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Once you’ve rescued your copper wire you need to straighten it.
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Tinning this thin wire is difficult as it’s so thin so you might want to use this just as it is. There’s always room for pushing the boundaries – if you want to do something very delicate like cat’s whiskers you could go even thinner – say #22. #14 gauge is good for hanging and #18 for more decorative stained glass work. This will give you some idea of the different widths and what to use them for:ġ4-18 gauge is the range for most stained glass projects. The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the wire, which for me seems the wrong way round! You have to choose the correct size for the application.
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Wire comes in different gauges or thicknesses. It’s nice to make things simple for ourselves sometimes ? Wire Gauges You can always choose the easy route and buy tinned wire you can find an impressive range of wire here (affiliate). The reason we tin wire for stained glass is so that it will take the patina and you can match it to the patina in your project.
Tinning flux how to#
This video shows you how to strip the plastic from electrical wire and tin (coat) it with a layer of solder. If you’re interested in doing this – and why wouldn’t you be, they’re lovely! – you can save money by making your own tinned wire. Tinning copper wire for stained glass gives you options of adding decorative wire details to your work.