Using Old Foil

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Using Old Foil

by Joyce
(Minneapolis/Burnsville, MN)

Does foil ever get too old to use? I haven't worked on a glass project for sometime so my foiling supplies have been in plastic wrap. Now when I tried to put foil on a piece of glass, the foil will not easily stick.

Also Thank you for the tip on using a Carborundum stone. That will save me sometime at the grinder.
Thank you for your advice.
Joyce

Answer
It's difficult to tell the exact shelf life of foil. I have foil that's over five years old that works like a charm, but I've heard from other people that can't get one year old foil to stick.

However, before you deem your foil useless, try wiping the edges of your glass with alcohol before you apply the foil. The edges of the glass must be absolutely clean, and the alcohol will do that, plus it seems to make the foil adhere better. Also, make sure you have burnished the foil very well, pressing it down as tightly as possible.

Comments for
Using Old Foil

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Aug 19, 2009

Old Foil NEW
by: Lisa Seger

Recently, a good friend gave me a box of stained glass and supplies that she had left over from a class she took in 1986. There was a roll of copper foil in the box, along with solder, etching creme (which I am looking forward to trying!) and kokomo glass. What an awesome gift! The solder price gave away how old it was ($6 for a 1 pound roll!) and the foil roll was aged looking. I have tried to use it, following the guidelines of cleaning with alcohol and burnishing it thoroughly. Lets just say that 22 year old foil cannot be counted on to hold it's integrity...parts of it will stick well, but other parts have no adhesive power at all. I am keeping it for small pieces and only using the parts that still seem to have some sticky left. I hate to throw out any supplies...they're so expensive as it is.

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Using Old Foil

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Using Old Foil