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Mastercraft Lead-free Solder - 1 lb

Item# 2999

11 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Disastrous, November 8, 2009 1 stars

Pros
Being free of lead--a poison--is great; delivering terrible performance is not.

Cons
Very brief "waxy" state, i.e. extremely short time between liquefied and hardened. Dull finish.

Other Thoughts
Like many, I try to avoid any and all toxins in my environment whenever possible, and given the great reviews, I thought this product would serve me well. It didn't! It has an extremely high melting temperature, which is workable with good soldering skill, but it solidifies almost immediately after the iron is removed--this makes pulling a continuous bead along a seam extremely difficult, as any bumps in your glass that cause the iron to stop for the briefest of moments frequently means that the iron itself gets stuck as its trailing edge adheres to the already solidified solder behind it! I have tried different irons, and iron tips, maximizing temperatures, trying different fluxes with it, etc. The results have all been the same: terrible, and amateur looking solder lines! I can't run away from this stuff fast enough!!!!

Morton System Start-Up Kit

Item# 60001

9 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Overall a Great Tool, But Prepare for a Learning C, October 21, 2009 5 stars

Pros
I use this system with almost every project I undertake. It allows you to score and break glass resulting in burr-free surfaces, which means less or no grinding, and much better foil adhesion. Overall, it is a welcome and necessary tool for me.

Cons
The user manual is unnecessarily confusing. The graphics often conflict with the text, and I find that I'll be 3 pages in on a subject, and then find a paragraph heading saying "Read this First." One would expect that on the first page, *before* the settings are made as instructed by the previous pages. Also, there's lots of "choose explanation B" unless you are left-handed, then choose option C, skipping steps 8-12, but step 11 will tell you it must not be skipped, and must be followed by Option B. Really, a thorough re-write of the manual by someone other than the original author would help *tremendously*.

Other Thoughts
The kit includes an instructional CD to help you understand the written instructions. Inexplicably, the CD is an *audio* CD and not a video showing the techniques. Further, the audio is just a literal reading of the printed manual, which doesn't aid in understanding at all. How difficult would it be to use a video camera and record mpgs of the procedures? All in all, I am glad I stuck through the learning curve for this system despite the confusing documentation. It really is a wonderful system to use, and is quickly becoming indispensable to me.

Taurus 3 Ring Saw

Item# 57003

11 of 24 found the following review helpful:

An Indispensable and Wonderful Tool!, October 11, 2009 5 stars

Pros
I love this saw! The circular movement is natural, it cuts like a champ, and is giving me really beautiful results. My friends and family comment on how my glass looks much more professional than before. If you can't afford this saw, then save your money until you can. It truly is a pleasure to use, and it opens up all sorts of more difficult cuts. I don't know how many sheets of glass I wasted before this saw when trying to cut inside curves. This saw makes that completely effortless, reducing my scrap glass to practically nothing at all. I enjoy using this saw, I am proud of the results I make with it, and am very glad I own one.

Cons
The included tutorial videos are really annoying. They really, really try hard to be funny (they're in a 1950s "Mr. Wizard" style, complete with a nerd in a lab coat with thick glasses), and they are anything but.

Other Thoughts
This saw will take you from basic glass maker with acceptable, amateur results to intermediate and advanced glassmaker with really superior results that you will be proud of.

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James's info

joined:	Nov 15, 2006
location:	BETHESDA, MD US
display name:	BehtesdaJim