Lead Came Method vs. Copper Foil Method

Good Craftsmanship is a product of two things: attitude and practice.

The fine craftsperson has an attitude that settles for nothing less than near perfection, and is willing to develop and continually refine their techniques towards that end.

Precision craftmanship in stained art glass is a necessary part of this artistic medium. Well-crafted work should last many decades with no structural problems.

Lead work requires more skill than the copper foil method since the pieces of glass and lead came are fit tightly together before beginning the soldering phase. Copper foil construction is more "forgiving" then the precision required with lead construction. Almost all of my work is constructed in the lead came method!

Leading is an inherently more difficult construction method than copper foil due to the difficulty in precision cutting and fitting of glass into the came channel. Therefore, the leading process takes more time, patience and a positive attitude. The positive attitude is essential when learning the skill of leading and to overcome the challenging methods to achieve quality, hand-crafted artwork!

The ultimate goal of the fine craftsperson/artist is to create something that will captivate, evoke or enthral, or in some way stimulate the viewer.