The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook

Stained Glass

Traditional leaded stained glass windows are pieced together like a flat puzzle. Each piece is fitted into a channel of pure lead, called came. The lead is soldered at the corners, locking in the glass. The artist designs the puzzle, cuts the pieces, and fits them together. Sometimes the pieces are painted with fine details that can’t be rendered otherwise. The technique is hundreds of years old and is still practiced today.

In the nineteenth century, a new technique called copper foiling was developed. This technique replaced the traditional lead came with a very thin layer of copper and a belt of lead and tin solder. Copper foiling ...