Kelli Noirot

Kelli Noirot joined TinkerMill in 2017 and is currently a full-time hardware engineer at a startup in Denver, a mechanical engineering graduate student at CU Boulder, and is otherwise a walking toolbox of assorted tinkering skills. She’s been a stained glass artist doing projects on the side ever since learning in 2007/2008 and holds interests in 3D printing, laser cutting, wood work, electronics, and sewing. She currently teaches the Intro to Stained Glass classes at TinkerMill, with plans for many other course offerings to come in time (both introductory and intermediate-levels).

Contact Info: stainedglass@tinkermill.org, and active on Slack for members

Kaitlyn Payne

Contact Info: stainedglass@tinkermill.org, and active on Slack for members

Molly Talley

Molly joined TinkerMill in 2023 and learned everything she knows about stained glass right here! With a firm belief that anyone can learn to make stained glass and a desire to do more yapping, she started teaching Intro to Stained Glass in March of 2024 and has enjoyed the experience of making friends and art all at once.

Contact Info: stainedglass@tinkermill.org, and active on Slack for members

No certification is required to use our stained glass shop if you have prior experience (The Intro to Stained Glass class is required for certification if no prior experience.) There is also a certification required specifically for the band saw and for the ring saw tools.  Find classes scheduled regularly on our calendar. If you don’t see a class reach out to the Shop Captain.

• Intro to Stained Glass: This class will teach you operations and safety of our stained glass shop. It covers process of completing a basic piece to take home with you. (Required if you do not have prior experience with the stained glass process). 
• Band Saw & Ring Saw: Certifications on these tools are required before use.

$5/day, $20/week, $80/month

Consumables such as foil and solder are available for purchase from Captains or Admin. 

We encourage you to practice these skills independently to learn skill. Check the #stained_glass channel on Slack and the TM online calendar for more opportunities. 

Safety Rules and Info:

• This shop primarily uses leaded solder, which is known as a toxic material when consumed. Lead-free solder is available by special request and limited use only.
• No dogs or children under 12, no exceptions. Always assume there are glass shards on the floor that can get stuck in dog paws.
• Whenever glass cutting, grinding, or soldering is actively taking place by anyone in the space, not just by you, safety glasses are required at all times by all shop occupants.
• Closed-toed shoes required at all times when working in the shop
• Legs must be covered to the knee when soldering (burn risk), via appropriate clothing and/or an apron (aprons currently not provided).

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Certification required?
  • Certification is not required for this shop, but common sense and prior experience is required if you have not taken any classes or otherwise been taught elsewhere.
• Can I do fusing here?
  • This shop is currently not equipped with a kiln for glass fusing or slumping, nor is the glass sorted by fusible vs. non-fusible.
• Can I make projects with lead came?
  • Sort of, but not well for now. The shop is not yet equipped with the tools to create panels with lead came and border, such as stretching tools, but this may change in the future.
• Can I bring my own materials, like glass?
  • Absolutely! Just be sure to clearly identify your materials if left with a project on a board, otherwise please take any of your personal tools and materials with you or they may be unintentionally absorbed into the shop’s material inventory.

Slack Channels (members only) – #stained_glass

Reservations (members only) are on a drop-in basis however when a class is scheduled it reserves the entire shop. Check our online calendar or members should check our Google calendar resource to see the Stained Glass class schedule.