How to Solder Art Glass Jewelry
- 1). Set up your workspace. Provide adequate lighting with a bright, overhead lamp set up over a ceramic tile. This will be your base for the jewelry as you solder. Ensure the room is well-ventilated.
- 2). Pre-heat the soldering iron.
- 3). Thoroughly clean the glass and metals to be used. Scrape with steel wool or sand the materials down if necessary. Use tweezers or tongs to handle, as natural oils create residue that will prevent the solder from adhering properly.
- 4). Line the glass panels with copper-backed wire wherever your design requires the glass to be framed. Arrange the materials of your jewelry item as they should be assembled.
- 5). Apply a thin coat of flux to the copper-backed wire with the flux-applicator brush or natural-hair paintbrush. Be sure to protect yourself with work gloves and a cotton respiratory mask before working with chemical flux.
- 6). Apply small drops of fully-heated solder to the fluxed wire, on the corners first to hold the design in place. Apply the solder quickly before the flux has dried.
- 7). Carefully apply an even layer of solder to the rest of the fluxed wire.
- 8). Arrange the metal pieces of the jewelry.
- 9). Apply a thin coat of flux to the metal where it will connect with the glass.
- 10
Carefully solder the fluxed metal, dropping small dabs on the corners to create secure metal joints. - 11
Drop the entire piece in a jar of cold water, once complete, to freeze the solder in place. - 12
Examine the item for any gaps or bumps, and file down or gently re-solder if necessary.
