Copper Foil Did Not Stick

by Susan
(Tryon, NC)

I had completely finished a project and was cleaning it up in order to put the patina on it. I washed it in warm water, then put flux remover on. One of the pieces just fell off. The foil did not stick. What did I do wrong?
Thanks, I really enjoy your site.
Susan

Answer

Hi Susan,

There could be several reasons for that happening:

1. The glass wasn't cleaned before you applied the foil.

2. The glass wasn't totally dry before you applied the foil.

3. You didn't burnish the foil well enough ... didn't get it tight against the glass.

4. The edge wasn't beaded up well enough.

5. When you washed the panel, you puled the foil loose by scrubbing from the center downward instead of the edge upward. Pushing against the foil, that way, will pull it loose quickly, especially if it hasn't been beaded well enough.

6. The edge wasn't reinforced with wire if there were irregular pieces that protruded from the panel. In that case, the protruding pieces can pull away from the panel due to their weight if they aren't properly reinforced.

As you might already know, the adhesive does not hold the panel together, but the foil must be burnished tightly against the dry, clean glass for it to stay in place. If the foil isn't burnished well, moisture can get between the glass and the foil causing pieces to fall off very soon.

Once the panel is soldered, the solder forms the framework that keeps the panel together. You are in essence making a psudo lead came when you build a bead of solder over the copper foil. You must form a well rounded bead everywhere, but especially around the edges, or finish the edges with lead or zinc. I finish my foiled pieces with a bead over wire, or just a bead, depending on the size of the piece.

You might want to look at my tutorial on Cleaning and Patina.