Stained Glass Calculator
Lead came, solder, and glass from design dimensions.
Inputs
%
Results
Glass needed (ft²)
3.75
Came/foil length (ft)26
Came strips or foil rolls5
Solder needed (oz)1.6
Solder joints45
Flux needed (ml)130
Panel weight (lbs)5
Est. material cost ($)$94.49
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Panel Width and Height in inches and the Number of Pieces in the design.
- Select the Technique: lead came (traditional) or copper foil (Tiffany method).
- Enter Glass Thickness in mm and Waste Allowance percentage (20–30% typical for curved cuts).
- Review Glass Needed in ft², Came/Foil Length in ft, and Solder Joints count.
- Check Solder Weight in oz, Flux volume, and Estimated Material Cost for supply ordering.
How the result changes with Panel width (inches)
| Panel width (inches) | Glass needed (ft²) |
|---|---|
| 16 | 3.33 |
| 45 | 9.38 |
| 79 | 16.46 |
| 108 | 22.5 |
What each input means
- Panel width (inches)
- Width of the stained glass panel.
- Panel height (inches)
- Height of the stained glass panel.
- Number of pieces
- Total number of glass pieces in the design.
- Technique
- 0 = Lead came (traditional), 1 = Copper foil (Tiffany method).
- Glass thickness (mm)
- Stained glass thickness. Typically 3mm (1/8").
- Waste allowance (%)
- Glass cutting waste. 20-30% typical for curved cuts.
What each result means
- Glass needed (ft²)
- Total glass area including waste allowance.
- Came/foil length (ft)
- Total length of lead came or copper foil needed.
- Came strips or foil rolls
- Number of 6-ft came strips or 36-yd foil rolls to purchase.
- Solder needed (oz)
- Weight of solder for all joints.
- Solder joints
- Estimated number of solder points.
- Flux needed (ml)
- Liquid flux volume for soldering.
- Panel weight (lbs)
- Estimated finished panel weight.
- Est. material cost ($)
- Approximate material cost for glass, came/foil, solder, and supplies.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersPanel width (inches) = 18, Panel height (inches) = 24, Number of pieces = 30, Technique = 0 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Glass neededGlass needed = panelAreaSqFt * (1 + wastePct / 100)3.75 = 3.75
- Calculate Came/foil lengthCame/foil length = totalCameLengthIn / 1226 = 26
- Calculate Came strips or foil rolls5 = 5
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