Soldered copper letters
- This project first appeared at @ma3ke@hachyderm.io on .
- This article was created on .
My friend Ana really loved the design of the awards I made for that past year's Cardozo Awards. For her birthday, I made her one with her name.
The smell of solder is so important to me. I grew up soldering little artworks and electronics with my dad. There is something so pleasant about that smell of flux.
To make soldered lettering, like this, I first bend the shapes of the letters. Then, I cut them off at roughly the right angle at which they meet the surface of the other pieces. I file and sand these ends such that they meet perfectly. Before soldering, I apply a generous amount of flux. This is quite important to get a nicely flowed and connected joint. I take care not to apply too much solder. After soldering, I thoroughly clean the rather corrosive flux off with warm water and soap.
At this stage, the joints are rough and a bit raised with respect to the copper surfaces. Using small files, sand paper Those firm sponge blocks are very helpful, here, because they are very good at smoothly blending the different surfaces. With some Scotch-Brite, I like to bring all the copper to a similar shine and roughness. By carefully doing this clean-up work, I can achieve a beautifully refined look.
