Glass Tips & Tricks 

Newsletters from our past converted to fresh articles about stained glass.

Soldering Technique-Fixing A Foil Problem
Click Here You Watch The YouTube Video That Goes With The Article 

I found a problem with the panel that I just soldered.

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Either the foil was applied crooked or it got rolled up when the panel got slid during soldering.

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On this side the foil and lead line look perfect. It's just on the back where you can see the problem.

Most clients would never notice, but "a professional fixes their mistakes."

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First I wipe the flux off of the panel where the repair will be made since I need the foil to stick to the glass and the lead.

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I then apply foil to the lead line, some sticks to the glass, most sticks to the old lead line. It creates the "look" of a straight line.

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I use a finger to rub the foil, making sure it is stuck down.


Sometimes it slips away and I re-clean the glass and use a new piece of foil, till it does stick.

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By placing a craft knife blade next to the foil, I can easily tear off the excess.

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Then I apply flux.

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I begin soldering the foil to one end of the lead line, letting the hot iron push the foil down into the melted solder.

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I do the same thing to the other end. This captures the foil so that it won't move around as I solder it.

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Now I can solder the entire lead line. I let the foil sink down into melted solder and make sure the foil is covered by solder.

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The finished piece of glass looks great and no one will ever be able to tell there was a problem.