Natural Stone Necklace Project Guide

Description

Project Tip:

• Adult Supervision is required.
• Work in a ventilated space when working solder. Wear a dust to protect you from harmful fumes.
• When working with a soldering iron wear heat resistant gloves to protect your hands from the heat.
• Work on a heat resistant surface like our Studio Pro Stained-Glass Work Surface.

Instructions:

1. Select the rocks/ pebbles that you want to use for your pendant. All stones are natural, and no one is the same. Try to select stones that are like the image. Stones that are flat are easier to work copper foil and solder. Bumpy or uneven stones are more difficult.
2. After selecting the stones, it is time to apply the copper foil. Make sure your stones are free of dirt and dust.
3. Use ¼” copper foil. Remember you will be attaching jump rings the solder. Where you place the copper, foil determines where you will apply the jump rings to connect.
4. Use a fid the flatten copper foil until it is flush and almost seamless to the stone. You do not want bumpy copper foil.
5. Plug in your soldering iron. Plug in your soldering iron. WARNING: No drinking, eating or smoking while handling lead solder! Pregnant or nursing woman should avoid all lead solder. Open window and turn on fan when soldering.
6. While the iron heats up, make sure your sponge is damp for quick and easy cleaning of soldering iron during use.

HOT TIP! Use a Benchtop Solder Smoke Absorber. This helps absorb the smoke and fumes from soldering.

7. Apply a small amount of flux with a brush to your foiled seams. Apply only to areas you will be able to work in 10 minutes. Solder will not properly adhere to glass without foil and flux.
8. Pull out about 9 inches of lead-free solder from the spool, do not cut.
9. Place the hot soldering iron tip on the seam you want to solder. Use the narrow edge as opposed to the flat edge, as this helps to raise the solder bead. Now that the tip is on the foil, place the solder from the spool about ½” up from the end of the tip. Gently push the solder into the tip, as you move the tip along the seam. Let up on the amount of solder when you come to the end of the seam. Now wipe your tip and put the iron back into the iron stand. HOT TIP! Use a handy tool of heat resistant gloves to hold the pendant your working on without burning your fingers from the heat of the solder.
10. Do not leave the soldering iron in one place too long; this can crack the glass, or the solder can “melt through.” This means the solder will liquefy and fall through the foil seam between the glass.
11. Solder the front, back and sides of your project, wherever foil is exposed. Then do a final solder bead. You will acquire this skill over time. All seams and outer areas should have a raised bead.
12. To apply a jump ring to the top of the pendant, apply flux to the spot where you want to connect the jump ring to. Also apply flux to the jump ring. Add a bead of solder to connect the two together. This is a very tricky part of the project, and not everyone’s favorite. With practice it gets simpler. Using a Handy Tool will help hold the jump ring for you while you solder.
13. To connect the two pendants together make sure to connect the loose jump ring to a jump ring that is already soldered to a stone. Then solder the loose jump ring to the other stone. This part is difficult and requires a lot of patience.
14. When you have completed the soldering, let the pendant cool completely. Clean your finished project with liquid soap and water, rinse thoroughly, and dry.
15. Connect pendant to a 32” inch long piece of suede cording or your choice of chain.

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