STAINED GLASS ANGLE JIG Using OpenSCAD and ChatGPT

There are times when it is necessary to solder two pieces of stained glass at a specific angle. This could happen when you are making a box or a cactus for example. At these times it would be handy to have a jig that would hold the two pieces together at the correct angle and provide as much accuracy as possible.

There are many angle jigs available for purchase but if you have or know someone who has a 3D printer you can make your own. There is also the option to customize the jig in a number of ways.

In any case, I will attempt to provide as much information as possible regarding the processes I used for the design and construction. This will include how to design any type and size of angle jig you may want to print. There is also information available for printing accessories to help with the construction of whatever multi-angled creation you are in the process of making.

I will not be instructing you on how to create stained glass pieces or how to use a 3D printer. These are broad topics on their own and there is a lot of information available that cover both these subjects.

NOTE: Files with the .scad extension cannot be uploaded and have been renamed .txt. After downloading rename the files as .scad.

The list of tools and materials needed to complete the jig is very small. You may use additional items that help make the process easier.

For the most part items required for stained glass and 3D printing are specialized. If you don’t already have them then you will have to do some or a lot of research to determine what you would need.

Tools

The following is a list of tools needed to make a stained glass angle jig.

3D FDM printer – printing jigs and accessories

Materials

The following is a list of materials needed to make a stained glass angle jig.

PLA filament

Safety Considerations

The following are important safety issues that you must consider if you are not already aware of them.

1. As you know parts of the printer are very hot when it is operating so try not to burn yourself.

The method used is based on an OpenSCAD script that I created with some help.

OpenSCAD is software for creating solid 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) models. OpenSCAD is not an interactive modeller. Instead it is something like a 3D-compiler that reads in a script file that describes the object and renders the 3D model from this script file. There is a “Customizer” area where the designer provides “Parameters” that are used to specify details about the object to be created.

If you do no have OpenSCAD go to the download page:

https://openscad.org/downloads.html

The version provides here is dated (2021) so it is recommended to select the “Development Snapshots” link to the left. Here you will find versions that are more current. Download and install the appropriate software for your system.

I can sort of understand OpenSCAD scripts but I cannot write them. So how was I going to design the jig? I discovered that ChatGTP can create OpenSCAD scripts based on details provided to it. This can be done using the free version with no need to upgrade.

ChatGPT is not very efficient at producing OpenSCAD code. A person good at coding could produce a script with less lines of code. But as I am not one of them and I could not find a parametric jig so this was an interesting exercise.

ChatGPT is a conversational AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that utilizes large language models to generate human-like text responses. It can be used for a wide range of tasks, including writing, editing, translation, summarization, brainstorming, and even generating code.You can access and use ChatGTP here:

https://chatgpt.com/

Just start by typing “Create OpenSCAD script…” and describe what you want to design. It is best to use an iterative method. I found that if the description was too long and detailed the code produced was not necessarily what I was after. So by developing the code in steps worked much better. After each iteration I would load the code in OpenSCAD to see what it produced. If all was well then more details were included.

If there was an issue copying the error and asking ChatGTP to fix it would sometimes work. As there is no way to undo steps it sometimes became necessary to start again with a new chat. It did take a few chats ending up with the final code.

The attached pdf is a copy of the complete final chat if you are interested.

The OpenSCAD file is attached.

The attached image is of OpenSCAD when it is running the script. Depending upon the shape being created the glass pieces must be soldered together at a specific angle. The following table lists the angles that need to be incorporated into the jig for all the shapes of interest.

Shape_________________Number of Sides______________Interior Angle (°)

Triangle_____________________3__________________________60°

Square______________________4__________________________90°

Pentagon____________________5__________________________108°

Hexagon_____________________6__________________________120°

Octagon_____________________8__________________________ 135°

You can modify the jig parameters in a number of ways as follows:

1. outer upper dia in: specify the outer diameter of the upper surface in inches
2. outer lower dia in: specify the outer diameter of the lower surface in inches
3. inner dia in: specify the diameter of the inside opening in inches
4. height in: specify the height of the jig in inches
5. slot width mm: specify the width of the slot in millimeters
6. slot depth mm: specify the depth of the slot from the upper surface in inches
7. num slots: specify the number of equally spaced slots
8. slot angles: specify the angles where the slots will be located
9. inch to mm: all inch dimensions are converted to millimeters (do not modify)

If you prefer mm dimensions just divide them by 25.4 to get the parameter value that need to be entered. There a 3 decimal places available for any accuracy you like.

Only the “num slots” or “slot angles” parameter can be used. Enter 0 in “num slots” or leave nothing between the brackets in “slot angles” to use one or the other.

The following are the design parameters I used.

1. outer upper dia in: 6
2. outer lower dia in: 6
3. inner dia in: 2
4. height in: 1.5
5. slot width mm: 4
6. slot depth mm: 1.25
7. num slots: 0
8. slot angles: -165, -150, -120, -90, -60, -30, -15, 0, 22.5, 45, 72, 90, 108, 135, 157.5, 180 (inserted between the square brackets)
9. inch to mm: 25.4 (do not change)

Negative and positive “slot angles” result result in the slots being placed starting from the 0 reference angle. All positive values can also be used by adding the negative values to 360.

The jig can be made cone shaped by adjusting the outer upper and lower diameters. The inner diameter is constant from top to bottom. The slot width could be increased if thicker glass is used but 4 mm seems to be normal.

NOTE: Files with the .scad extension cannot be uploaded and have been renamed .txt. After downloading rename the files as .scad.

If you are happy with my design the STL file has been attached for your use.

To make the jig you will either have a 3D printer or perhaps have a friend who has one.You can also look for a business that print items from files provided to them. I printed them on a Creality Ender 3 Max using the Cura slicer to produce the Gcode files from the STL files.

Some of the settings I used:

1. 0.2 mm layer height
2. 10% infill
3. Z seam aligned with the sharpest corner
4. no brim or supports are required

Do not scale down the jig in the slicer unless you can accept the reduction in the slot width. Scaling up can be acceptable but then the slot width may get too large.

The Ender 3 Max took 16h 19m to complete the print and used about 157g of filament.

The OpenSCAD script leaves a hole in the centre of the jig. This was done to prevent damage to the jig if solder drips down. But this also removes the support from this area. I had ChatGTP create a script for a disc that can be inserted in the hole. The diameter and thickness of the disc can be specified. To ensure it fits the diameter can be made slightly smaller and the disc can be secured with a bit of glue. If the disc becomes damaged it can be replaced with a new one. The OpenSCAD file is attached.

NOTE: Files with the .scad extension cannot be uploaded and have been renamed .txt. After downloading rename the files as .scad.

I had ChatGTP create some scripts for some accessories that might be useful.

The first are mini wedges that can be used to hold the stained glass in the slot. The wedges can be made to any size required.

When using the jig only two pieces of glass will normally be soldered together at a time. These assemblies then need to be soldered together at a specific angle. There are two scripts for inside and outside supports that assist with this. The dimensions of the supports as well as the required angle can be specified.

The 3 OpenSCAD files are attached.

NOTE: Files with the .scad extension cannot be uploaded and have been renamed .txt. After downloading rename the files as .scad.

1. Neither the jig or accessories are labeled. I figured this might create some problems so I didn’t even try. It would be very easy to create tags that can be attached wherever the would go best. I leave that up to you.

This jig can help hold your jump ring when soldering it to your stained glass piece. All you need is an alligator clip and a small bolt. Size the hole for the bolt you have available.

The OpenSCAD and stl files are attached.

NOTE: Files with the .scad extension cannot be uploaded and have been renamed .txt. After downloading rename the files as .scad.