How to Solder Glass Pendants
Soldering a glass pendant may sound complex, but quite the contrary. This easy-to-complete task involves the use of copper tape, a soldering iron, flux, and paper items commonly tossed in recycling bins or found in the home. Create jewelry from photographs, vintage books and magazines. and other paper collectibles. Use old pieces of a microscope or other flat glass and transform the items into "statement" jewelry.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass
- Glass cutter
- Fast-drying glue
- Copper tape
- Burnisher
- Soldering iron
- Water-soluble flux
- Lead-free solder
- Wire or bail
- Craft knife
- Photo or paper artwork
- Vise or pliers
- Patina (optional)
- Finishing wax (optional)
Instructions
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1
Cut two identically sized pieces of clear glass with your glass cutter. You can cut the glass any size or shape you want for your pendant, as long as both pieces are the same size. However, a 1 1/2-inch by 1 1/2-inch square is recommended for a pendant.
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2
Select two pieces of paper to use inside your pendant. Copyright-free photographs and pages from vintage books, magazines, artwork or pamphlets all could be used. Use one image on the front of the pendant and the other image on the reverse side. Using two images allows you to create a two-sided pendant.
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3
Put a drop of glue on each of the four corners of one piece of glass. Do not use a lot of glue--just enough to hold the paper in place. Excess glue may distort the image. Place the one piece of cut glass down on one of the images you selected. Use a craft knife to cut away excess paper.
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Repeat with the second image and the second piece of glass.
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Put a drop of glue in the center of the "paper" side of the glass. Glue the glass together so that the two images are sandwiched between the two pieces of glass. Use just enough glue to temporarily hold the glass together until you solder.
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6
Measure the edges of the glass with your copper tape. Add an inch and cut off the tape.
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7
Peel about an inch of the backing off the copper tape and press the tape against the edges of the glass. Be sure to center the tape. Continue to peel the copper tape and press it on the edges of the glass, until the entire edge is covered. Overlap the tape about one-quarter of an inch.
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8
Burnish the copper tape using a burnisher, the back of a spoon, or the cap of a pen.
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9
Paint the copper tape with flux.
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10
Turn on the soldering iron. Touch the tip of the soldering iron to the solder.
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11
Place the glass in a vise or hold the glass with pliers. Run the soldering iron over the edge of the copper tape until the tape is covered with solder. This process is called tinning.
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12
Add a pendant bail. Take a jump ring or make a loop out of wire and use pliers to hold it so it sits perpendicular to the edge of the top of the soldered pendant. Place a drop of solder at the point where the loop touches the pendant edge to solder the ring to the pendant. Smooth the solder out with your torch.
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Add color by painting on a chemical patina, if desired. Coat the patina with wax to protect the color.
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Tips & Warnings
Use colored glass rather than clear glass on one side of the pendant (with or without a paper backing) for a different look.
Check to be sure the loop you make or the jump ring you select is large enough for the pendant chain you plan to use. The solder will make the ring smaller, so take that into account before soldering.
Wear a mask when soldering and work in ventilated space.
Take fire-safety precautions when using a soldering iron. Do not set a hot soldering iron on a flammable surface.
Keep flux away from skin as it may cause irritation.
References
- "How to work in Stained Glass"; Anita Isenberg, Seymour Isenberg; 1983
- "Stained Glass: Step by Step"; Patricia Ann Daley; 2003
- "Jewelry in a Flash"; BeadStyle Magazine; 2009
- "Stained Glass: Over 20 Beautiful Projects for the Home"; Deirdre O'Malley; 1998
- "Stained Glass in the Garden"; Vicki Payne; 2007
Resources
- Photo Credit Pine Trees image by Antonio Oquias from Fotolia.com
