Applying Flux

Hi, I am a novice (literally) to stained glass (am awaiting the arrival of my order of tools, etc.,.); all I know about stained glass is from watching a rather large number of videos on expertvillage.com & books from the library.

I have a question about flux.

I am wondering, since it is suppose to readily clean off the glass, why, instead of applying it with a brush, a reservoir (such as an old ceramic casserole dish) filled with the flux liquid is not used, and simply dip the piece into it (submerse all of it), and then shake off the excess fluid? That way you would not miss any spots, and it would be much faster.

Thank you for the help with this.

Jack Fagnani
Bridgeport, CT (USA)

Answer

Hi Jack,

Unfortunately, those videos don't always show the entire technique. Flux is used in the soldering process, and it is used to clean the surface of the lead or copper foil to make it readily accept the solder. It does not go on the glass. It has nothing to do with the glass. Once the entire project is assembled, the copper foil is fluxed, or the lead joints are fluxed, then the panel is soldered.

I'd suggest that you read the tutorials on my web site or better yet, sign up for a beginners class. You don't want to start out with misconceptions or learning improper techniques. Stained glass is fun and gratifying, but it can be very tedious if you don't have enough information to know how to do it properly.

I wish you well on your stained glass journey.