Making soft-soldered jewelry from broken china, sea glass, stained glass, and other found objects requires the use of a soldering iron instead of a torch. This is a portable technique you can do at your kitchen table or jewelry bench. There is no open flame, and you can use this method to create bezels and other decorative elements. Here are a few safety tips for soft soldered jewelry making to keep in mind, regardless of where you’re working.

1. Good Ventilation is Key

Do you have a designated space for your crafting and jewelry design? Your workspace is a major factor when it comes to safely soft soldering at home. Make sure you keep in mind the heat and fumes that come with soldering. If you do not have a designated space, the essentials are a clean and heat-resistant surface space and good ventilation for the fumes. Sheet metal or ceramic tiles are excellent surface options. You can also use a fume ventilator if you have a space without windows.

2. Protect Your Eyes

One thing that is often ignored when working on jewelry at home is proper safety coverage, including clothing that will not catch fire and protective eyewear. Solder can “spit” and end up in unwanted places from your carpeted floor to your skin or eyes. Do not skip this step just because you are at home and not in a public place that requires safety wear.

3. Use the Right Tip

You always want to make sure you are using the correct soldering iron tip for your project, so you have the right amount of heat and solder aimed at the area you want “tinned” or covered in solder. There are a variety of tips available, including small hole, wedge, sharp, fan, and large tips, to name a few. Not every soldering iron works with all these tips so be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions before making a purchase. And understand what each tip is used for before starting your project.

4. Avoid Burns

It may be easy to justify not putting your soldering iron back in its station if it will just be for a second. However, it only takes a second to forget where you set it down and then burn yourself! You could also easily hit the cord while reaching for something else, spinning the iron in a direction you didn’t intend. If you get into the habit of always returning the iron back to the station, you can avoid burns and stay safe when soldering at home.

Related: How to Make Broken China Jewelry with Soft Soldering

5. Clean Tips After Every Use

After you use your soldering iron, you may want to move on to the next step and forget to clean your tips. However, keeping your tips clean ensures you start off in a safe place the next time you want to solder. Brass sponges lengthen the life of your tips, although a wet sponge will also do the trick if you don’t have a brass sponge on hand.

6. Wash Your Hands

Soft soldering can be a messy technique! The solder itself releases chemicals (why you need good ventilation) and the flux you apply to the surface ahead of soldering sputters when heated, inevitably landing on something you will touch. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after soldering at home to make sure you do not transfer those chemicals around your home or into your food. While it may seem like an obvious step, it can be easy to forget when you get busy.

Related: 4 Tips for Making Pottery and Sea Glass Soft Solder Jewelry

How do you use soft soldering in your jewelry designs? Leave your tip in the comments.