My work table is 39" high. The 2x4 legs are 38", the tabletop is 1/2" particle board, and the replaceable work surface is 1/2" plywood smoothly surfaced on one side. I nail down the work surface board at all four corners with big nails that I leave showing about 1/4" so I can pull them out when I want to replace the board, which I do every 3 - 4 years.

HEIGHT OF A GLASS HOLDING RACK

The tallest sheets of glass sold are Spectrum glass. That's a good company to buy glass from because their glasses cut fairly easily (easier than other glass from other manufacturers, yet still harder than double-strength clear glass). Their sheets are 48" tall, so a glass rack that is 50" tall should never go out of date for you. However, many stained glass studios that sell glass at retail prices cut the sheets they buy at wholesale prices into half sheets or even smaller pieces. This means that a 30" tall glass rack could work for you forever or for a very long time. Even if you do work up to buying full sheets at a wholesale outlet, they often provide a table where you can cut your sheets in half before taking them home. My rack is tall enough for full sheets because I sometimes design in glass pieces that are larger than half sheets would be, but even for me that is rare.

Although I often suggest that one of the drawbacks of taking local classes is that they are just as motivated to sell you your tools and supplies as they are to teach, the truth is that the convenience of buying all of your tools and supplies in one place can be a positive aspect of taking a class. Learning through me, especially as a beginner, is more difficult in that you will have to gather your tools and supplies on your own, that is, without being able to purchase them all from one studio where you might be taking a class. However, if you can locate such a studio near you, then you may be able to stock up in one trip even though you aren't taking a class there.

The first thing you should probably do (if you haven't already) is find a local stained glass studio near you that does teach classes and/or sell tools and supplies to hobbyists. Tell them you're learning from a class on DVD, and ask for advice on tools you may need to buy, keeping in mind what I have said about certain tools also.

Info on buying a grinder is on the Grinder page.

Info on buying a soldering iron is on the Soldering page.

The tools and other supplies that you should buy at first varies with each individual artisan. A good rule of thumb would be to buy less, knowing that you will be going back to your source anyway at some point in the future to make additional purchases.

Stained glass is a tough hobby, and many who sign up for a class quit before finishing the class or soon afterward. This means that stained glass tools and supplies can often be found at garage sales, generally in good condition and cheap. Also, your local craigslist web page can be a valuable resource for buying tools and supplies cheaply. Check out the "free" page, the "arts and crafts" page, and maybe even put up your own ad on the "wanted" page. Lastly, if your local newspaper runs garage sale ads, you could call people doing garage sales or go see them to find out if they have any stained glass supplies for sale.