How to Add Flux to Stained Glass Art

To join together foiled stained glass pieces, you use solder or molten metal. Because the solder will not stick to copper foil, you must brush on an adhesive known as flux, available from any stained glass or hobby supply store. Add flux just before soldering, as when heating your soldering iron.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Foiled stained glass pieces of your project, arranged in the finished pattern
• Glass flux
• Several flux brushes
• Flux cleaner
• Gloves (optional)
• Soldering iron and supplies

1. Arrange your stained glass project on your working surface in its final pattern. While you can flux and solder your project by section, most experts assemble the whole project and then flux and solder together. Use nails to hold large projects together.

2. Brush a small amount of flux on the copper foil, taking care to apply sparingly. The flux must adhere to the whole surface of the copper, because it provides the means for the copper and solder to stick together. Work quickly because flux dries quickly,

3. Flux the entire project, then solder together. Flux evaporates, so flux and solder at the same time, not on different days.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a natural hair brush for applying flux.
• Gloves protect your hands from flux, a skin irritant.
• Always work in a well-ventilated area, to avoid flux fumes.

Resources

• Anything in Stained Glass sells flux in liquid, gel or paste.
• Oriental Trading Company sells stained glass starter kits.