STAINED GLASS STUFF
911 Richmond Rd., Ottawa, ON, K2A 0G8
tel: (613) 722-8702, fax: (613) 722-7062
email: info@stainedglassstuff.com

Soldering

  1. Apply flux with a flux brush that is cut down at a 45 degree angle. A full flux brush will deposit too much flux on your project. Apply flux sparingly, as excessive flux will cause solder to splatter. Only apply flux where you want the solder to go, because if any solder ends up on a fluxed area it will form a bond over the foil and be difficult to remove.
  2. Make sure that the soldering iron tip is clean and free of caked on gunk. First wipe the hot tip on a damp iron stand sponge, and if that doesn't clean it off, rub the iron tip against a block of Sal Ammoniac for a few seconds. Then wipe the tip off on the wet sponge. If you have your own iron at home, remove the tip every few months to keep it from seizing in place. Just take it off and then put it back.
  3. Lay out all of your pieces on a board with a straight edge on two sides. Use the two edges to help keep your project's edges straight and true. Tack -solder all of the joints between all of the pieces. Go slowly and make sure that no pieces shift on you. Then finish the entire side with a smooth semi-rounded solder seam. If you have any skinny glass pieces, don't spend a lot of time soldering around them. Too much heat build-up will cause heat cracks in the glass. You'll know them by the distinctive "snick" noise that they make.
  4. When doing your solder seams after tacking, the one common error that students try to do is "painting" the solder on. Hold the roll of solder with about 6 to 10 inches of solder sticking straight out, hold your iron with the tip just above where you want to start soldering, touch the end of the solder line to the tip of the iron, waiting till you see that it has started to melt, then lightly touch the iron tip to the copper foil and the melted solder will flow onto the foil. Slowly and smoothly pull the iron tip along the foil line, all the while continually moving the solder line towards the iron tip to keep the solder melting at a continuous rate.
  5. To get a nice smooth solder line, you need to learn the balance of applying just enough solder at the right speed. Not enough solder or too fast = a flat seam. Too much solder or too slow = heavy, unsightly lines.
  6. If you find yourself with too much solder on your iron tip while soldering, either lift your tip off and wipe it on the iron stand sponge, or just move the tip off the foil onto the glass, then lift up your iron. A small ball of solder should be left behind on the glass. Just pick it up later with a pair of grozier pliers. Don't try this on any skinny or fragile shaped pieces that you may have cut with a bandsaw, as heat cracks could happen easily.
  7. It is very hard to tell molten solder from solder that has set, and both are very hot. Don't touch your solder lines until well after you have finished soldering.
  8. The iron tip is set at 700 degrees, so please treat it with respect and caution, and always rest your iron in a proper iron stand..