soldering fused glass elements

[foxsunni]

Hi I am attempting to solder fused glass elements into a stained glass panel.  They keep cracking.  I am using Spectrum 96.  Can anyone help, any ideas?

[Vernelle]

What size are the pieces?  Did you anneal them?  I’ve put fused pieces in stained glass panels before and they didn’t crack.  Are you getting them too hot with the iron?

[foxsunni]

Hi, the peices are 8″ long 2″ wide, single layer with tack fused design.  Yes I annealed them.  Perhaps my iron is too hot.  So are there any precautions or advice you can give me on soldering fused glass?

[Vernelle]

I’m not sure why your pieces are cracking.  The soldering iron isn’t as hot as being in the kiln.  How long did you anneal and at what temperature?

 

 

[wordana]

If you’ve ever done any stained glass, you know it’s very easy to crack glass. It’s not about “how hot it was in the kiln”, but basically thermal shock.

With a 2″ wide piece, you can easily get the glass hot enough to thermal shock. Go slowly, allow the glass time to cool as you work, don’t work in any one area for too long… I’ve also been pondering (saw your question on another board), if there is a way to work on top of a surface that acts as a heat sink but I haven’t come up with any good ideas .

It’s tricky. I used to do stained glass vases and there was one design I worked on that I would crack the same piece several times before getting a good one set in place (solder, crack, solder out, cut new piece, solder, crack, solder out, cut new piece…). . The real pain is soldering out what you’ve already soldered in! (without cracking more glass!!)

Dana W.

Jester’s Baubles Fused Glass Designs

http://www.jestersbaubles.com

[Stephen Richard]

You could use lead cam to make the panel. Much less heat transfer to the glass

Stephen Richard

blogs at: http://www.verrier-glass.blogspot.com/ and  http://www.glasstips.blogspot.com/

[thomas decker]

Years ago some one told me if you solder your piece on a thick towel the towel will absorb some of the heat and the piece is less likely to crack. I don’t know of it is true, but might be worth an old towel to givre it a try. 

[betnca]

I put a damp cloth under areas I think might crack then solder in very short segments letting the area cool before I solder more. It takes longer but has been worth the effort.

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