soldering stained glass with hardware store solder?

Hi, just curious if anyone out there solders stained glass with the
cheaper solder you can find in the plumbing dept of home depot? They
only carry lead-free solder, and it's $6 for a pound, yet in the hobby
stores the lead-free solder specifically for stained glass is over
$20. Is it the same thing???

I'm hoping to stay safe and not spend too much in my new hobby!

Hi

On 18 Apr 2007 11:57:31 -0700, n2dwoods wrote:

Hi, just curious if anyone out there solders stained glass with the
cheaper solder you can find in the plumbing dept of home depot? They
only carry lead-free solder, and it's $6 for a pound, yet in the hobby
stores the lead-free solder specifically for stained glass is over
$20. Is it the same thing???

I'm hoping to stay safe and not spend too much in my new hobby!

Been there - tried that !

I got the impression that the cheaper stuff is rather more variable in
composition - which meant it's less predictable to work with...
Also seemed to give a duller finish than the 'proper' stuff.

This isn't scientific, mind - just the result of observation....

Regards
Adrian

Oh - and by the way.....

I believe that the risks from working with lead-based solder
are exaggerated - you'd need to actually chew the stuff to
have a noticeable effect....

Regards
Adrian

Actually, the risks come from handling the lead and touching your face,
mouth, food and drink as well as your children. Chewing the lead is probably
less risky than dealing with the dust. There are a number of documented
cases of stained glass workers who were tested after years of work and high
blood levels of lead were found. When habits were changed, levels went
down.
While working with lead came, lead based solders, cleaning soldering,
handling windows, especially old windows being repaired, the hands should be
washed frequently and use of latex gloves should be considered. The face
should not be wiped with the hand to remove sweat or to clear the eyes and
habitual moves of touching the chin in thought, resting the hand on the
face, rubbing the forehead, rubbing the nose or eyelids in fatigue should be
avoided. Food - sandwiches, fruit, etc. - must not be handled without
thorough washing and not left around the shop waiting to be eaten. Cans or
bottles of beverages which are drunk from directly and open glasses should
not remain, full or empty, in the shop.

--
Mike Firth
Furnace Glassblowing Website
http://users.ticnet.com/mikefirth/
"Adrian" wrote in message
...
Oh - and by the way.....

I believe that the risks from working with lead-based solder
are exaggerated - you'd need to actually chew the stuff to
have a noticeable effect....

Regards
Adrian

Mike Firth wrote:
Actually, the risks come from handling the lead and touching your face,
mouth, food and drink as well as your children. Chewing the lead is probably
less risky than dealing with the dust. There are a number of documented
cases of stained glass workers who were tested after years of work and high
blood levels of lead were found. When habits were changed, levels went
down.
While working with lead came, lead based solders, cleaning soldering,
handling windows, especially old windows being repaired, the hands should be
washed frequently and use of latex gloves should be considered. The face
should not be wiped with the hand to remove sweat or to clear the eyes and
habitual moves of touching the chin in thought, resting the hand on the
face, rubbing the forehead, rubbing the nose or eyelids in fatigue should be
avoided. Food - sandwiches, fruit, etc. - must not be handled without
thorough washing and not left around the shop waiting to be eaten. Cans or
bottles of beverages which are drunk from directly and open glasses should
not remain, full or empty, in the shop.


Also, hands should be washed before going to the bathroom. I was taught
in industrial hygiene that the scrotum is made of some of the most
absorbent skin on the body. The ladies don't get a free pass, it looks
like that same type of skin, a more durable grade, is used to cover
elbows. Elbows off the table please.

Jack

"n2dwoods" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi, just curious if anyone out there solders stained glass with the
cheaper solder you can find in the plumbing dept of home depot? They
only carry lead-free solder, and it's $6 for a pound, yet in the hobby
stores the lead-free solder specifically for stained glass is over
$20. Is it the same thing???

I'm hoping to stay safe and not spend too much in my new hobby!


If there was a cheaper alternative that worked well, we'd all be using
it. Get the good stuff, and you'll have a better chance of doing good
looking work.

--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com

Watch me on May 16th on HGTV's "Hammered" ream out the shows funnyman for
being a cheap SOB and using flea market solder.


--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com

"glassman" wrote in message
...

Watch me on May 16th on HGTV's "Hammered" ream out the shows funnyman
for
being a cheap SOB and using flea market solder.


I bet he wasn't using a 900F tip, either.

"nJb" wrote in message
...
Mike Firth wrote:
Actually, the risks come from handling the lead and touching your face,
mouth, food and drink as well as your children. Chewing the lead is
probably less risky than dealing with the dust. There are a number of
documented cases of stained glass workers who were tested after years of
work and high blood levels of lead were found. When habits were changed,
levels went down.
While working with lead came, lead based solders, cleaning soldering,
handling windows, especially old windows being repaired, the hands should
be washed frequently and use of latex gloves should be considered. The
face should not be wiped with the hand to remove sweat or to clear the
eyes and habitual moves of touching the chin in thought, resting the hand
on the face, rubbing the forehead, rubbing the nose or eyelids in fatigue
should be avoided. Food - sandwiches, fruit, etc. - must not be handled
without thorough washing and not left around the shop waiting to be
eaten. Cans or bottles of beverages which are drunk from directly and
open glasses should not remain, full or empty, in the shop.


Also, hands should be washed before going to the bathroom. I was taught in
industrial hygiene that the scrotum is made of some of the most absorbent
skin on the body. The ladies don't get a free pass, it looks like that
same type of skin, a more durable grade, is used to cover elbows. Elbows
off the table please.

Jack


I worked commercially with stained glass and lead based solder for years.
Had my blood tested every six months for abnormal lead levels and never had
a problem. Just use common sense, don't eat at your work bench and wash
your hands regularly. I found thru trial and error that Dial liquid hand
soap did the best job of getting the lead dust off my hands. I also had a
stove type exhaust fan over my bench to draw away any lead and acid fumes.
Rich

"Steve Ackman" wrote in message
rg...
In , on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:18:16
-0400, glassman wrote:

Watch me on May 16th on HGTV's "Hammered" ream out the shows funnyman
for
being a cheap SOB and using flea market solder.

I just looked at today's listing, and couldn't find any
"Hammered." Has it been rescheduled?


The show got cancelled, and will be on the Do It Yourself Network later
this year.

--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com