4 Tips for Making Pottery and Sea Glass Jewelry with Soft Soldering

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Broken china or pottery, sea glass, raw gemstones, and other found objects make uncommon jewelry when you use the soft soldering technique. Also called “foil wrapping,” low-temperature soldering is easy to learn. But there are some solutions that make it even easier. Use copper foil and solder to frame, cap, and upcycle scrap glass and other elements.

Above: Table filled with tools and materials for soft soldering.

Related: Jewelry Designs Made Using Soft Soldering Techniques

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4 Tips for Soft Soldering

1. Use a rubber block to lift your work off the surface of your workbench. So often we work right on the tabletop and the simple act of elevating the work will really help your joints, long term. The rubber block also helps stabilize the piece and will keep the object in front of you. If you use something like a steel block, it will help with elevating, but the slick surface will cause the piece to skirt away and be more frustrating than helpful.

2. When wrapping an element with copper foil, save the backing and label it with the name of the piece you’re soft soldering around. Provided this is a “standard” size component, you can then use the template to pre-cut your foil. You might be surprised but pre-cutting your foil ahead of wrapping will improve your efficiency and set you up for success if you’re in production mode for gift-making or selling your designs.

3. For a quick project, wrap and soft-solder a large crystal, stone, or piece of pottery. Add a jump ring to convert the component into a pendant, then add a cord and you have a quick gift or great product to offer your clientele.

4. Be sure to clean your soft-soldered designs well. Flux is used in the soft soldering process and it’s best to use flux remover to clean it. Soap and water do not do the job.

From Stained Glass to Jewelry

Soft soldering or low-temperature soldering was a big part of my foray into jewelry making. I shifted from larger home décor stained-glass projects into the smaller jewelry format because it was also a great way to use up leftover glass from my stained-glass designs. Plus, it took less time to create gifts. Soft soldering remains a part of my repertoire and I still use it with leftover glass, but it’s also great for broken pottery, raw crystals, sea glass, rocks, and other treasures.

Related: How to Make Broken China Jewelry with Low Temperature Soldering

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Have fun exploring this fun technique and be sure to comment with any questions you might have, or to offer your own tips and tricks.

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