Repairing Guides

how to repair stained glass solder

by Mr. Hassan Stoltenberg IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Apply liquid or paste fluxes on the solder bead adjacent to the broken glass. Heat the solder with your soldering iron. At the same time, use the tip of the iron to do away with excess solder from the seams on both sides of the broken pane. Be vigilant to run off the foil on the surrounding pieces of glass intact.

Part of a video titled How To Repair a Copper Foil Stained Glass Panel - YouTube
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The first thing we need to do is remove the broken. Piece. Now the friend has a bit of texture to itMoreThe first thing we need to do is remove the broken. Piece. Now the friend has a bit of texture to it but if we look at the back it's fairly smooth.

Full Answer

How to solder stained glass using the lead came technique?

be a strong union between the lead came and the solder. To get this make sure that both metals heat up during the stained glass lead soldering process. contain enough solder to join both pieces of lead together successfully. They can be flatter or slightly raised. This is a question of what you prefer.

How to clean flux off stained glass?

  • Place flux remover on the glass
  • Wipe glass with a damp cloth or sponge
  • Rinse glass with warm water
  • Wipe dry

What is the best stained glass soldering iron?

Weller 1175 Stained Glass Iron – Best to Solder Copper Foil

  • Wattage: 50W
  • temperature: 1000° F
  • Dimensions: 11” x 1.5” x 5.5”
  • Weight: 0.3 lb.
  • Warranty: lifetime

How do you repair stained glass?

  • Cut shallow grooves into a length of board
  • Gather your left over bits of solder and spread them near the grooves
  • With a hot iron pull the bits into the grooves creating nice long solder sticks. ...
  • When cool, just pry them out with a horse shoe nail

More items...

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How do you fix soldered stained glass?

1:246:55Fixing Damaged Copper Foil That's Been Soldered V020 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOkay now here's what I'm gonna do I'm placing the copper foil even with the top. And even with theMoreOkay now here's what I'm gonna do I'm placing the copper foil even with the top. And even with the bottom. And it's going to overlap. See how it's going right down on to the glass.

How do you solder stained glass pieces together?

0:583:45How to Solder Stained Glass Panels - Part 1 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOff so it'll be upright. Also you want to be across the solder line so you don't want to be right onMoreOff so it'll be upright. Also you want to be across the solder line so you don't want to be right on the edge of it you want to be across it and try to stay 90 degrees to your solder. Line.

What type of solder should I use for stained glass?

NOTE: Use only solid-core solder. Never use acid or rosin core solder for stained glass. TIP: Handling solder poses a risk of lead poisoning if certain safety precautions are not followed.

Can you sand down solder?

0:041:08How Is Sandpaper Used? | Soldering - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's likely that you need to use sandpaper. Now by sanding you can see that the copper appears muchMoreIt's likely that you need to use sandpaper. Now by sanding you can see that the copper appears much much different. It's a little bit shinier and the color is different.

Can you use a soldering gun for stained glass?

Being able to change the tip temperature so readily adds versatility and means that the Hakko FX-601 iron can be used for all types of stained glass projects. LIGHT. The iron is very light which gives you lots of fine control over your soldering. If you're doing hours of soldering you won't get tired holding it.

What holds stained glass together?

Metal strips, generally "U" or "H" shaped, used to hold glass pieces together to form a stained glass window. Originally lead, but zinc, brass copper and lead ores are also used.

What temperature should my soldering iron be for stained glass?

Those who are quicker have their stained glass soldering temperature set at 410C but if you solder more slowly you need to reduce the temperature to 360C. 360C is a good temperature for starters as it gives you more time.

Can you use wire solder for stained glass?

1:499:52How to Tin Copper Wire for Stained Glass Projects - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can buy pre tinned wire from stained glass suppliers. And you might actually be able to get yourMoreYou can buy pre tinned wire from stained glass suppliers. And you might actually be able to get your hands on some craft wire that is silver in color which is a copper based wire. And you need to make

Can you use copper solder for stained glass?

10:5712:23How to Connect Stained Glass using Copper Foil - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then you want to use your flux and just lightly brush the copper foil. With it and that's goingMoreAnd then you want to use your flux and just lightly brush the copper foil. With it and that's going to allow the solder to stick to the copper foil better.

How do you smooth out solder?

4:536:56Making Smooth Solder Seams and Touch-Up Soldering - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI'm going to sink my iron into the surface. I hold it there until it gives way. And I just dab it.MoreI'm going to sink my iron into the surface. I hold it there until it gives way. And I just dab it. And then right here I've got a little bit. So I'm going to take a little off of the piece of solder.

Can you sandpaper solder tip?

Is the tip dull and brown, or does it appear oxidized or rusted? This is where you might need the sandpaper. Wait until the iron is cool, and sand the tip until you start to see some shine again. You don't want to remove the metal of the tip — just the oxidation layer that prevents it from heating properly.

What removes oxidation from solder tip?

To clean tips oxidized due to using water soluble and “no-clean” fluxes, it is best to flush the tip several times with a rosin-activated, flux-cored solder. This should remove the oxides, unless the oxidation has been allowed to build up excessively.

How do you put stained glass together?

8:5312:20Getting Started in Stained Glass Art - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then what you see here is my third one which I got way way better this is a wooden frame that I'MoreAnd then what you see here is my third one which I got way way better this is a wooden frame that I'm making to hold all my pieces in together nice and tight I'm using CA glue.

What temperature should my soldering iron be for stained glass?

Those who are quicker have their stained glass soldering temperature set at 410C but if you solder more slowly you need to reduce the temperature to 360C. 360C is a good temperature for starters as it gives you more time.

What type of flux is used for stained glass?

75 soldering flux offers the full strength of an inorganic acid stained glass flux. This flux contains both Zinc Chloride and Ammonium Chloride and is recommended for difficult-to-solder stained glass applications.

How to raise glass to the proper level?

When an edge of the glass isn't up quite high enough simply take a horseshoe nail and use it as a wedge to raise the glass up to the proper level by sliding it sideways under the piece until it rises to the proper level. Apply flux and tack all the pieces so they won't move around.

How to cut lead foil?

Take a craft knife and trim the foil to the profile of where the lead needs to go. You may want to hold one end down with a finger as you pull against the foil with the knife.

Can you finish soldering on a gap?

Once the gap has been bridged, you can finish the decorative soldering to make the top look nice. This is a place when turning down the temperature of the iron or cooling it frequently by rubbing it on a wet sponge keeps solder from getting too hot.

Can you solder glass on the other side?

But there's an obstacle, the glass doesn't sit as high up as the old glass, the solder edge on the other side is keeping the original window higher than the new pieces. The fairly easy solution is to place little pieces of glass so that the repair pieces can rest on them. These pieces should run fairly thin so that the glass edges line up ...

How to cool soldering?

It will cool the solder when it touches it and stop it pooling through to the other side.

How to solder zinc to lead?

When soldering zinc to lead, touch the zinc came first to heat it a bit before touching the lead too. The zinc might turn dark and almost look scorched, but this will clean up. Zinc takes longer to heat up so on the corner, zinc to zinc, hold your iron on the zinc to warm the zinc and activate the flux.

Which flux is more likely to cause soldering problems?

3. Liquid flux is more likely than gel flux to cause this particular of the soldering problems. Try a different type of flux and check the difference.

When soldering zinc to lead, what happens?

When soldering zinc to lead, touch the zinc came first to heat it a bit before touching the lead too. The zinc might turn dark and almost look scorched, but this will clean up.

Can you solder sticks to a spool?

You can also solder the sticks to the end of the solder on a spool so you don’t have to hold on to a hot end.

Can you clean lead joints with a wire brush?

You’ve answered your own question Fiona 🙂 Yes, a wire brush to clean the joints usually does the trick. If the lead is really grimy you might even need to scrape at the joints with a scapel, making the area lovely and silver. Flux and solder soon after to prevent oxidation. I hope that helps, thanks for asking.

Is 60/40 solder better than 50/50?

5. It might be your solder type. 60/40 flows more easily than 50/50 and can cause soldering problems if you go too slowly. You could try soldering the backside first with 50/50 then turning over and doing the front with 60/40.

Is it necessary to fix stained glass?

Fixing broken stained glass is a necessary evil. With glass as a material breakages are inevitable. You know the scenario; you’re happily soldering away on your latest piece only to turn it and realise there’s a crack in the glass. And you don’t have enough art glass to replace it. This is what happened to one of my readers Ken Keith. He wrote to me asking for suggestions to fix it.

Can you use lead in stained glass?

If you’re new to using lead came as a technique I would highly recommend you give it a try. It will add a great deal to your skill set and give you the best of both stained glass worlds – foil and lead.

What to do if stained glass is rattling?

If the panes of your stained glass are rattling, it needs an application of fresh putty.

What to do after you remove putty from cames?

After you’ve removed all of the old putty from the cames, mix the new putty, oil, and lamp black [B] into a stiff liquid that’s easily spreadable —about the consistency of molasses. You can add more black if you’d like to match it more closely to the color of the cames, although the putty won’t be too visible after you’ve cleaned up the window.

How long does it take to clean a window with putty?

You’ll need to clean up the window in two stages. First, when the putty mixture is dry enough to be picked up with a rag (about 15 to 20 minutes), clean off the majority of the glass surface [D]; if the putty dries too long, it will be harder to remove.

How to get a tight fit on a window?

To get an even tighter fit, you can take a wooden stick and gently press down the edges of the lead after you’ve applied the putty.

How to clean a came?

Allow the remaining putty to dry for another few hours until it’s fairly hard, then use the steel wool to clean the glass and lead [E]. The brass brush comes in handy for getting into the crevices along the edges of the cames.

Can you put putty on stained glass?

If you have the time and inclination , you can repeat the process on the opposite side of the window to further stabilize it. The putty mixture does a nice job of cleaning the glass and cames , so you’ll also give your stained glass a nice cleaning in the process .

Why is the orange and yellow curved piece separated from the purple glass?

This happened because the design didn't create enough strength to hold the weight of the glass on the one point. The client didn't hang the piece by all the rings provided.

How to provide strength to copper re-strip?

To provide strength, I clip off a piece of the copper re-strip that normally fits in between the glass. By putting a piece on each side of the panel , the re-strip should provide a great deal more strength.

Do you need to clean solder lines?

With the solder line in place, you'll need to clean the panel well and re-patina the lead line.

Can you solder copper lead?

With the copper strip and foil tacked in place , we can solder the new lead line. Remember that the heat could crack the glass below, so turn down the heat on the soldering iron and solder a little spot at a time and allow the solder line to cool off between spots. (usually only solder 1/2" at a time)

How to solder glass?

Using your soldering iron, melt and apply solder to the front seams of the entire piece of new glass and the surrounding pieces. Once the front is complete, remove the electrical tape and flux and solder the inside .

How to fix a broken glass pane?

Apply liquid or paste fluxes on the solder bead adjacent to the broken glass. Heat the solder with your soldering iron. At the same time, use the tip of the iron to do away with excess solder from the seams on both sides of the broken pane. Be vigilant to run off the foil on the surrounding pieces of glass intact. At the same time, use needle-nose pliers to pull away smashed or broken foil.

How to replace a piece of glass in a lamp?

Change the foil on the new piece of glass as well as the foil on the pieces of glass adjoining the missing piece. Tin the new piece of glass by soldering a thin coat of solder over the foil. Reapply flux to the solder on the new piece and place it into the new spot. Use electrical tape on the inside of the lamp to hold the glass in place. Path solders the glass into place by soldering small amounts of solder at several spots where the new piece touches the surrounding pieces.

How to clean stained glass lamp shade?

Once the soldering is complete, use dish soap or soap designed for removing flux to clean the lamp shade. If a patina was used on the rest of the stained glass lamp shade, use the same kind on the new section so that it will match. Follow up with an application of glass wax to the entire piece.

Can stained glass shades be repaired?

Rather than throw away or spend money on repairs for your broken or damaged stained glass lamp shades, you can follow the simple steps below to try to fix it.

How to fix a curved glass?

to fix it, use the exact same principle as with the circle above but because it’s a much tighter curve, make smaller increments with the craft knife. move your fingers around a tiny little bit at a time. you can also move the glass rather than the blade for these tiny adjustments.

What happens if you don't centre copper foil?

If you don’t centre the copper foil properly on the edge of the glass, you get a very thin strip of foil on one side and a a very thick strip on the other. This is particularly annoying with transparent glass because you can see the other side of the foil. [00:33]

How to trim foil?

trim the foil using a new or very sharp craft knife. Mine looks rusty but the blade is actually brand new! Move slowly and carefully with your finger steadying the knife blade so that your whole hand is moving around with the blade little bit by little bit

Why don't you have the knife blades waggling around with nothing to support it?

don’t have the knife blades waggling around with nothing to support it, because you won’t get a smooth foiled line

Does solder stick to stained glass?

This IS a little bit fiddly to do but because the solder only sticks to the foil, the more accurate and the neater your stained glass foiling is, the better your soldering lines and your end result will be.

Can you use stained glass foil?

You can use the same technique in any situation with stained glass foiling when you when you’re not happy with the line that you have. Remember, the neatness of your foil equates to the neatness of your solder line. It’s best to touch and tidy up any of those annoying little corners or edges that just don’t look quite right.

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