How to Solder Iron Stained Glass
Soldering irons allow the artist to connect stained-glass pieces into a unified whole. Each piece must first be coated in foil, which melts together under the heat of the iron. Solder for stained glass once contained lead, but most solders in 2010 are lead-free. Unlike soldering irons for joining galvanized metal, irons for stained glass need not be extremely hot; this makes them more affordable. A 100-W soldering iron works best for stained glass.
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Things You'll Need
- Stained glass pieces
- Foil
- Shears
- Face mask
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Flux
- Soldering iron
- Solder
Instructions
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1
Wrap foil around the edges of each piece of stained glass in your project. Make sure the foil goes all the way around. Once a piece is wrapped, cut the foil with a pair of shears.
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2
Assemble your stained-glass pieces into the design your wish to make, pressing each foiled rim up to the foil of the pieces next to it. Don a face mask, goggles and a pair of heat-resistant gloves.
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3
Rub flux on top of the exposed foil lines, completely covering it in a light, even layer. Plug in your soldering iron iand allow it to heat up. Unravel a strip of solder and hold it in your other hand.
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4
Touch the tip of the solder to one of the foil lines. Touch the end of your soldering iron to the solder, and quickly draw it away. This should melt a dollop of solder onto your piece. Repeat this on joints throughout your piece, spacing each dollop roughly every 2 inches.
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5
Run your soldering iron through the dollops of solder, spreading them into an even, flat coating of solder that completely covers the foil. Add more dollops of solder to the piece if it spreads too thin.
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6
Unplug your soldering iron. Let it cool on a nonflammable, burn-resistant surface or holder. Allow your stained-glass piece to cool gradually on its own.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit stained glass image by Andrew Breeden from Fotolia.com
