Aboutlyn buerger Expertise Questions about construction of stained glass using copper foil or lead. Repair, designing a pattern, how I go about helping my customers achieve their goals.
Experience I've been doing stained glass for about 35 years. Teach stained glass in my studio and at the local University (UTA Eontinuing Edu)for over 25 years.
Organizations Many art related organizations, and several business organization Ecademy, RYZE, LINKEDIN.
Publications Many trade magazine and have published several art/craft instrucitonal books.
Education/Credentials Some formal college, but no degree. I just took classes that I thought would help me through life and did not work toward a degree.
Question I have a copper wire project I am building. I have been doing stained glass with copper foil for a while now and I thought I could apply the same soldering techniques to a thicker grade of copper wire as I do to the hooks and feet I have made in the past. The wire I am using now is solid, not twisted like the stuff I have used in the past. Is 60/40 solder the proper solder to use? is my soldering iron not hot enough? thank you for answering this puzzler for me!
Answer The solder you are using for stained glass 60/40) should be fine with any copper wire piece. Since you did not actually state what the problem was I don't know how to follow up.
Are you having problems with the solder not melting properly or it it not sticking to the project?
First, 60/40 solder only has a 6 degree change of temperature to set. So on a regular iron (which heats to a certain point and then shuts off to cool and then turns back on when it has cooled and the shuts off again) as the temperature changes the solder does not always flow because the temperature is reaching 2 extremes. If your iron is at least 80 to 100 watts you can build a rheostat from a light switch box and a dimmer switch. And when you plug your iron into that you can regulate the temperature with the dimmer switch.
If you are doing a dimensional item and your project is not laying flat the solder of course will tend to run off. 50/50 solder is also OK for stained glass and has a higher lead content and is more "pasty" and does not flow quite as freely.
The flux you are using is critical sometimes. I like No-korode which is a plumber's flux and is a great stained glass flux. And it easily clean up with alcohol.
I'm new at this answers thing, actually you are my first. So let me know what you are actually experiencing and maybe I can help further.
