Gryphon Glassworks
@gryphonglassworks.bsky.social
Hi yall, I'm GryphonGlassworks, most notably known as the guy who makes the stained glass badges you see at some cons.
My full gallery can be found at itaku.ee/profile/gryphonglassworks/
My full gallery can be found at itaku.ee/profile/gryphonglassworks/
That's a very good point. I actually entirely forgot to mention texture in that list. Damn I wish I could edit.
June 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
That's a very good point. I actually entirely forgot to mention texture in that list. Damn I wish I could edit.
And I am only slightly joking. I dont think I've ever made something from start to finish without cutting myself at least once. Glass do be sharp.
June 10, 2025 at 6:18 PM
And I am only slightly joking. I dont think I've ever made something from start to finish without cutting myself at least once. Glass do be sharp.
Ok those are heccin neat!
June 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Ok those are heccin neat!
Oh! I forgot to mention one aspect!
Every piece you do requires a blood sacrifice. Sometimes its more, sometimes its less, but every project demands blood.
Make sure to observe the ritual properly and you'll get a nice piece.
Every piece you do requires a blood sacrifice. Sometimes its more, sometimes its less, but every project demands blood.
Make sure to observe the ritual properly and you'll get a nice piece.
June 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Oh! I forgot to mention one aspect!
Every piece you do requires a blood sacrifice. Sometimes its more, sometimes its less, but every project demands blood.
Make sure to observe the ritual properly and you'll get a nice piece.
Every piece you do requires a blood sacrifice. Sometimes its more, sometimes its less, but every project demands blood.
Make sure to observe the ritual properly and you'll get a nice piece.
Honestly you break plenty of pieces even with experience. Glass is finicky and sometimes internal discontinuties just mess it up.
I shattered a deep curve that left me cursing this weekend cause I had very little spare.
I shattered a deep curve that left me cursing this weekend cause I had very little spare.
June 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Honestly you break plenty of pieces even with experience. Glass is finicky and sometimes internal discontinuties just mess it up.
I shattered a deep curve that left me cursing this weekend cause I had very little spare.
I shattered a deep curve that left me cursing this weekend cause I had very little spare.
Ya might be. Anyone learning this will probably quickly figure out not to waste so much I imagine, once it hits their pocket books.
June 10, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Ya might be. Anyone learning this will probably quickly figure out not to waste so much I imagine, once it hits their pocket books.
Right? It's not even that it's a funny marble pattern where that spot is somehow optimal to your vision. I can understand and have done that before, but this? Glass is far too expensive to waste.
June 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Right? It's not even that it's a funny marble pattern where that spot is somehow optimal to your vision. I can understand and have done that before, but this? Glass is far too expensive to waste.
Oh ya, wanna add to this, often times when I'm picking glass, I'll end up considering one that hadnt been a part of my original vision, but is in my stock, and I handn't thought about. This is most often the case for backgrounds.
June 9, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Oh ya, wanna add to this, often times when I'm picking glass, I'll end up considering one that hadnt been a part of my original vision, but is in my stock, and I handn't thought about. This is most often the case for backgrounds.
So people always ask how one goes about making stained glass, what's the process.
I will be going over this in the following 🧵
I don't think I have any one project fully documented, so this may be a mixture of several.
I will be going over this in the following 🧵
I don't think I have any one project fully documented, so this may be a mixture of several.
June 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
If you're gonna vinyl cut it, at some point you have do it illustrator/inkscape to have the machine able to cut it. But you can sketch and mess with it wherever until then.
If you're gonna do paper templates and hand cut, you never need to touch it. You just need special template scissors
If you're gonna do paper templates and hand cut, you never need to touch it. You just need special template scissors
June 9, 2025 at 8:58 PM
If you're gonna vinyl cut it, at some point you have do it illustrator/inkscape to have the machine able to cut it. But you can sketch and mess with it wherever until then.
If you're gonna do paper templates and hand cut, you never need to touch it. You just need special template scissors
If you're gonna do paper templates and hand cut, you never need to touch it. You just need special template scissors
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask~
June 9, 2025 at 8:54 PM
If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask~
Now all that's left is to clean it, hang it, and take pictures.
Or if you wanna be extra fancy, you can inset it into a wooden frame, for that extra touch.
Fin~
Or if you wanna be extra fancy, you can inset it into a wooden frame, for that extra touch.
Fin~
June 9, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Now all that's left is to clean it, hang it, and take pictures.
Or if you wanna be extra fancy, you can inset it into a wooden frame, for that extra touch.
Fin~
Or if you wanna be extra fancy, you can inset it into a wooden frame, for that extra touch.
Fin~
You might wonder how silver metal is turned into a nice black or copper color.
That's the final step. Clean off all that awful flux.
Spray or scrub (with gloves) copper or black patina onto the lead. This will change its color. If you go copper, you may want to seal it, do it doesn't tarnish.
That's the final step. Clean off all that awful flux.
Spray or scrub (with gloves) copper or black patina onto the lead. This will change its color. If you go copper, you may want to seal it, do it doesn't tarnish.
June 9, 2025 at 8:52 PM
You might wonder how silver metal is turned into a nice black or copper color.
That's the final step. Clean off all that awful flux.
Spray or scrub (with gloves) copper or black patina onto the lead. This will change its color. If you go copper, you may want to seal it, do it doesn't tarnish.
That's the final step. Clean off all that awful flux.
Spray or scrub (with gloves) copper or black patina onto the lead. This will change its color. If you go copper, you may want to seal it, do it doesn't tarnish.
Next we frame it. And square frames are done with zinc channel for stability.
Rounded frames are made with lead channel
And smaller pieces may actually be made with just a bead of solder on some foil.
Hanging wires are also attached in this stage.
Rounded frames are made with lead channel
And smaller pieces may actually be made with just a bead of solder on some foil.
Hanging wires are also attached in this stage.
June 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Next we frame it. And square frames are done with zinc channel for stability.
Rounded frames are made with lead channel
And smaller pieces may actually be made with just a bead of solder on some foil.
Hanging wires are also attached in this stage.
Rounded frames are made with lead channel
And smaller pieces may actually be made with just a bead of solder on some foil.
Hanging wires are also attached in this stage.
At this point, everything is ready to be soldered together. I use a Hakko FX-888D for this task.
Most tasks are done with 60/40 solid core solder.
Stained glass badges, which are going to be handled are made with lead free. The latter requires Preheating the glass to get a good bead.
Most tasks are done with 60/40 solid core solder.
Stained glass badges, which are going to be handled are made with lead free. The latter requires Preheating the glass to get a good bead.
June 9, 2025 at 8:50 PM
At this point, everything is ready to be soldered together. I use a Hakko FX-888D for this task.
Most tasks are done with 60/40 solid core solder.
Stained glass badges, which are going to be handled are made with lead free. The latter requires Preheating the glass to get a good bead.
Most tasks are done with 60/40 solid core solder.
Stained glass badges, which are going to be handled are made with lead free. The latter requires Preheating the glass to get a good bead.
Next, things diverge. There are 2 techniques, lead channel, which is what actual windows are made with, and another technique called copper foiling. I use this latter method.
Each of the pieces of glass are wrapped in an adhesive bit of copper foil on the edges and burnished to the glass.
Each of the pieces of glass are wrapped in an adhesive bit of copper foil on the edges and burnished to the glass.
June 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Next, things diverge. There are 2 techniques, lead channel, which is what actual windows are made with, and another technique called copper foiling. I use this latter method.
Each of the pieces of glass are wrapped in an adhesive bit of copper foil on the edges and burnished to the glass.
Each of the pieces of glass are wrapped in an adhesive bit of copper foil on the edges and burnished to the glass.
Next you grind everything into shape using a wet grinder. The vinyl serves as an excellent template here.
After it's used, you pull it off.
After it's used, you pull it off.
June 9, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Next you grind everything into shape using a wet grinder. The vinyl serves as an excellent template here.
After it's used, you pull it off.
After it's used, you pull it off.
So you break it all into shape and have this very loose look of what want. Some are just rough, and some are missing breaks because it's far to hard to get some curves without the next step.
June 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM
So you break it all into shape and have this very loose look of what want. Some are just rough, and some are missing breaks because it's far to hard to get some curves without the next step.
Then you take your vinyl pattern, stick it on the glass, and cut it. To cut it, you use a scoring wheel, and a combination of your hands, running pliers, and grozing pliers to break the or glass into shape. The back side of the scoring wheel can be used for tapping the glass to propagate cracks.
June 9, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Then you take your vinyl pattern, stick it on the glass, and cut it. To cut it, you use a scoring wheel, and a combination of your hands, running pliers, and grozing pliers to break the or glass into shape. The back side of the scoring wheel can be used for tapping the glass to propagate cracks.
Then comes glass selection. There's more to it than just color though. You need to think about:
- Color
- Opacity
- Pattern
All of these have to harmonize with each other and your vision. For example, you don't want the body colors to have different opacity or they'll feel disconnected.
- Color
- Opacity
- Pattern
All of these have to harmonize with each other and your vision. For example, you don't want the body colors to have different opacity or they'll feel disconnected.
June 9, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Then comes glass selection. There's more to it than just color though. You need to think about:
- Color
- Opacity
- Pattern
All of these have to harmonize with each other and your vision. For example, you don't want the body colors to have different opacity or they'll feel disconnected.
- Color
- Opacity
- Pattern
All of these have to harmonize with each other and your vision. For example, you don't want the body colors to have different opacity or they'll feel disconnected.
Next, once the pattern is finalized, I cut it out with a vinyl cutter. Recently I upgraded from a silhouette.
I'll stick these on the glass when time comes.
I'll stick these on the glass when time comes.
June 9, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Next, once the pattern is finalized, I cut it out with a vinyl cutter. Recently I upgraded from a silhouette.
I'll stick these on the glass when time comes.
I'll stick these on the glass when time comes.
First part, of course, is pattern design. I work with the client to come up with something they like.
Initially it's just a sketch, but then I piece it out in illustrator. Once I have the lines, I do a color check in clip with the paint bucket fill to make sure it looks right.
Initially it's just a sketch, but then I piece it out in illustrator. Once I have the lines, I do a color check in clip with the paint bucket fill to make sure it looks right.
June 9, 2025 at 7:10 PM
First part, of course, is pattern design. I work with the client to come up with something they like.
Initially it's just a sketch, but then I piece it out in illustrator. Once I have the lines, I do a color check in clip with the paint bucket fill to make sure it looks right.
Initially it's just a sketch, but then I piece it out in illustrator. Once I have the lines, I do a color check in clip with the paint bucket fill to make sure it looks right.