FOILING
ON BURNISHING TOOLS
Emily Klaszac Had a foiling machine and gave it away, someone later told me that it works best if you bolt it to your work table but if you are like me and foil while watching TV, talking on the phone, that doesn't work. Then I tried the blue foiling wands but lost too many of them between the sofa cushions. Used save wooden popsicle sticks to use as fids, then used old ballpoint pens, but now I have discovered the perfect fid. I bought one at my local glass store then after using it bought several more in case it decides to visit the foling wands in the sofa cushions. It is clear plastic and looks like a sharpened pencil. One end is tapered to a point, the other is flattened at an angle and can be used for mooshing down corners. And you can wrap wire around it to make a nice sized jump ring.
Jennifer Buckner I use a 1/2 inch wooden dowel rod, cut to 6" lengths, beveled at an angle and sanded smooth. It works for me. I started out using a foiling machine, but found that a. I could center the glass on the foil just as well by hand, and b. it's a pain to change rolls of foil on the machine. I often use black, copper and silver backed foil in the same project, in both 7/32 and 3/16, so I just keep all the rolls in a storage box and pull their ends out through the slits as I foil.
Walt Boepple I have never used any of the foilers. But, have heard like was mentioned, most are returned by the purchaser. I have seen many use the fids or pens to crimp down the foil. I use my thumbnail and then press it down on both sides on the workbench to mash the corners. But,,,,,,,,,,,,I lose some that way to as they snap in the middle and you have to cut another one.
ON FOILING JEWELS ETC.
Joan Bengston The only thing I can add is that it's easier to trim a strip of foil lengthwise with a scissors while it still has the paper backing on it rather than fussing with an X-acto knife. Most jewels have a thinner edge that you can fold the foil around and it's just as stable as the glass. At times when using glass globs or marbles (on flat panels) that have such broad edges, I grind a shallow groove around the circumference where the foil is going to go. I press the foil into the groove and make sure the solder flows down well between the pieces. That holds it tight so you can't push it out. I put the almost finished panel up on props before placing the globs or marbles and then finish the soldering.