- Published on
60/40 Solder
We've always used 60/40. Buy it from a stained glass retailer or from a craft/hobby shop.
BUY SOLID CORE ONLY, NOT “Electronic” or Rosin Core” from
hardware stores. It will make your project look yucky. Really yucky.
63/37 is a quick-set type solder. It's a little more expensive, and won't give you time to do a lot of touching-up. Stick with 60/40.
Don’t throw away the solder- re-use it, or save the scrap and bring it to a metal recycling place.
As of 2017, most 1LB rolls are around $25.
Canfield 60/40 stained glass solder
Studio Pro 60/40 stained glass solder
Lead-Free and 50/50 Solder
These behave differently. I had a former student come in with a roll of 50/50, to use on a project she was trying to complete in a day. The iron kept sticking, and she got frustrated. We realized that our hot irons, even at 900 degrees, were not hot enough to make the 50/50 bead like the 60/40.
As for lead-free, this type would be appropriate for making small jewelry projects. I would use a separate soldering tip for it, though, as lead contaminates
other metals, like silver, which is in lead-free solder.
For these two solders, use a temperature controlled iron, so you can make the tip hotter:
Hakko Adjustable Temp Iron
Here's a good write-up on solder types, published by Inland.
Flux
I recommend Glastar or Old Master’s. Buy only if labeled for stained glass.
Novacan Flux 8 oz.
Glastar Glasflux 4oz
And some cheap flux brushes
Patina
I use Novacan brand. It's the most common brand around for stained glass.
Novacan Black Patina for Lead
Novacan Copper Patina for Solder
We've always used 60/40. Buy it from a stained glass retailer or from a craft/hobby shop.
BUY SOLID CORE ONLY, NOT “Electronic” or Rosin Core” from
hardware stores. It will make your project look yucky. Really yucky.
63/37 is a quick-set type solder. It's a little more expensive, and won't give you time to do a lot of touching-up. Stick with 60/40.
Don’t throw away the solder- re-use it, or save the scrap and bring it to a metal recycling place.
As of 2017, most 1LB rolls are around $25.
Canfield 60/40 stained glass solder
Studio Pro 60/40 stained glass solder
Lead-Free and 50/50 Solder
These behave differently. I had a former student come in with a roll of 50/50, to use on a project she was trying to complete in a day. The iron kept sticking, and she got frustrated. We realized that our hot irons, even at 900 degrees, were not hot enough to make the 50/50 bead like the 60/40.
As for lead-free, this type would be appropriate for making small jewelry projects. I would use a separate soldering tip for it, though, as lead contaminates
other metals, like silver, which is in lead-free solder.
For these two solders, use a temperature controlled iron, so you can make the tip hotter:
Hakko Adjustable Temp Iron
Here's a good write-up on solder types, published by Inland.
Flux
I recommend Glastar or Old Master’s. Buy only if labeled for stained glass.
Novacan Flux 8 oz.
Glastar Glasflux 4oz
And some cheap flux brushes
Patina
I use Novacan brand. It's the most common brand around for stained glass.
Novacan Black Patina for Lead
Novacan Copper Patina for Solder
Scroll on down for each tool's 'Post'......
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:
We've used a lot of tools over time. Here's a bunch you might find worth buying. Scroll down, and each 'post' is a separate tool or material. I have, where I can, active Amazon links, to start your shopping process. If it is available elsewhere, I will usually let you know.