Trouble Shooting

Problem: My solder seams are flat.

1. You are not using enough solder. Reflux your project and add more solder.
2. You are soldering too fast. Move at a speed that lets the solder bead.
3. If the bead was there, but disappeared, you may be working too long in one area causing the solder to melt through to the other side. Allow the area to cool down before trying again. Another option is to place a damp paper towel under the seam you are working on. This will help keep the glass cool, allowing you a little more time to work.
4. Check the type of solder mix you are using. For copper foil work, 60/40 will help produce a higher, more rounded bead. Don’t make the mistake of buying 40/60 solder. It has an even longer pasty range than 50/50, and is not recommended for stained glass work.

Problem: My solder seam is too wide.

1. Do you have large gaps between the pieces you are soldering?
   1. You may have to re-cut some pieces.
2. You may be using too much solder causing the seam to bulge over onto the glass. "Pull" or "bleed" the excess solder from the seam.
3. Is the copper foil too wide? This is another common mistake for beginners. Remember that the width of the solder seam is determined by the width of the foil. An attractive solder seam is accomplished by using a foil that shows about 1/16" on both sides of the glass.

Problem: My solder seams are irregular in width.

1. You may have poorly fitting pieces that create different size gaps in your project. Re-cut these pieces.
2. Your foil may be applied unevenly on each side of the glass in some places. You may try to correct this by trimming the foil with a craft knife. If that does not work, remove the foil and start again.

Problem: My glass fractured while I was soldering.

1. Your iron is too hot. Depending on what type of iron you are using, either turn the rheostat down or change to a lower temperature tip.
2. You "worked" too long in one location with the iron.
3. There could have been a small chip or crack in the glass which was expanded when it was heated by the iron.

Problem: My solder bead is dull and splotchy, not bright and shiny.

1. The solder was applied too cold, so it never fully reached its "liquid state." Turn up the temperature if you are using a rheostat or change to a higher temperature tip if you are using a temperature controlled tip.
2. You may not be using enough flux to "wet" your foil or lead and create a proper solder condition.
3. If you're using 50/50 solder, try 60/40. Because solder crystallizes as it cools through the pasty range, 50/50 is more prone to having a textured look on its surface because of its considerably larger pasty range.
4. The solder you are using may be of inferior quality.