Soldering A Zinc Edge On A Panel

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Email: david@gommstudios.com

Glass Artists Newsletter - February 2007

You can read our current newsletter here on-line each month, free of charge. We hope you will take the opportunity to let your stained glass artist friends know about the newsletter and if you have students, encourage them to read it.

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In the meantime, we welcome your input and support. Let us know if you have tips and techniques or product information you'd like to share.

With the new year started I like to look for ways to improve and this month I've been listening to a book on CD.

"Success Is A Choice" by Rick Pitino, it's very inspiring and points to ten steps that will help us achieve success in business and in life.

This month we've been trying to solve the breakage problem that occurs sometimes when shipping glass. We keep trying and hope to come up with a solution.

A common skill that stained glass artists need to develop is that of how to apply 1/4" zinc outer bar to their windows.

Soldering A Zinc Edge On A Panel

Many times we solder zinc 1/4" outer bar onto a window as a framework to strengthen it. Raw glass panels are usually very weak but adding zinc really increases their strength.
	To do this, I like to take two pieces of zinc which are longer than the panel and nail them in place so that the glass is locked between the channel of the two pieces..
	Then it is easy to lay two other pieces across the edges that are not yet enclosed in outer bar. I can then mark them where they need to be cut.
	We use a Jarmac saw in our studio to cut zinc. It's preferable to a hack saw. (If you're handy you can save money by getting a mighty-mite from HarborFreight.com but you have to check that blades fit..don't use the ones that come with it for cutting zinc..email me if you need help finding one)
	I nail these pieces in place and then tap the ends of the zinc that overlap the edge so they will be lined up to the edge. This way, I only have to cut off the overlapping pieces on one end.
	I solder the outer bar at each corner and bring all interior lines to the edge of the zinc.
	Then I cut off the extra zinc, using the saw blade as a "guide" to keep the window lined up with the edge of the panel.

The window is now ready to have rings soldered to the framework or to be installed in another manner.

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Email: david@gommstudios.com

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