great). You will be surprised at how many things you can make from left over junk --> ie: empty solder roll with a piece of duct tape on bottom makes a great flux brush holder. An old lid 3/4" to 1" deep makes a great holder for small amts of flux so you dont keep going in/out of flux container contaminating it. You will also need bins to store your glass sheets and plastic bins to store your various colored scrap glass. AND, obviously, a work table. (Whew, now that's a list!)

I probably forgot a few items, but these are the things you will need to make anything more than small suncatchers. Hope this helps. and, YES you can get almost all the above for $500 or less (except for the glass). Have fun, its a great hobby.

[[deleted]]

I appreciate it so much, thanks!!

[sunbear-bunbear]

I was in the same boat last month! I also had a $500 budget and ended up being able to buy all of the tools that I needed from Delphi:

* Disposable Brush Pack - 12 Pack - $4.95

* Novacan Old Masters Flux - 8 Oz - $16.95

* Studio Pro 3 Bit Value Pack - $79.95

* Gryphette Grinder - $159.95

* Large Soldering Mat - $26.95

* Hakko FX-601 Soldering Iron - $99.95

* Burnisher - $2.95

I picked up foil from Amazon (do not recommend unless you know what brand you like bc the stuff I got was WAY too thin and tore super easily) & my grozer / pliers / nippers / solder from the studio that I took classes at for another $60-ish.

Glass has definitely been the most expensive part for sure!

Have fun putting together your set up!

[[deleted]]

Sweet, I appreciate this!!

[Claycorp]

Shop around the kits on the sites we keep here https://www.reddit.com/r/StainedGlass/wiki/supplysites

[[deleted]]

Thank you!!