After putting it off for a while, I'm going to get the lead out. After I learn to work with it.

Tonight I start an eight-week stained glass course (Wednesday evenings). As far as I know, it's Stained Glass 101, but it teaches how to work with lead came, which my original course did not. Instead of having to wrap sticky-back copper foil around every piece of glass and then solder all their mutual joints, lead came holds each piece together, with solder used only where two pieces of came come into contact.

Lead came probably means less edge grinding, and probably no patina, but we'll find that out for sure soon. I suspect it's probably more expensive as well, but should be faster to work with. To be sure, it does not allow as flexible a design as copper foil because the pieces cannot be as small or intricate, but for some projects that's perfectly acceptable.

On the to-do list are a replacement patio tabletop and a large piece (in three panels) for my office window. Watch this space for designs and project updates.