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The Steps To Making Stained Glass Charms

Making Stained Glass Charms (for even more instructions click here)

First take the soldering Iron Stand out of the box and assemble it.

Next place the soldering iron in the stand and plug it into the Rheostat. Plug in the Rheostat as well.

Set the Sal Ammoniac Block near the soldering stand.

We like to pour a small amount of flux into a clean, short baby food jar. This keeps us from spilling large quantities of flux if a mishap occurs and provides a convenient place to keep the flux brush.

You'll want to solder on a clean, flat board, a 12" square of plywood works well.

You have several choices. You can put two bevels back to back, you can put one bevel over flat glass or you can cut two pieces of flat glass. In any one of these cases, you'll want to place paper, a photo or a 3d doo-dad in between the pieces.

For instructions on how to cut glass, see http://www.betterstainedglass.com/Newsletter/Archives/8-05-2008May-cutglass/cutglass.htm if you plan to make many charms, you may want to use a strip cutter, to order one, click here.
To see how one is used see http://www.betterstainedglass.com/Newsletter/Archives/8-06-2008June-cutglass2/cutglass2.htm 

Once you have your pieces cut out and the insert you plan to place between the two pieces of glass, you'll want to apply copper foil to the assembly which will hold the pieces together. Wrap the foil around each side and press the corners down, folding them over neatly. Use a fid or the edge of a sharpie marker to flatten and press the foil firmly down to the glass, burnishing the foil so that it sticks tightly against the glass.

        ***Note, to keep the foil from unraveling, either place the roll in a sealable plastic lunch bag with only a corner left open and pull the end of the foil carefully, so that the whole roll doesn't spring open. Or place it in a foil caddy (you can order one here).

First, set the rheostat to a full heat setting of ten. 

While waiting for the iron to heat up, you may set the charm flat on the plywood and apply flux to the sides and top of the copper of the charm.

With the iron up to temperature, melt a drop of lead-free solder to the iron tip and wipe it across the Sal Ammonic block, on each side of the tip, so that the tip is tinned, having a bright layer of solder on each side of the tip. Then wipe the tip quickly over the wet sponge in the iron holder.

Now melt a small bead of solder onto the tip of the solder iron and run the tip next to the edge of the charm, depositing a layer of solder along the side. If it starts to spin, use the tip of the solder on the spool you are holding to hold the charm down. When done with one side, use the solder to push the charm a quarter of a turn and repeat the process, working your way around the charm.

Once the side is tinned, run the iron quickly across each of the four top surfaces of the copper foil on the charm, depositing a good bead of solder. This bead should round up slightly and will make the edge foil strong.

Flip the charm over and flux the back foil, then run a bead along the edge, just like you did on the other side.

Now, you are ready to deposit a finished bead of solder along the first edge you soldered. In order to do this, you'll want to stand the charm on it's edge and solder it and then turn it a side at a time until all all done. This is the step that takes practice and patience.

        ***Note, some people hold the charm in their fingers, but a small jewelry vice comes in handy for this step.

Once the edges are soldered, inspect for runs and drips and fix them. If you start seeing debris left from the iron, clean your tip again as described above. Once the charm looks good, hold a jump ring with one of your pairs of pliers and solder the split side of the ring against the spot desired and solder it in place.

        ***Note, hold the ring very steady while it cools. If it moves at all, crystalline structures will form in the solder which are weak and crumbly. This is called a cold joint and is undesirable. It can easily be fixed by re-melting the solder and allowing it to cool without movement.

Finally, you'll want the charm to be shiny. So as soon as you can after soldering, clean the charm. If you leave it for any length of time, oxidation starts to form and the surface of the charm will be altered by leaving flux on it.

        ***Note, do not soak the charm in any liquid. You should use flux sparingly as you solder and you should use cleaners sparingly as you clean or you run the risk of having liquid run under the glass and wetting the paper in between, ruining the look of the charm.

During normal window cleanings, we scrub with CJ's flux remover, we so so now, but with a little on a rag and we gently yet completely wipe flux away.

We do the same with some Kwik-clean on a rag.

Finally, apply a film of Clarity finishing compound to the surface of the charm. Allow it to dry and polish the charm with a soft rag.

Click Here For Charm Kit With Tools More About Kit

This kit includes both tools and supplies that you'll need to make your own stained glass charms.

Click Here For More About Kit

Charm Kit Supply Refill
17.52 + 5.00 shipping charge

Assorted pieces of colored glass and 12 beveled pieces of glass. There are assorted pieces of clear glass as well.

Click Here For More About Kit

Charm Cleaning Kit
36.00 + 5.00 shipping charge

The three charm cleaning and polishing supplies that will be of most use to your success with your charms.

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