Introduction: Bevel Water Cube - Prism Maker!

By ArtAttack2.com
About: Artisans handcrafting in glass, wood, metal, resin, polymer and more. All uniquely handmade - sponsored by Les Burnett - Sandy Burnett

Hang this in a sunny spot and watch the rainbow prisms dance around the room.

Materials:

  • 6 diamond bevels
  • electrical or masking tape
  • 7/32 or 1/4" copper foil tape & burnisher
  • approximately 2" or so of copper wire
  • flux & flux brush (I prefer gel flux)
  • soldering iron (for stained glass)
  • glass cutter (can use grinder - but will take longer)
  • stained glass grinder (or grinder with diamond grinding wheel)
  • Carnauba car wax
  • Optional: Copper or black patina

Step 1: Prep Your Bevels

Cut 1/2" off the tip of one (this will be the whole to fill with water). I also grind the thickness down a little just to make foiling easier (or use 2 pieces of foil to cover the edge).

TIP: To make fitting a bit easier, I grind the back side off to a sharper edge. It's not necessary, just makes assembly a little easier since the edges are sharp vs. round. To do this, simply hold the bevel at an angle and run against the grinder wheel.

Step 2: Foil Around All Edges

Make sure all your bevels are clean. Rubbing alcohol works great.

Foil around all the edges of each bevel - center the tape; fold over the edges - overlap about 1/2" at the beginning and ending.

Burnish so the take is stuck down good.

Step 3: Flux & Tin

  • Add flux to the foil so the solder will stick.
  • Collect a small dab of solder on the tip of your soldering iron and tin the foil. It gets hot - watch your fingers! Make sure all the foil is tinned. (If you do not tin all the sides, you will see the foil on the inside of the cube).
  • Wash with soap and water & dry.

Step 4: Assemble the Cube

Assemble the cube using small pieces of tape. I like to get 8-10 pieces ready and have them stuck on the edge of a table before I start. Extra hands are nice to have around at this part.

Place the tape in the center of the bevels so you can tack it together (next step) at each corner

Step 5: Tack Solder & Solder Seams

Once you are happy with the way the cube is assembled, flux & tack solder each point.

Then, you can remove the tape, flux and run solder along the entire seam - try not to let it get too hot so the solder drops through the seam!

Step 6: Add the Hanger

Using a small piece of wire (copper) bend in the center & solder the "feet" along the edge of the top bevels (where the hole is)

Step 7: OPTIONAL: Patina

If you don't want to leave the bevel cube silver, add patina inside & out. Wash with soap & water when done.

Step 8: Add Water & Hang in Sun

I add carnauba car wax to keep the shine, then add water (distilled is best); hang in a sunny location & watch the spectrum prisms dance around the room.