I thought it worth mentioning that whilst buying a good professional glass cutter is a good investment – if you are starting out you don’t necessarily have to buy one…. The key point to mention is lubrication and one of
Budget glass cutting
Electric soldering iron recommendations
Pretty much the standard basic ‘workhorse ‘soldering iron, for stained glass, seems to be the Weller 100 watt electric thermostatic iron, readily available in the UK. I would highly recommend it. In order to get a decent raised solder bead