If it’s ancient and has been exposed to air, then it does lose some of its adhesive quality due to oxidation. If it’s been kept in an airtight plastic bag, it should be ok. If you suspect that your foil is old and oxidized, you could try lightly rubbing it with steel wool.
How do you remove oxidation from copper foil?
Oxidised Copper Foil
- mix a quarter cup of white vinegar and a quarter teaspoon of table salt until the salt dissolves.
- dip the pieces of foiled glass into the mixture and swirl it around for about 30 seconds.
- rinse the pieces with water and dry them.
- that’s it! They are now ready to solder together.
Can copper foiled glass go outside? When you copper foil stained glass it’s best to start foiling away from the outside edge as this makes for stronger adhesion. This is because the foil isn’t joined on the outside edge where is is more likely to come loose.
Does stained glass flux go bad? Flux cored solder wire has a limited shelf life determined by the alloy used in the wire. For alloys containing more than 70% lead, the shelf life is two years from date of manufacture. Other alloys have a shelf life of three years from date of manufacture.
How do you use copper foil on stained glass? Flux cored solder wire has a limited shelf life determined by the alloy used in the wire. For alloys containing more than 70% lead, the shelf life is two years from date of manufacture. Other alloys have a shelf life of three years from date of manufacture.
Does copper foil go bad? – Related Asked Question
Why is my solder turning white?
After brushing excess solder and flux from the tip with a sponge, reapply a tiny bit of clean solder. If your solder turns a dull grey, that would be due to it’s oxidization, which means you’re either waiting way too long or the iron is way too hot.
What removes copper foil from the substrate?
Immerse the board in a heated (50°C) 5% solution of sodium hydroxide. After about 2 minutes, the resist will start to lift off of the copper. Swish the board around (or scrub it with a lightly abrasive pad) until all of the resist is removed. Rinse the board under warm tap water and blow dry.
What is copper foil used for?
Copper foil is a diversely useful – and often underutilized – material. With its high conductivity of electricity and heat, it is versatile and used for everything from crafts to electricity. Copper foil is even commonly used as an electric conductor for circuit boards, batteries, solar energy appliances, and more!
What size copper foil should I use?
For most projects, you’ll find 7/32” copper foil will be suitable, however if you vary the width of the foil it will add more depth. If you’re using thicker glass, 1/4″ foil will create a seam of normal width. But if you want special effects, take a razor knife and trim the copper foil after you apply it to the glass.
What is the difference between lead stained glass and copper foil?
The difference in how it looks
You can see by the photo above that the same panel looks quite different with the two different techniques. Copper foil is much more delicate, and is more uneven. This is great for organic patterns – flowers etc. Lead came has heavier, more regular lines.
How do you know if flux is bad?
Flux is not like milk that expires. If it is still a liquid that isn’t gummy it should be fine. Do a test solder or two. You will know if it is good by how the solder flows out when molten and how it hardens up as it cools.
Does soldering flux get old?
Assuming the original container is kept sealed (or resealed after use), after a year or so the fluxes for 50/50 and 95/5 solder will become a bit stiffer than their original consistency, but they seem to work fine – melt at appropriate heat and the solder flows just fine.
Can I use expired flux?
Flux is one of the three things you need to make a solder joint. You need heat, metal and flux. Don’t take any chances. If it is expired, don’t use it.
What is the best solder for copper foil stained glass?
60/40 melts at 374 degrees and becomes solid when it cools to 361 degrees. That means you have a working range of 13 degrees. This is your best choice for copper foil work. The liquid temperature and narrow working range make it easy to form and maintain consistent high, rounded, beaded seams.
Can you solder copper foil tape?
60/40 melts at 374 degrees and becomes solid when it cools to 361 degrees. That means you have a working range of 13 degrees. This is your best choice for copper foil work. The liquid temperature and narrow working range make it easy to form and maintain consistent high, rounded, beaded seams.
What is copper foil overlay?
This technique involves tracing or drawing a pattern onto a sheet of copper foil. Once the copper foil is affixed to the glass, the pattern is cut out with an exacto knife. The pattern is then burnished down to stop the edges from lifting.
Why does my solder go dull?
Dull (non-shiny) solder joints are usually the effect of coarse grain structure in the solid solder joint (though there can be other causes). The more slowly a joint cools, the coarser the grain growth and, conversely, the faster the joint cools, the finer the grain growth and the shinier the joint.
What is a wet sponge used for during soldering?
This wet sponge is used to clean the corrosion on the tip of the iron. A dry sponge does nothing but damage the tip. Every time you pull the iron from the stand, it’s a good idea to swipe the tip on the sponge just to clean it off and get a nice silver tip – it will allow you to solder much more quickly and cleanly.
How do you make solder shiny?
When the piece is dry, mix a solution of 3 parts distilled water and 1 part ammonia. Scrub the solder lines and joints with fine steel wool (0000) dipped in the ammonia solution. Scrub until all of the solder is a consistent satin finish silver.
How do you remove unwanted copper from a PCB?
Instructions
- Remove metals with silk screen printing. …
- Use conductive ink on a non-conductive board to remove the unwanted copper. …
- Photoengrave the PCB. …
- Employ transparencies printed by a laser printer for most PCBs. …
- Implement PCB milling to remove copper from the substrate.
How do you clean copper tape?
Dip a cloth in acetone nail polish remover, rub the copper piece until all lacquer is gone, wash thoroughly in hot, soapy water, dry completely with a soft cloth, buff with a second dry cloth, using circular motions, clean and polish the copper as needed.
How do you remove copper from PCB mechanically?
Another method is to use a stripping solution on the edge trim. This helps strip the copper, and it is removed as liquid form. The copper is then treated with reductants, which helps it regain its metal form. This method can also be performed for other precious metals in PCBs such as gold, platinum, and silver.
When was tin foil discontinued?
Aluminium foil supplanted tin foil in the mid 20th century.
Is copper foil a metal?
Copper is an influential metal for both industrial and consumer applications. Our copper foil inventory consists of Electro Tough Pitch (110 alloy) and Oxygen Free (102 alloy). … Major characteristics include being a malleable and ductile metal with a very high thermal and electrical conductivity.
Is copper foil a conductor of electricity?
Highly Conductive – Our copper foil tape with conductive adhesive uses a highly conductive material with low resistance, making our emi shielding foil a practical option for electrical projects, repairs and even paper circuits.
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| Material | Copper |
|---|---|
| Number of Items | 1 |
Why do you foil stained glass?
Because solder will not stick to glass, foiling each piece establishes a surface on which the solder will adhere. It is critical for the foil to be wrapped smoothly and evenly along the edge of each piece. If not, the solder won’t lay evenly and solder seams may look awkward.
Is foil tape the same as duct tape?
If you’re tackling an HVAC job at home, aluminum foil tape should be your go-to. Foil tape is flame resistant, holds up in extreme temperatures, and sticks strong in high humidity. If you’d rather not mess with duct mastic to seal up your HVAC system, aluminum foil tape is a solid alternative.
Do you solder both sides of stained glass?
Generally, you will hold your piece on the edges near the center. Turning your piece over from the top can sometimes cause your piece to bend in the center. The second side of your piece doesn’t need to be tack soldered. Simply apply a light amount of flux to the seams and solder as you did on the first side.
What is the difference between lead came and zinc came?
Lead came is available in a variety of widths and styles for the traditional glass artisan. Zinc frame is rigid and will add both strength and a finished edge to your projects.
How can you tell if stained glass is leaded?
How can you tell if Stained Glass is leaded? Experienced stained glass artists can tell this by just looking at the cames/channels that are used to attach the glass pieces together. Stained glass art pieces with lead cames for outdoor use. Such windows are fitted on the windows that are exposed to external conditions.
What is hobby came used for?
Hobby Came is used for the most delicate of work like 3D projects, boxes and lamps.
Does solder have a shelf life?
Solder manufacturers say yes solder has a shelf life (~ 6 months for leaded solder, ~1 year for non-leaded). They have to certify that their solder will have specific characteristics when used by a company to make, say, 10,000 radio units.
Can you freeze flux?
What happens to solder paste or paste flux if it is frozen? In many cases, nothing happens. However, some pastes are susceptible to damage that impairs performance. As a consequence, we recommend not freezing any of our solder pastes or paste fluxes.
Does plumbing solder expire?
No, it can’t go bad. A properly done solder joint will last the lifetime of the piping. Sometimes you get a cold solder joint in which the two pieces of the joint do not bond(usually caused by bad preparation) but it seems to seal for a while then starts leaking.
Does electrical solder get old?
Solder does not expire, Flux oxidizes and reduces the fluxes ability to keep oxidesoxygen away from the metal. If you doing production runs you need to watch the shelf life of the solderflux.
How long is solder flux good for?
For brazing flux the stated unopened shelf life is typically 1 year.
Is solder conductive of electricity?
The electrical conductivity of soft and hard solders is considerably less than that of copper, varying with composition between approximately 9 percent and 13 percent for soft solders and 20 percent and 40 percent for silver solders.
What is rosin soldering flux?
Rosin flux is used to facilitate soldering. It cleans and prevents metal oxidation which allows solder to create strong, long lasting mechanical and electrical bonds. It also acts as a wetting agent, increasing the flow of solder and the efficiency of the soldering process.
Does flux dry out?
7. Don’t let it get too dry. Paste flux dries up quickly and when it’s too dry it is problematic to work with. I am referring to both the flux in the jar – which seems to dry out even when the lid is closed tight – and the flux on your seam.
Where does solder flux go?
Flux may be solid, pasty, or liquid in form depending on how and where it will be used. For hand soldering, flux can be applied by a flux pen or is usually in the core of the solder wire that most technicians use.
How long can flux stay on stained glass?
Store the soldered stained glass piece in a dark, room temperature place (under a bed or in a closet) covered with a towel. Do NOT store longer than one week for copper patina, two weeks for black patina.
What temperature should my soldering iron be for stained glass?
700 degrees is the standard for 60/40 solder, but 600 and 800 degree tips are available.
Can you use a regular soldering iron for stained glass?
Being able to change the tip temperature so readily adds versatility and means that the Hakko FX-601 iron can be used for all types of stained glass projects. LIGHT. The iron is very light which gives you lots of fine control over your soldering. If you’re doing hours of soldering you won’t get tired holding it.
Can you heat copper tape?
Copper tape is so thermally conductive that one would have a hard time getting enough heat to the adhesive side to damage it. Best thing to do is just try soldering a sample piece. I have never had problems with damaging the adhesive. Good soldering is all about experience so try it out on test tape pieces.
What is a desoldering wick?
Desoldering braid or “wick” is a pre-fluxed copper braid that is used to remove solder, which allows components to be replaced and excess solder (e.g. bridging) to be removed.
How do you solder foil?
Desoldering braid or “wick” is a pre-fluxed copper braid that is used to remove solder, which allows components to be replaced and excess solder (e.g. bridging) to be removed.
How do you use copper foil sheets?
Desoldering braid or “wick” is a pre-fluxed copper braid that is used to remove solder, which allows components to be replaced and excess solder (e.g. bridging) to be removed.
Can you overlap copper foil on stained glass?
Desoldering braid or “wick” is a pre-fluxed copper braid that is used to remove solder, which allows components to be replaced and excess solder (e.g. bridging) to be removed.
How do you use copper foil overlay on stained glass?
Method 1b – Sticking Foil Overlay to Glass With Glue
- Draw or mark a shape on a copper foil sheet – you can indent the foil in a shape if that’s easier.
- Carefully cut the shape out using a craft knife.
- Stick the shape to a heat proof plate like a microwave plate, burnish.
- Use paste flux then tin and/or texture it.