Beginner Mistakes
Having taught stained glass classes since 2004 I have seen many beginner mistakes and want to share some with you.
Beginner Mistakes:
Purchasing tools before attending a class. It is hard to know what tools are truly needed to work in stained glass, there are so many tools offered by stores and online. It is better to attend a class and use the tools available in class to see what ones are needed and which ones are extras. It will save a Beginner money to try and use before purchasing.
Watching every Youtube video on making a stained glass project. There are reliable people that teach on Youtube and there are people just starting out themselves that are teaching on Youtube. There is so much to watch available. I feel when just starting out it is best to learn in person, where you can see the instructor working and where the instructor can see you working and help you prior to making a mistake in real time. You can ask questions in a classroom setting but not while watching a video.
(Videos are fine but use your judgement after you have learned the fundamentals.)Buying cheap glass- my students all will tell you where not to buy glass. Some have bought from there and found out the hard way that cheap glass in not all that it is cracked up to be. You get what you pay for!
Wearing shorts to class. The first time a little shard of glass falls on your lap or legs and falls on to the chair and you sit on it you will wish you had long pants on. Or a hot solder ball rolls off the table to land on your bare leg!
Wearing open toe shoes to class. Glass falls down even tiny glass chips from cutting glass and when one fall into a shoe and works its way under your foot you will never wear open toes again. I did have one student drop a sheet of glass that landed on on her foot and it was not good to say the least.
There are more mistakes that are made during the whole process but these are ones I felt needed to been heard early on.
Student cutting glass correctly
