-  Some Terrific Tutorials  - 

I've always found it helpful to see the creative and technical process of other glassers. So here are some people's pages that have given me some great ideas...

• Visit this link to Paul's Stained Glass. Here, he outlines his entire process for creating a copper foil panel from concept, to client, to crating!

• Please check out Clive's Poppie Panel Page, to see the construction of a lead came window (great pictures!).

• The Stained Glass Lady also has some very detailed tutorials including
copper foil, lead, patina, a lampshade, and even a water prism!

 -  Fluxes and White Mold  - 

I have spent some time now trying to find a way to keep the dreaded white "mold" from forming on my glass work. I've tried baking soda, special stained glass cleaners, different scrubbers, and even Windex, but have never been very successful. The other day I picked up some Johnson's Water Removable Soldering Paste and after a few weeks noticed that the piece I had made with it, was completely "mold"-free!

So how did this happen? From what I can figure, I had spent so much time focussed on neutralizing the flux, that it hadn't occurred to me that the very makeup of the flux might be the problem. I had always used a zinc chloride gel flux, and I think that it was working it's way under the foil (as all fluxes love to do), and the greasier bits I couldn't reach with the scrubber were just staying there, forming "mold" over time. And I believe that the water-soluble flux was much more inclined to wash out from under the foil when cleaned under the same conditions! I've had some great results when combining the use of this flux with a cleaning regimen of baking soda (helps to neutralize the flux), dish soap (I use Ivory Dishwashing Liquid), water, and a lot of scrubbing. I especially like to scrub the seams with a toothbrush at an angle to help clean out any flux that might be lurking under the foil.

A few other things to keep in mind, as well...

• The more times you go over a seam with your soldering iron, the more the foil can pucker and come up, and this creates more spaces for the flux to hide in.

• Patina is also an acid, and it's a good idea to rinse your piece thoroughly after this step (except for copper...please see the above tip Perfect Copper Patina). I like to spray with some Kwik-Clean too, just for good measure.

• As much as I love my Johnson's flux, I find it just isn't strong enough to give me a consistent bead of solder along the edges of my projects; for this I still use my zinc chloride flux. I just have to be extra attentive and clean the edges really well.

I hope this has been helpful, and as with anything, you'll want to find what works best for you. Incidentally, there are also other water-soluble fluxes on the market, I just haven't tried them yet. So don't be afraid to experiment and find what works for you. Good luck!

 -  Perfect Copper Patina  - 

The Stained Glass Lady has got a great procedure for getting the most beautiful, shiny, copper patina you've ever seen! Just be sure to follow her instructions as closely as you can, for best results. And remember...NO WATER!

 -  Protecting Van Gogh Glass  - 

Here's a quick one...you can use the same mirror edge sealant, designed to keep the silver backing from turning black, to protect the painted backing on Van Gogh glass as well!