If you are looking at getting into stained glass, it is always recommend to find classes in your area if possible as the basic tools can quite expensive for start up costs. Find a class are a college or even checkout to see if there is a stained glass studio that might offer classes or open studio sessions. For me I started out in fused glass and moved into the Tiffany style of stained glass about five years ago. I did buy the basis tools needed but also throughout the years I have added more tools to make cutting and breaking glass easier.
Below you will find a list of tools that I purchased to start out and still have them to this day. The biggest expense for the start-up tools will be a grinder and soldering iron
- Glass Cutter
- Glass Grinder
- Soldering Iron
- Running Pliers
- Grozer Pliers
- Fid Tools
- Safety Glasses
- Breaking Mat or Waffle Grid
- Soldering Mat
- Fume Extractor
- Rulers or Straight Edge
The above list is what I started off with. Some may start with more or less for tools. This does not include supplies. There will be a later post about the supplies that I use. There will also be later posts going into to more detail of what tools I use. There will also be other updates of tools that I have added to my stained glass collection that make things just a bit easier, usually around dealing with getting the glass to the final shape before foiling.