How to Add Wire to Stained Glass Jewelry
Stained glass is beloved for its translucent, jewel-like beauty. People use it to create a variety of objects, including elaborate windowpanes, intricate lampshades and eye-catching jewelry. Stained glass jewelry is usually assembled in the same manner as other stained glass objects; individual pieces of colored glass are wrapped with copper foil around their perimeters and soldered together. Sometimes it is necessary to add wire to stained glass jewelry, such as when you need to create a bail to suspend a stained glass pendant from a necklace. You can add wire to stained glass jewelry with speed and ease.
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Things You'll Need
- 20-gauge silver jewelry wire
- Wire cutters
- Round nosed pliers
- Flux
- Paintbrush
- Solder
- Soldering iron
- Toothbrush
- Ammonia
- Water
- Towel
Instructions
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Cut a piece of 20-gauge silver jewelry wire with wire cutters. Snip off a piece of wire long enough to suit your purpose; for example, you may require ½ inch of wire to create a bail for a stained glass pendant.
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Shape the wire into whatever form you wish with round nosed pliers. Make a round ring or an oval for a bail. Use the pliers to bend and wrap the wire artfully around the stained glass jewelry if you want.
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3
Make sure the wire and the stained glass jewelry are both clean and completely free from dirt, oil or other debris. Apply flux---a substance that helps solder to flow easily and adhere to metal---to the portion of the stained glass jewelry to which you will attach the wire. Note that you can only solder the wire onto an already-soldered portion of the stained glass jewelry.
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Position the wire in the spot on the stained glass jewelry where you want to attach it. For example, place a wire bail at the top center of a piece you intend to make into a pendant.
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Add a bit of flux to the part of the wire you will solder to the stained glass jewelry using a paintbrush.
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Place a bit of solder on the place where you want to join the wire to the stained glass jewelry. Make sure the solder is in contact with both the wire and the existing solder on the jewelry.
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Apply indirect heat to the bit of solder using a butane torch. Allow the solder to melt into place. Turn off the torch. Let the solder solidify. The wire should be attached to the stained glass jewelry.
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Clean off the newly soldered portion of wire and the stained glass jewelry with a toothbrush dipped in a solution of warm water and a few drops of ammonia. Rinse it clean and pat it dry with a towel.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not want to solder wire onto your stained glass jewelry, try wrapping the wire artistically around the jewelry in any shape or design you want.
