Northern Art Glass offers the following downloadable information sheets. These Tech tips are handouts from our most popular free demos. All of these topics have been authored by the professionals at Northern Art Glass Inc.
Fluxing - Flux sparingly. This cannot be emphasized enough. If the flux is bubbling and spitting when you solder, then you have used much too much flux. Excess flux fills in the seams between your foiled pieces and boils when you apply heat. The solder bead will appear pitted from the escaping steam. Think of a lava field or the lunar surface. Does your solder bead look like this. Trim your flux brushes to get a light application quickly along the seam. Once the seam has been tinned (flat soldered) you can lightly flux again before running a raised bead. This flux will not fill in the soldered seam. It will simply allow the new solder to flow smoothly. It's important to flux immediately before soldering. Flux that has been allowed to dry on the foil will actually impair the soldering process and will cause cleaning problems. The excess flux trapped in your solder bead will cause a white residue to occur and reoccur on your finished work as the corrosive flux leaches out. Use only clean flux and wash the brushes after they are used.
Soldering - Tin the seam first. Lay the flat portion of the soldering iron tip directly down on the copper foil. Do not dab at it. A steady distribution of heat will allow the solder to run smoothly down the seam for a nice flat bead. Clean the tip by wiping it on a wet sponge and re-flux the seam lightly. Turn the soldering iron tip on it's edge and run a smooth bead by feeding the solder evenly onto the tip. Allow the solder to cool and then go over any imperfect areas. If the bead isn't working out in one spot, move to another area and come back to finish it once it has had a chance to cool down. You don't want to overheat a seam and crack a piece of glass. Now you are really upset! The appearance of your final beading depends on your copper foiling technique. Apply the foil evenly and carefully. Use an e-xacto knife to trim uneven spots where necessary. Soldering old oxidized foil is always problematic. Don't leave your project half done for weeks or months. When the foiling is completed, that is the best time to solder and get the best results. Happy soldering!
SOLDER BEAD APPEARS FLAT- Re-flux, heat the existing solder then add more solder.
ROUGH OR UNEVEN BEAD - Moving iron too quickly while beading, apply more flux (sparingly) and re-solder. Remember to melt the solder down to the surface of the glass.
SOLDER WILL NOT STICK TO FOIL - Did you apply flux? Foil may have oxidized and will require buffing with light grade (000) steel wool. Heavy oxidation on lead may require scrubbing with a wire brush before soldering.
FOIL IS NOT STICKING TO THE EDGE OF THE GLASS - Did you clean your glass before foiling? Were all foil edges pressed tightly to glass (burnished)? Too much heat often loosens the adhesive on the foil, burnish down with the end of your iron.
FOIL RIPPING ON EDGES OF PROJECT - Did you edge bead? The foil has little strength without the added support of a thick layer of solder.
SEAMS ARE VERY WIDE - Foil is too wide for the thickness of glass being used. Glass fit was sloppy, leaving large gaps to be filled with solder. Remember a four-sided lamp will have larger seams than a six or more sided lamp.
SOLDER WILL NOT FLOW - Did you apply flux? Flux may be dirty or perhaps you are using the wrong type of flux. Check iron temperature, it may be too cold.
SOLDER DRIPS THROUGH SEAMS - You may be holding the iron too long in one spot or there may be a large gap between glass pieces. If so, stick masking tape to the back of this seam so the solder does not drip through.
SOLDER SPITS AND SPLATTERS - Iron may be too hot or there may be too much flux.
SOLDER BALLS ON GLASS - These are caused by moving too quickly, either when coming down or lifting your iron. These small beads can be removed when cold. Do not try to pick them up with your iron as this may cause a heat crack in your glass.
RAGGED SOLDER SEAMS - If the edge of your foil has been torn or bent back while burnishing you will never achieve a smooth bead.
COLD SPOTS ON YOUR IRON - These black spots are small scales of corrosion and will impede the passage of heat in this spot. Clean your iron with sal ammoniac and re-tin.
SHARP CLAWS ON YOUR SEAMS - Not enough flux or flux has dried or burnt off, re-flux (sparingly) and try again.
OXIDATION - This is solder's form of rust and usually the cause of too much flux. It often happens when flux is trapped under the foil. Give the piece a good wash with neutra, using steel wool for stubborn spots.
Topping mix - a sand and cement (3 to 1) mixture, often called sand mix or mortar mix and is about $5 per 30 kg. bag.
Concrete mix - cement, sand and small gravel (1,2,3 parts respectively), often called stone mix and is also about $5 per 30 kg. bag at your building supply store.
Colouring for cement - is available at some building supply stores and Lee Valley Tools. Thoroughly mix the topping cement and colouring. Set some of the dry mixture aside to use for your final slurry.
Diamondcrete - a quick drying cement composition that sets to a satin smooth finish in 35 minutes. It is especially useful when superior strength and fine finish is required as in tabletops or hanging mosaic plaques (imbed a heavy wire loop into the cement for a hanger). Comes in five premixed colours and no additional reinforcement is required and can be purchased from us.
Mosaicstone Cement - is a non-cement material used for small tile and coaster molds. It dries in about an hour to a smooth porcelain finish. Molds are also available to cast a box body and a mosaic lid.
The most popular molds are made of heavy-duty plastic that stand up indefinitely. The common shapes are round in 8", 14" & 18", square in 8", 16", hexagon in 16" and brick 4"x 8"x 3". Other shapes available: hearts, butterflies, interlocking moonstones and even sectional rings to make circles around trees or ponds. You can make your own molds of plywood with a 2"x 2" frame. These must be painted so that the cement and moisture are not absorbed into the wood. The finished stone is much more difficult to remove from a wooden mold and it often means dismantling the frame each time. Most plastic food containers are unsuitable for casting because the cement expands as it sets and distorts the shape of the stone and the form that usually has to be destroyed to remove the finished product.
There are several good pattern books and individual patterns available, plus it's easy to create your own designs. Make an accurate template of the bottom of the mold. Leave at least a 1/2" border around the perimeter of your pattern. This will ensure that you have a solid concrete rim around your stone for strength. Draw your design leaving a space of at least 1/8" between each piece of glass that will allow the concrete to flow around and hold each one securely in place. Use a fat magic marker when you draw to help you get this spacing just right.
Opalescent varieties are the most suitable. Cut your glass on a light table or by using cardboard templates. The finished pieces should be smooth but do not have to be ground down to a perfect fit. Cut a piece of adhesive vinyl (sandblast resist works best) to the exact size of the bottom of the mold. Turn your pattern upside down and lay the vinyl sheet on top, sticky side up. You should be able to see your pattern through the paper. Place your glass pieces upside down on the vinyl, pressing firmly.
Coat the inside edges of the mold thoroughly with Vaseline which will allow the finished stone to pop out easily. Place sticky side up into your mold. Check that each piece is securely attached and that the vinyl is centered properly in the mold. Cut a piece of wire mesh (for reinforcement) just slightly smaller than your mold size and set aside. You are now ready to pour.
These are just some guidelines to give you some idea of the quantities required for your mold. Keep a record of what you use for your particular mold so that you eliminate wasted cement. It is preferable, however, to make too much rather than too little.
Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the lime. Mix the topping cement with water to the consistency of pancake batter and pour over the glass to a depth of 1/2". Gently use your fingers to encourage the cement to fill in the spaces around the glass and make sure the vinyl has not shifted. Lightly tap the work board (not the mold) with a hammer for 30 seconds to work out air bubbles. Mix your concrete (stone mix) to a stiff consistency and scoop into the mold with a trowel. Lay in your wire mesh and fill to the top. Smooth it with your trowel or a flat stick. Tap the work board on top edge with the hammer for a couple of minutes. Ideally water should rise to the top of the cement. Let the concrete set at room temperature for 48 hours then turn it upside down to remove.
Remove the adhesive vinyl from the top of the stone. Clean off any excess cement on the glass with a wet cloth and a flat bladed exacto knife. To fill air holes mix a slurry of topping mix and water and administer with a wet sponge evenly to the whole surface so that you avoid streaking or uneven drying. Let this dry for a few minutes and clean up with the sponge. Your stepping stone is complete, however, it is important to keep the stone out of hot sun (or freezing conditions) until it has cured for at least two weeks. A protective coating like Thompsons Water Seal is recommended once a year so that water does not penetrate under the glass where it may be affected by hot sun or frost. It is also recommended that the stone be removed and stored in the shed or garage for the winter months.
BACKING MATERIALS: Textured glass will distort the look of the silicone when viewed from the back of the project. Mirror can be used to reflect light through transparent glass and can liven up the appearance of your project. Wood will be seen through transparent glass and may change the colour of your glass.
CERAMIC TILE GROUT: Available in many colours, buy the powdered form as pre-mix grout has polymers that may be difficult to remove from the glass surface during clean up.
FRAMING MATERIALS: Projects must be framed before starting to give you an edge to grout up to. Framing later is problematic. Glass on glass projects can use box channel, zinc or zipper came depending on the size and weight.
BRIGHT BACK: This product is an adhesive silver foil that can be applied to the back surface of the glass and will aid in reflective qualities of transparent glass on opaque backing.
PATTERNS: Existing patterns can be adapted by increasing the line width using a chisel-point poster marker. The ideal minimum width is 1/8 inch.
MOSAIC CUTTERS: Mosaic cutters can be used to make squares or triangular shapes and can also be used to rough out specific shapes. Glass can also be cut with a traditional cutter.
GRINDER: Pieces of your mosaic do not need to be ground for application. You may choose to grind them for shape or size.
Transfer the pattern to your project. For glass projects, you can place your pattern under the glass panel. On wood surfaces, you can draw the pattern directly onto it or transfer a design using carbon paper. Make sure that any pattern lines will not show through your finished project.
Have all your glass pieces prepared before starting to silicone. Squeeze out approximately a tablespoon of silicone onto a glass pallette. Use a plastic sqeegee or putty knife to apply a thin even layer over a small area of the surface you wish to mosaic. Be sure to take the tension off your caulking gun as soon as you are finished or it will keep pushing out silicone.
Carefully place the tiles or glass pieces on the silicone and press firmly into position. Once in place do not move tiles as silicone will begin to scum over and stretch marks will appear causing air pockets. Be careful not to raise ridges of silicone between the tiles, as there will be no room for grout later. Try to keep silicone off your hands and the top surface of the glass. Lots of paper towels and a garbage can are helpful. Throw away your glass palette if it gets too messy and use a new one.
Continue working in small sections until your pattern is complete. Let project sit for 24 hours for the silicone to cure before applying the grout. Sometimes larger pieces of glass will not have a seal around their edges, use spray fixative at this point. This fixative will prevent grout from seeping under the glass.
Mix grout to a consistency of corn meal porridge, you can't really go wrong here, a thinner mixture will work just as well.
Apply to surface of project with plastic spatula made out of margarine lid. Fill all cracks then check pieces from all angles to make sure you haven't missed any spots. Remove excess grout.
Let grout dry 24 hours or so.
Clean tiles with stiff sponge and water. If you are removing too much grout from between tiles let grout set up longer. If the grout is so dry it will not come off easily soften with water and remove excess with your chisel point, be careful, do not scratch the glass.
Clean with dry cloth. Some projects may require two applications of grout. The grout will cure in about a week and will become harder as time goes by. Surfaces do not need to be sealed but you may do so if using light coloured grout.
Silicone on the surface of the glass is difficult to remove.
Remove ridges of silicone between tiles before it dries or the grout will not fill in evenly.
Any air pockets in the glue under the tiles will fill with grout so make sure you press the glass down firmly into the silicon.
Glass Choice: Glass for lamps is usually opaque or textured to hide the light source and the lamp hardware. Consider these points when choosing your glass.
Pattern: Photocopying can distort a pattern and even the patterns in some of the books should be checked for symmetry. Fold the pattern in half and compare one side to the other. The outside lengths and angles should match. Lines that travel from one panel to the next should line up. Make any adjustments now. Respect your pattern and keep it in good shape.
Template: Cut your glass pieces from your master pattern to ensure they are all the proper size and shape. Opaque glass requires a template. Photocopy your pattern onto a manila file folder. Label your pieces to prevent accidentally flipping them over then check them to the original to catch any errors in cutting. Cut away the black lines on these template pieces carefully. Trace the pattern pieces onto your glass and cut on the inside of the marker lines for the best fit. Cut all your glass except the joiner pieces (if applicable).
Jig: To guarantee accuracy the panels should be assembled in a jig built on top of your pattern onto the work board. Cover the pattern with mac-tac to protect it. Nail your sticks carefully on the black lines. This jig will be used to test the fit of the glass pieces before and after they are foiled and to solder the individual panels together.
Grinding: There are two purposes for grinding the edges of the glass: one is to ensure the best fit, the other is to polish the edge of the glass allowing proper adhesion of the foil to the glass. It is most important that the outside edges of the lamp fit well. Once the outside edges are as perfect as possible, grind the interior.
Foiling: When foiling lamps use 7/32” foil. This foil comes with black, silver and copper backed adhesives. The colour of the back of the foil is visible through transparent glass. Black-backed foil is an all round good choice as it is usable with both copper and black patina or when leaving the solder silver. Always start and finish foil on an interior edge of the glass because the heat of the soldering iron may cause the foil to lift or pull apart as you assemble the panels. Stretch the foil slowly into tight interior curves to avoid splitting. Burnish the foil edges well with a fid. It is important to the overall structure of the lamp that the foil be secure. Use an exacto knife to trim irregular fitting foil ends.
Soldering: Solder your sections in the jig. Do a final check of the fit. With 60/40 solder tack the pieces together and tin the bottom edge. Now solder the internal seams. Solder glasses of different thickness up side down to have the front surface flat. Use 50/50 solder to edge-bead the bottom of the panels. Do not tin the sides of the panels unless you have a hinge point i.e. they bend in half. Clean all your pieces well taking care not to pull the foil away from the glass.
Vase Cap: This is the only time you use lots of flux and very little solder. Even the largest cap only requires 3/8 of an inch of solder, but you may use up to a teaspoon of flux. Holding the cap with an old pair of pliers not your grozers, flux the cap starting at the top moving the iron slowly in concentric circles around the cap dragging the excess solder with you. When you have completely covered the cap (do not forget the curved under lip) repeat the process using more flux but NO more solder. You do not tin the inside of the cap.
3-D Assembly: Lay the panels flat side-by-side taking care to match the top of one to the top of the next. Using 3inch pieces of black electricians tape (it stretches) tape the top and bottom of the lamp together. Carefully lift the panels up into shape and tape the last seam. Tack solder the lamp together matching inside back corner to inside back corner. Place the solder bead at the top of the lamp not on the sides, this will allow you to manipulate the lamp with tearing the foil. Do the same to the bottom. Attach the vase cap now to the outside seams, flip the lamp over and solder the cap on the inside at the seams. Now solder the inside then the outside seams of the lamp and touch up your edge beading. Use a cardboard box filled with crumpled newspaper to hold the lamp in a horizontal position as you solder each seam. Clean lamp well.
Finishing: Patinas come in black and copper. Apply black patina immediately after washing. Copper patina is more finicky. The piece must be bone dry and very clean before application, any moisture or oil from fingers will cause black spots. Wash with a neutralizing agent and then wax the glass and solder seams with Kem-o-Pro Finishing Compound to protect the finish. When the wax has dried buff to a shine.
Grout (or cement) - calcium carbonate mixed with paint thinner and boiled linseed oil. The mixture is blackened with tempera paint and an ounce of Japan Dryer to speed up the drying time. Grout can be purchased from us pre-made for $5.00 for 250 ml; whiting is $2.50 for 250 ml. which will complete a large panel. Phone in advance to verify that we have some fresh grout.
Whiting - calcium carbonate is chalk dust and is used as a base for the grout and as a drying and cleaning agent. It can be used again and again.
Application brush - this brush is natural bristle and must be washed in soap and water immediately after use or it will solidify and have to be discarded.
Buff brush - This brush is also natural bristle but may be larger than your application brush.
Bamboo sticks - Bamboo is an inexpensive material that sharpens to a hard point, although other types of wood may be used. Chopsticks work well. These sticks are used for cleaning grout in the corners. Wood will do minimal damage to the lead and no damage to the glass unlike metal blades.
Worried about the mess! Northern Art glass will allow you to grout in the cement room on Saturdays from 12 noon till 4:00 PM. This service requires booking in advance so that we can be sure that that everything is set up for you. The fee is $15.00. This includes the workshop fee and the cost of materials.
1. Preparing To Grout
Once your window is soldered on both sides and the flux thoroughly wiped off with a wet cloth (water only) you are ready to grout. Place your project on newspapers on your board. The entire process of grouting is messy so make sure your area is properly prepared.
2. Applying the Grout
Wear latex or rubber gloves and an apron. The most common error in grouting is starting off with too much grout. Take about 1/4 cup of grout on the end of your brush and transfer it to your panel. In a circular fashion, work the grout under the cames. Be systematic to ensure that you have grouted the cames thoroughly around each piece of glass. This does not require heavy pressure and you could break a glass piece in your project if you press too hard. Once the window is done remove any excess grout and scrape into your grout container. Too much grout impedes drying and clean up.
3. Applying The Whiting
Sift the whiting onto your project. Keep the sifter about 2-3 inches from the surface of your board, any higher and you will be sending clouds of dust into the air. The purpose of the whiting is to absorb the oil from the grout. Whiting should sit on the finished project for twenty minutes to forty-five minutes. Left too long and the grout will start setting up. Removed too quickly and the window will be too greasy to clean and/or you may remove too much grout from under the cames. Be aware of humidity and temperature as they can effect setting speeds.
3. Removal Of Whiting
Use a dust mask. Brush the whiting from your window with a clean bristle brush to remove all the excess grout and oils. Once you have gone over the entire surface of the window sweep the whiting off the window and store it in your whiting container. Used whiting is just as effective for clean up and is much less dusty. It is impossible to remove all the whiting at this step. Don't worry as the whiting left on the project will keep cleaning as you buff.
4. Picking
The purpose of picking is to clean up excess grout from the edges and corners of the cames using a pointed stick. Hold it vertically and be careful not to dig grout out from under the lead. It is also valuable in removing cement from the texture of some glasses. If you have a shop vac, you can vacuum the excess whiting off when the picking process has been completed.
5. Buffing
Buff with a brisk movement like buffing shoe polish again being careful not to press too hard. Use a clean bristle brush. This will clean the glass and darken the cames. The window should be as clean as possible before grouting the other side. To create a uniform black finish, always use the brush to buff.
A cloth will actually remove the patina you have created and the solder joints will return to the silver solder look. When you are done there may still be slight differences in colour between the lead and the solder. This is normal and they will darken up with age. No chemical patinas should be used as they will be detrimental to the buffed finish.
6. Final Inspection
When the window has been grouted both sides and thoroughly buffed take it to a light source for its final clean up. The inspection should be done as soon as possible to insure easy removal of any grout or oil before it hardens. Let the panel set for two days before installing.
Stained glass can be a safe and enjoyable hobby as long as you are knowledgeable
about potential health concerns and develop safe work habits in your work area!
Lead is found in Lead Came and Solder. When you work with these lead products there is a risk of contamination with prolonged exposure through Ingestion or Inhalation of lead dust. When solder or lead cames are handled you may get lead oxide on your hands. Lead cannot be absorbed through the skin, however it can easily be passed to your mouth if proper hygiene is not followed.
The most common methods of lead Ingestion are a result of improper hygiene such as:
Inhalation may occur in some of the following ways:
For the most up to date course information, please visit http://www.northernartglass.com
Last update: Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969