Modern glass making has changed in recent years, and new technology has allowed hobbyists to join the professionals in creating pieces. Glass has an extremely high melting point, but electric kilns are now designed for home use. Studios that specialize in glass have begun to open in many areas, and most of them supplement their sales with classes and workshops for people who want to begin creating their own stained glass projects.
Creating stained glass is a relatively easy process in theory, but it can be quite complex in practice. Because of the extreme heat necessary to melt the glass mixture, many artists and hobbyists prefer to buy their glass pre-made. This helps them skip part of the long process, and they can melt the glass again to add the color they want and mold it into the shape they desire. If they are determined to do everything on their own, they should study with a master craftsman to learn how to do it safely.
For hobbyists, making glass objects is often a passion. They are interested in learning all the latest methods for coloring and shaping their pieces. Electric kilns for home use have become an important part of their tools, but it is also important that they learn the best methods to use and maintain them. Safety is an issue due to the extreme temperatures, and avoiding glass burns is always for the best.
Fusing different colors, shapes and thicknesses of glass is one of the recent ways stained glass artists have changed their industry, and taking a short workshop on this method of glass making is a wonderful way to begin a new hobby. It only takes a good eye for choosing the colors and the shapes to make a piece, and the beginning can see their results in the time it takes for the glass to partially melt and fuse.
