When you’re just getting into this art it can be difficult to remember all of the particulars, like what metals you can use in stained glass. It also doesn’t help when you go to search for these answers online and are met with a multitude of information that doesn’t actually pertain to stained glass.
There are different types of soldering, hard soldering and soft soldering. There are also different methods and materials that are used for different applications. When it comes to stained glass, you want to find metals you can use with the same equipment and materials you already have.
The easiest and most foolproof way to know that a metal can be soldered to your stained glass projects is to get your supplies at a retailer that specializes in stained glass. In my article covering stained glass resources, I list my favorite online retailers. However, you may not always find what you’re looking for. Especially if you’re trying to achieve a new idea that’s not prevalent in the art already – love that <3
In this article I’m going to cover all of the metals you can solder to your stained glass projects using the solder and supplies you already have in your studio.
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How to Know if a Metal Will Work in Your Stained Glass
When it comes to choosing a metal for stained glass projects, you’re looking for a few things: can it be soft soldered, what metals make up the composition, and whether or not it will take a patina (assuming you wish to patina your piece all one color.)
Soft Solder vs Hard Soldering
Any soldering you do with a soldering iron is considered “soft soldering.” When you go to do an online search you’ll see a number of materials that can be soldered, but some of these are referring to using high temperature tools, like torches. This type of soldering is considered “hard soldering.”
Obviously we don’t want to go buy torches, unless of course you’re fabricated some really cool thing for the stained glass to go into, in which case – awesome. Otherwise, you want to stick to metals that can be soft soldered.
Metal Composition
The metals you will most commonly find in stained glass are copper, lead, and zinc. These are base metals, meaning they are pure and have no other metal additives. However the solder you use in your stained glass projects is an alloy, or a mix of metals. Most of which will contain some mixture of these base metals.
Most copper alloys can be soldered using one or more of the standard solders you find in stained glass, however not all will bond as well, and may not take patina very well. Brass is one of these. Can you solder brass? Yes. However it’s more difficult to get a hold and doesn’t take a patina as easily as copper, lead, or zinc.
If your solder is not sticking to a metal, keep in mind that the flux you use is very important and some metals may require a stronger flux than what you already have.
The table below lists metals you can solder using one of the common solders found in stained glass. The metals that are bolded are those most prevalent in stained glass, and are going to be the tried and true choices for whatever components you’re needing.
| Metal | Composition | Metals in Standard Solders |
| Copper | bases metal | tin, lead, copper, copper/silver |
| Silver plated | base metal often mixed with copper | |
| Brass | copper + zinc | |
| Zinc | base metal | |
| Lead | base metal | |
| Tin | base metal | |
| Nickel | base metal | |
| Pewter | tin, copper, antimony, bismuth, sometimes lead | |
| Bronze | Copper + tin |
NOTE: Keep in mind that if you’re using silver plated components for jewelry you’ll want to use a lead-free solder.
Patina
The chemical we use to change the metal color in stained glass is called patina, but the definition of patina is “a gloss or sheen on a surface resulting from age or polishing.” So patina is a natural occurrence that can be accelerated by chemicals. However, not all metals have this reaction, or respond to the patina used in stained glass to accelerate it.
For instance, when I used my patina on brass, although it worked it did take the patina sitting longer to do so, and it did not come out as black as the rest of the piece.
Every metal will react differently to your patina so it’s a good idea to test an area of the metal BEFORE deciding to use it in your piece. You don’t want to get all of the soldering work done only to discover that you can’t achieve the final look you were hoping for.
Conclusion
You’re always going to be best off by sticking with the metals most prevalently found in stained glass, however there are other metals that you can use. This is especially helpful information to know if you are feeling experimental and want to try new things. New and never-done-before projects excite me, namely those in the art of stained glass because there is still so much that has yet to be done in this art form
While I roam down my creative thoughts of possibilities, I hope you do the same, even if only occasionally, and I hope this information opens up some of those possibilities for you.
Happy Creating <3
