Foil Not Sticking
by Teressa
(Lincoln City, Oregon)
I made my very first stained glass project and found that the foil is coming up on all of the edges. Can I just re-solder or do I have to redo it all again? I am not sure how to get the foil to "stick" now. Thanks.
Answer
It sounds like one of two problems. Either the edges of your glass were not clean before you applied the foil, or you didn't burnish the foil well enough after you applied it.
I use a paper towel dampened with alcohol to wipe the edges of each piece just before I foil. The alcohol cleans off any grinder residue and removes oily finger prints.
After the foil is in place use a fid, chopstick stick, small wall paper roller, or I've even been known to use the side of a ball point pen, to go around all of the edges of the foil to make sure it is pressed down very well. If it isn't pressed down well enough, flux can get under the foil and cause it to lift.
Once the foil has lifted, there isn't much hope of it sticking down again especially if flux has seeped under it. It's best to pull the foil off, clean the glass and start over.
