[cefoley]

what a mess I got myself into...not knowing better, I like to do as I go, was foiling & soldering the center of my first project, then moving outward to add to it...now, the middle section does not lay flat, I have to cut the pieces & put a piece of glass under each one now to get it soldered.live & learn!! Hope this will help other newbies a little!

[Becca]

I'm a tack soldering person myself - on one side. Did you solder both sides?

[Becca]

Or maybe you had what I call a soldering bleed through to the other side.

[Boris_USA]

cefoley, on 07 February 2010 - 06:10 AM, said:

what a mess I got myself into...not knowing better, I like to do as I go, was foiling & soldering the center of my first project, then moving outward to add to it...now, the middle section does not lay flat, I have to cut the pieces & put a piece of glass under each one now to get it soldered.live & learn!! Hope this will help other newbies a little!

Nothing wrong with where you start, and soldering as you go, as long as you only do one side at a time. After completed, and soldered on one side, flip over and finish.

[cefoley]

Becca, on 07 February 2010 - 02:22 PM, said:

I'm a tack soldering person myself - on one side. Did you solder both sides?

yes, I foolishly soldered both sides, now it is not laying flat to fit the other pieces, because I have a glob that I put in the center & it has made it teetery.STUPID,STUPID !!!haha

[Chantal]

It's not a good idea in general - it wastes electricity keeping the iron hot as you prepare other pieces. If you are working on a large multi-day project, the foil will have been attacked by flux all over the place and might not take solder quite so well, even by putting a lot of flux. It's also easier to have all your pieces laid out, and lean the outside pieces against a jig/carpenter's-square to get your edges straight if you solder all at once.

There is no advantage to your method, only down sides.

[Becca]

Well we all learn by our mistakes in the art of stain glassing. My big hurdle was breaking glass while soldering - twice. It's very disheartening, but when you make it to the other side, it gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. Hang in you will succeed! We are all so critical of our own stuff. Regards, Becca

[cefoley]

Chantal, on 08 February 2010 - 08:49 AM, said:

It's not a good idea in general - it wastes electricity keeping the iron hot as you prepare other pieces. If you are working on a large multi-day project, the foil will have been attacked by flux all over the place and might not take solder quite so well, even by putting a lot of flux. It's also easier to have all your pieces laid out, and lean the outside pieces against a jig/carpenter's-square to get your edges straight if you solder all at once.

There is no advantage to your method, only down sides.

I can sure see that now, will not do it again..thanks

[cefoley]

Becca, on 08 February 2010 - 08:53 AM, said:

Well we all learn by our mistakes in the art of stain glassing. My big hurdle was breaking glass while soldering - twice. It's very disheartening, but when you make it to the other side, it gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. Hang in you will succeed! We are all so critical of our own stuff. Regards, Becca

thanks, Becca, I do know now what not to do...at least it was on my first project & not a really big one that I eventually want to do!

[cefoley]

Chantal, on 08 February 2010 - 08:49 AM, said:

It's not a good idea in general - it wastes electricity keeping the iron hot as you prepare other pieces. If you are working on a large multi-day project, the foil will have been attacked by flux all over the place and might not take solder quite so well, even by putting a lot of flux. It's also easier to have all your pieces laid out, and lean the outside pieces against a jig/carpenter's-square to get your edges straight if you solder all at once.

There is no advantage to your method, only down sides.

This brings up another thing I probably should not be doing, after I solder each days work, I wash it all down with flux remover & I have wondered about the copper foil that is on the outer edge of the unsoldered edges waiting for the next portion to be done .

[Dennis Brady]

Becca, on 08 February 2010 - 08:53 AM, said:

Well we all learn by our mistakes in the art of stain glassing. My big hurdle was breaking glass while soldering - twice. It's very disheartening, but when you make it to the other side, it gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. Hang in you will succeed! We are all so critical of our own stuff. Regards, Becca

Breaking glass while soldering is either from a cool draft hitting the hot glass (common if you solder outside) or by soldering too slow. Soldering too slow is perhaps the most common mistake beginners make.

[Rebecca]

cefoley, on 08 February 2010 - 09:27 AM, said:

This brings up another thing I probably should not be doing, after I solder each days work, I wash it all down with flux remover & I have wondered about the copper foil that is on the outer edge of the unsoldered edges waiting for the next portion to be done .

If I will be working on it in the next week or two, I just leave the flux on it. If it is going to be months, you might have a problem.

Rebecca

[cefoley]

Rebecca, on 08 February 2010 - 02:06 PM, said:

If I will be working on it in the next week or two, I just leave the flux on it. If it is going to be months, you might have a problem.

Rebecca

This, I was unsure of but good to know I can leave it on for longer...a lot of extra work washing it off if I don't have to, but I do find it a bit greasy afterwards from the flux.

[Rebecca]

cefoley, on 08 February 2010 - 02:28 PM, said:

This, I was unsure of but good to know I can leave it on for longer...a lot of extra work washing it off if I don't have to, but I do find it a bit greasy afterwards from the flux.

Yes, it is. I have a shop where I can leave it and it won't be disturbed. If you have pets that might climb onto it, or other hobbies that might raise a lot of dust, cover it with a little plastic.

Rebecca

[Boris_USA]

cefoley, on 08 February 2010 - 06:28 AM, said:

yes, I foolishly soldered both sides, now it is not laying flat to fit the other pieces, because I have a glob that I put in the center & it has made it teetery.STUPID,STUPID !!!haha

Nah, Not stupid. If that was the case in learning, we all would be stupid. Think of it as an execise that may save others a ton of grief.

All was not lost. You could take the piece and stand it on its edge, with support, and chase off the excess solder on one side with an iron. Gravity would make it flat for you.

[Boris_USA]

Dennis Brady, on 08 February 2010 - 11:25 AM, said:

Breaking glass while soldering is either from a cool draft hitting the hot glass (common if you solder outside) or by soldering too slow. Soldering too slow is perhaps the most common mistake beginners make.

I would believe breaking glass while soldering, would mostly come from "overworking" an area, trying to get a better bead, without letting it cool before you go over it. Normal soldering would not raise the temperature of the glass enough for a draft to induce thermal shock. If its that common, must be more common in your area, since I have never heard of that happening here. The glass would have to be awful hot, and the breeze would have to be refrigerated,I would think.

Also there is the "chip" or "fracture" event. When cutting glass, and handling, it does not take much to induce a chip or minute fracture, which may be invisible to the naked eye, yet expand and crack the glass once any heat is introduced. Breaking glass may not even be because of operator error. Anyone that has ever had a new sheet of glass in a rack, all in one piece, looking good, and removed it, just to have it fall apart in your hands. All it takes is a little nick, and a slight change. Not always operator error, or sign of insufficient skills.

[Chantal]

Boris_USA, on 08 February 2010 - 08:24 PM, said:

Also there is the "chip" or "fracture" event. When cutting glass, and handling, it does not take much to induce a chip or minute fracture, which may be invisible to the naked eye, yet expand and crack the glass once any heat is introduced. Breaking glass may not even be because of operator error. Anyone that has ever had a new sheet of glass in a rack, all in one piece, looking good, and removed it, just to have it fall apart in your hands. All it takes is a little nick, and a slight change. Not always operator error, or sign of insufficient skills.

Boris gets a cookie

Because I agree!

[cefoley]

Boris_USA, on 08 February 2010 - 08:03 PM, said:

Nah, Not stupid. If that was the case in learning, we all would be stupid. Think of it as an execise that may save others a ton of grief.

All was not lost. You could take the piece and stand it on its edge, with support, and chase off the excess solder on one side with an iron. Gravity would make it flat for you.

I will do this when I resume working on it this weekend, thanks for the tip..Cathy