Copper Foil Stained Glass

Copper Foil for Stained Glass

Copper foil is exactly what it sounds like, thin metal foil which comes in rolls of tape or in sheets. It's adhesive on one side just like sellotape, this means it easily attaches to the pieces of stained glass and allows us to solder them together.

I believe that in Tiffany's day they had to apply their own glue to the copper they used, it's also said that after all these years the glue has dried out leaving the pieces of stained glass in Tiffany lampshades very slightly loose, so if you gently shake a genuine Tiffany lampshade you can hear the "Tiffany whisper".

Copper foil tape comes in different widths for different jobs varying from 3/16" to 3/8", if you're just starting out get some 7/32" width foil it's a good general purpose width.

Cooper foil also comes with different colored backing, you can use the normal copper color for most items but some people prefer to use black or silver backed foil to match the patina that they will give to the solder when the piece is finished. Black or silver is also less obvious around the edges of mirrors.

A pair of scissors is handy for cutting the foil and a "fid" is used to rub it down onto the glass and burnish it, you can use the rounded end of a pen like a sharpie or something similar.

There's all sorts of accessories you can buy for copper foil like dispensers and fids and wrapping tools, they're useful but not essential.
You can get copper foil from Delphi click here

Glass Cutters for Stained Glass

Obviously to cut your pieces of stained glass to shape ready to apply the copper foil you need a glass cutter. As with all tools for any purpose you pays your money and you takes your choice. In most cases a more expensive tool will do a better job than a cheap one.

If you're just thinking about giving stained glass a try or you're on a low budget then get a cheap glass cutter, it will work, it just may not be as easy to use and it won't last as long, but it will give you a start. I used them when I first started with stained glass, if you're making lots of straight cuts you'll be fine, if you want to cut small tricky shapes then you will find it easier with a tool designed for the job, a smaller cutting wheel makes it easier to cut small curves.

If you want to start cheap don't forget you will need to lubricate your glass cutter, there are special oils available or you can use paraffin or white spirit. If you keep your glass cutter in a small jar with oil in the bottom place a small piece of sponge in there to cushion you cutter wheel.

When you want to invest more money you can get a glass cutter with an oil reservoir in the handle, it feeds oil to the cutting wheel when you press it down onto the glass.

Stand to cut your glass
Make sure your cutting surface is flat and clean
Use a firm steady pressure

After you've cut a piece of glass have a close look at the cut edges, there will be tiny bits of glass sticking out here and there known as "blades" they are razor sharp! you can buy glass grinders to finish off all your cut pieces of glass but again you can manage with something less expensive like a diamond file.

Soldering Irons for Copper Foil Stained Glass Work

Just as with glass cutters soldering irons now come in a bewildering amount of styles.Unlike glass cutters you can't go out and buy a cheap one form the local store, you know the sort you would use to repair an electrical item, they're just not powerful enough. You're going to need at least an 60 watt iron.

For best results and easiest working you need to control the temperature of your iron, you can do this with a purpose made temperature controller which you plug your iron into, or you can get an iron with temperature controlled tips. these irons control their own temperature so there's less tools on your bench and the tips come in a range of temperatures.#

Get a tip cleaning sponge too, just keep it damp and wipe your soldering iron tip frequently while working to keep it clean.

Solder for Copper foil Stained Glass

Once you've cut all your pieces of stained glass to shape and wrapped the edges of each piece with copper foil then you need to solder them together, that's what holds everything in place and gives it strength.

Solder is traditionally made from a mixture of lead and tin, different proportions give it different properties, for instance more tin means it has a lower melting point so it will melt quicker and with less heat. It also polishes well for a good finish.

The different types of solder are described by numbers which show the proportions of lead and solder contained, tin is first so 60/40 solder has 60% tin and 40% lead. Many glass artist use 63/37 solder for decorative work.

Check out solder supplies at Delphi Glass

Solder is also available lead free if you have health concerns about working with lead, I personally find it more difficult to use and if you take sensible precautions, like washing your hands frequently or wearing latex gloves, not eating while working, basically commonsense stuff you shouldn't have any problems.

Soldering Flux

To solder metal you first need to make sure its clean, if you leave a piece of shiny copper foil laying around it will soon begin to darken due to tarnishing, add the effects of natural oils from you're fingers while you applying the foil to the glass and it's difficult to get the solder to stick.

Flux is basically a chemical compound which cleans the foil or any other metal you want to apply solder to. It comes in paste, gel and liquid forms, it only needs to be applied sparingly so it last quite a while. Being an abrasive chemical compound and potentially toxic exercise common sense when using it.

When you use you're soldering iron to apply the solder to your ready fluxed pieces of glass it will generate smoke and fumes, again common sense will tell you that you do not want to breathe in these fumes. Don't lean over your work piece, have a desk fan blowing the fumes away from you and toward an open window if possible. If you plan on doing a lot of stained glass work then invest in a fume extractor or bench top filter.

Once everything is nicely soldered in place you will need to remove the flux from your panel or lampshade, this generally means a scrub in the sink but if you tend to make large heavy pieces there are flux cleaners available which will remove all the nasty residues from you work with out the need for water.

Patina for Stained Glass Work

Now that your stained glass lampshade or mirror is soldered together you have the option of either polishing the soldered seams to a nice shiny silvery color or you can apply a patina finish.

Patina is another chemical solution which colors the solder or lead and makes it black or copper finish. It will depend on personal choice and also the color of glass you've used as to which finish is best. I have a personal preference for copper patina, it's amazing how different a piece of work will look once it's been colored.

Some items you make will look best if left with polished solder.

So now you know how to make items using copper foil and stained glass, what are you going to make? What can you make? The list is almost endless.
windows, Christmas decorations
panels, sun catchers
lampshades, candle shelters
night lights, trinket boxes
jewellery boxes, paper weights
mirrors, picture frames
Terrariums, planters
kaleidoscopes