Project Credit: Bernzomatic Torchbearer Jen Woodhouse
Directions
I had this tabletop candleholder that I never used, so I sawed off the candleholder platform part with a hacksaw because that’s the only part I needed for this DIY candleholder wall sconce.
Then I drilled a hole at the bottom of the decorative metal plate to feed the brass rod through. Sand off any rough edges if necessary.
My next door neighbor is a welder so I consulted him throughout this project. First, you want to make sure to clean the area you’ll be soldering really well. I used a detail sander with 60-grit sandpaper to sand off the paint and get down to bare metal. This also helps to rough up the surface a bit so that the solder will adhere better.
Next, using the micro torch, heat up the area and then apply the plumbing flux. You’ll hear the flux sizzle a little bit – that’s okay. It’s cleaning the area and preparing it to receive the solder.
You’ll want to clean all the metal parts this way – including the rod and the solder. Just be careful not to heat the solder too much that it melts. You simply want to heat it and dip it in the flux to get rid of any contaminates.
Then, position the rod as shown and heat both metals before introducing the solder. Make sure it’s good and hot and then slowly introduce the solder.
The solder will melt really fast and drip, so try to maintain control of it as best you can and direct it where you want to apply it.
Allow the metal to cool naturally. If you speed up the cooling process with cold water or a damp rag or something, you could risk causing stress fractures in the joint. Just let it cool off naturally. Patience, Grasshopper.
Here’s how it’s going to look on the front side – the bent rod comes through the drilled hole and the candleholder platform thingy will rest on top like so:
Repeat the soldering process to attach the candleholder platform to the rod. After everything has cooled, spray-paint the entire candleholder wall sconce with metallic gold paint to cover the silver solder joints. And that’s it!