Surfaces: Under/Over Firing and Etching

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Underfired Surfaces:
Orange Peel
Sugar Coat

Overfired Surfaces:
Glossy with color changes dependent on enamel color.

     By varying your firing times you can get different surfaces such as sugar, orange peel, and the normal glossy. You can also intentionally overfire your piece for interesting results. 
     The enamels fire anywhere from 1450-1525 degrees. Some of the enamels fire at the low end of that range, others at the high end. The 1685 cobalt blue opaque is on the high end, 1515 baby blue opaque is in the middle, and 1995 black is on the low end. 
      If you layer a higher temp enamel like 1685 on top of a lower temp enamel, and leave the enamel in a bit longer than usual, the lower temp enamel color will start to bleed through the top layer creating a crackled or mottled effect. 
     A lot of the colors will turn black along the edges when over fired. White turns a beautiful green-blue. The Jungle green (1360) turns a very dark navy, other colors can get speckles. Refer to the firing chart for flow temperatures by color number.


Surfaces achieved through firing-

• Glossy: Fire fully. Stone in between firings for smoothest surface.
• Orange Peel: Pull piece from kiln before fully fired. You cannot fire or work with the surface again and still keep the orange peel texture. Best for solid or 2 colors. Dry sift for the best result.
• Sugar: Pull piece from kiln when the surface looks like sugar crystals. The enamel will have bonded with the metal underneath, but not smoothed out on the top. This is a very delicate surface to achieve as the enamel passes through this window of firing time swiftly. For smoother results, fire a coat to glossy first, then fire a sugar coat on top. You cannot work with the surface after sugar firing. Best for solid colors. This surface is unsuitable for areas of contact or heavy wear, as the powder can become loose and flake off over time.

Etching:

• You can make the surface of your enamel matte by applying Etch-All to it. Etch-All comes as a liquid and as a cream. 
• The liquid is excellent for etching the entire piece or removing enamel from a piece. 
• To remove enamel from a piece without hurting the metal, leave it in Etch-All for a couple days. The etch will eat the enamel and not affect the metal. 
• The Etch-All creme can be applied to specific areas to create a glossy/matte surface contrast. Apply with a fine brush or Q-Tip. 
• Leave the piece in the etch (liquid or cream) for about 15 minutes for a nice matte surface. 
• If using the cream, scrape excess back into the container. 
• Rinse, scrub with a toothbrush and dry. 

Some enamels are acid-sensitive. Test out any colors before committing your piece to the etch!!

 

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Torch Firing

-->Torch firing: 

• Sift or pack enamel as usual, let the piece dry. 
• Heat the piece with a torch instead of the kiln. 
• Heat slowly and evenly- keep your flame in motion all over the piece. The firing process takes longer with the torch, so be patient. 
• Since the torch heats unevenly, this technique creates unusual effects- iridescence in the enamel, black rims around the edges. 

• Torch-firing is an unpredictable method, and is best suited for pieces that do not need to be identical. 
• By putting the flame on the enamel, you can achieve and iridescent effect and some enamel colors will change color as well. 
• Several of the opaque reds develop a navy blue skin over them. 
• If you don’t want iridescence, torch from underneath. 
• Always have your piece on either a firing rack or a trivet, as the soldering board will stick to the enamel and leave residue.

Project 1

Project 1: Opposites
For this project create a piece around enamel that portrays opposites. You can interpret this literally or abstract. Consider dictionary definitions of opposite as well as synonyms. What do you think of when you hear opposite? Consider light/dark, good/evil, pro/anti, front/back, in/out, over/under to name a few.
Think about the enamel as the piece itself rather than as something that need to be set. Your piece can be flat or three dimensional.

Use at least one of the following techniques:
Dry sifting, Wet packing, Torch firing, Sugar coat, Orange peel, or Etched surfaces.

10 color design of opposites due September 17.
Final project is due beginning of class October 15.

Enamelling on Three Dimensional Surfaces

For the most part, enamelling on 3D, formed, or domed surfaces is like enamelling flat. You follow all of the same steps- clean the metal, agar, put on the enamel fire, clean, etc.

A couple of things are trickier with curves however…

Enamelling on the convex surface:

• When enamelling on the convex side, make sure that your enamel layers are as even as you can make them. Enamelling on the outside of the curve creates more stress on the enamel, making uneven surfaces prone to cracking during cooling.
• If sifting- make sure that you are get a good coat on the entire surface. It’s very easy to get a nice coat on the top and sparse on the sides. Hold the piece on a couple fingers and sift with your other hand to help get an even coat.
• Wet packing the enamel is usually easier than sifting with formed surfaces.
• To smooth the convex surface after firing, use the alundum stones or the diamond pad files.

Enamelling on the concave side:

• When enamelling on the concave side of a form, you can sometimes skip the counter enamel. Because of the way the tension works, the form is curving with the tension of the enamel. If you aren’t putting many layers of color on, you do not need to counter enamel.  Wet packing is certainly the preferred method for applying the enamel. Make sure to wick away the excess water while packing to insure that your enamel doesn't slide to the bottom.
• When firing, be extra careful not to over fire, as gravity does take effect if the enamel is left in the kiln long enough, and it will pull away from the higher areas into the lower ones.
• To smooth out the enamel- you can use the alundum stones as they take the shape of what you are stoning with them- you will notice that a couple of them have rounded ends. Also use the diamond burs in the flexshaft. It will take some practice to control them.

It is very important on formed surfaces to have a good coat of KlyrFire. Depending on the form, you may not need to use a trivet when firing, or you may need to customize a rivet to suspend your piece. Make sure to clean the edges of the form for a more professional look.

Color Chart Links:

Thompson Unleaded Opaque

Thompson Unleaded Transparent

Japanese Transparent

Japanese Opaque

Schauer Transparent

Schauer Opaque

Suppliers

List of Suppliers

Rio Grande

www.riogrande.com

Enamel Emporium

1221 Campbell Road

Houston, Texas 77055

www.enamelemporium.com

Enamelwork Supply Co.
1022 NE 68th
Seattle, WA  98115
(800) 596-3257  (206) 525-9271

www.enamelworksupply.com

Allcraft
45W.46thSt. 3rdFloor
NewYork,NY 10036
(800) 645-7124  (718) 789-2800

Metalliferous,Inc.
34W.46thSt.,2ndFloor
NewYork,NY 10036
(212) 944-0909  fax:  (212) 944-0644

www.metalliferous.com

Schlaifer's Enameling Supplies
1441HuntingtonDr. PMB1700
SouthPasadena,CA 91030
(800)525-5959

www.enameling.com

Thompson Enamel, Inc.
650ColfaxAve
Bellevue,KY 41073
(859)291-3800

www.thompsonenamel.com

E-namels
http://www.e-namels.com/

Local suppliers

Terra Firma Enterprises, Inc.
1316-B Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, Maryland 21208
Phone (410) 602-2232
Fax (410) 602-8089

Surfaces: Stoning and Sanding

Surfaces: Stoning and Sanding

To smooth the surface after and between firings:

• Use either the alundum stones or diamond pad files under running water.
• Grind down the high points.
• If there is an appreciable difference between the high and low areas, you may want to pack the low areas with more enamel and refire.
• If the piece is relatively flat, stone until the entire surface is matte.

To make the surface glossy again:

• Refire

To keep the surface matte:

• Go through the diamond pad files (just like sandpaper) to the grit you want.

The alundum stones and diamond pad files can also be used to remove any stray bits of enamel that fire to the clean metal surface while counter enamelling and they clean the edges up nicely as well. 

Alundum stones are 150 or 220 grit.

3M Diamond pad files are: 80, 150, 220, and 400 grit.

3M also has Diamond Hand pads which come in the same grit and are similar to sanding blocks.

Firing Temperature Charts- Thompson's

Basics: Washing and Wet Packing Enamels

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Washing enamels

In order to get the most vivid and clear colors from the enamels, it is best to wash them prior to use. Washing removes any dust that may have gotten into the container, and for transparent colors, removes smaller particles that can cause cloudiness. Washing is very important for transparent colors, less so for opaques, and not recommended for opalescents. For time’s sake, I recommend washing several colors at once.

• With face mask ON, scoop a spoonful of enamel into one of the small containers.
• Label both lid and container with color number!
• At the sink, run water into the container, soaking the enamel. Do not overflow the container.
• Tap the container against the counter top.
• You will see a line develop along the side of the container- clean enamel below, cloudy water above.
• Hold the container almost sideways and rotate between your fingers. This causes the cloudy water to pour out, leaving behind the heavier enamel.
• Pour into the receptacle in the sink! Since the enamel is heavier than water, pouring directly down the drain will cause a clog.
• For opalescent (OPL) enamels: Do this once. What gives enamels the opalescent quality is the different sizes of enamel particles. Washing removes them.
• For opaque (O) enamels: Do this 1-3 times.
• For transparent (T) enamels: Do this repeatedly until the water is clear. This can be 3-10 times.
• Once you have washed your enamels, they are washed. You do not need to do this each time you use them. Make sure to seal the container after use so that dirt doesn’t get into it.

Once your enamels are washed, you can use them to wet pack. If you want to use them for dry sifting, place container on firing rack, and place on top of kiln. Let enamel dry (usually 1-2 hrs.). If the washed enamels have dried and you want them wet, add water, tap, and pour off excess.

Wet packing

Wet packing is best for patterns, concave areas, any time you want more control over where particles are placed.

Wash your enamels.

• Brush a good coat of gum agar onto the metal where you want the enamel to be. Make sure to get the edges.
• Using your brushes or spatulas, scoop up some of the enamel and place where you want on your piece.
• Rinse out your brush after each color.
• To even out the wet packed layer, hold you piece by the edges and tap side with your brush. You will see the water pulled to the surface and the layer even itself out.
• When packing multiple colors, hold your paper towel to the edge of your piece to wick away excess water. This helps keep your colors from bleeding into each other.
• To clean up the edges of your packed areas, clean your brush and dry it. Sweep along the edges, collecting the stray particles on your brush. Wash out your brush, and repeat if necessary.
• Make sure not to pack the layer too thick (more than 1-1.5mm) otherwise it can crack.
• After applying all the colors for this layer, wick away the excess water.
• Place on trivet, place trivet on top of firing rack.
• Put on top of kiln to dry (5-10min)
• Fire piece.

Basics: Firing Enamels

Firing Enamels

• Slide firing fork under firing rack and lift off the top of the kiln.
• Open door to kiln.
• Place firing rack on bottom of kiln, and slide fork out from underneath.
• Push door closed.
• Watch temperature on kiln front. When the temperatures reaches around 1500, open door slightly and peek.
• If the piece shows a smooth glassy surface, you are done!
• If not, close door and leave piece in for another minute or 2. Each enamel is a little different. You’ll develop a feel for the timing on this as the class continues.
• When piece is done, pick up firing fork.
• Open door.
• Slide firing fork under firing rack and pull out firing rack.
• Place firing rack on steel cooling plate, and slide fork from underneath.
• Wait. Pieces generally take 10-15 minutes to cool. 

Basics: Dry Sifting Enamels

Dry Sifting

Dry sifting is excellent when enamelling areas (flat or convex) that you covered with the same color. It is also an excellent way to get a base color down and to create the effect of colors blending.

• Cover enamelling area with slick pages from magazines.
• Wipe out sifter with a damp paper towel.
• Dry the sifter with a dry paper towel. – This prevents any residual enamel particles from the previous use from muddying your chosen color.
• Brush a good coat of gum agar onto the metal where you want the enamel to be. Make sure to get the edges.
• While agar is still wet, scoop a spoonful of dry powder enamel into the sifter.
• Lift sifter over piece and tap side gently with your finger- just like confectioners sugar!
• Coat the entire piece evenly! Make sure you don’t skimp n the edges!
• The piece should have a coating approx. 1mm thick.
• Gently lift piece by the edges and place on trivet, place trivet on firing rack.
• Place firing rack on top of kiln so that the agar and enamel can dry.
• Drying usually takes 3-10 minutes.
• Fire piece.
• Make sure that you wash and thoroughly dry the sifters each time you use them.
• Use a new sheet of magazine for EVERY color! Pour any powder on the sheet into the counter enamel container.

How to use the PMC (Blue) Kiln

Setting the Kiln:
• Flip the switch to on. After beeping stops the display should read IDLE
o If it does not press Start/Stop until it does.
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should read PROG (the G looks a lot like a 6)
o If not scroll with the up and down arrows until it does. (The other readings you may see are prg1, pro2, etc. up to pro5)
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should flash ra1 and FULL
o If it does not display FULL scroll up with the arrow until it does
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should flash ◦F and 1535
o If not scroll with the arrows until it reads 1535
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should flash hld1 and 4.00
o Hld1 is how long the kiln will keep the temperature at 1535F. Since the actual firing of the enamels only takes a couple minutes, the setting should be 3-4 hours (3.00-4.00 on the display) so that it remains on the entire class.
o If it does not display a number between 3.00 and 4.00 use the arrows to scroll into that range.
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should flash ra2 and 0000
• Press Start/Stop
• The Display should read STRT
• Press Start/Stop
And the kiln is heating up! This is much easier than it looks on paper!!

Turning off the kiln:
• Press Start/Stop
• The display should read IDLE
• Flip switch to OFF.

IMPORTANT-If you are the last person enamelling, please turn the kiln off as instructed above.

Enamelling Basics

Enamelling Basics:

Enamels work best on pure metals- copper, silver (92.5% sterling, 99.9% fine), 18k-24k golds. You can enamel on 14k golds and sterling, but it is more time-consuming. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, making it unsuitable for enamelling.

The layer of glass causes tension on the surface of the metal, and will either cause the metal to bend, or the enamel to crack if the tension is not similar on both sides.

The metal will bend towards the enamel. This can be fixed by counter-enamelling your piece. Counter enamel refers to a coating of enamel (usually a single color) on the back side of the piece that evens out the tension.

Enamels don’t mix like paint- all you will end up with is speckled colors.

You can place colors NEXT to each other in a flat layer. If you want to layer colors on top of each other, you must fire the piece between each layer of color. 

Make sure to keep each jar and container separate and don’t mix the powder between jars! Use extra caution when dealing with the white and clear enamel powder as they look identical!

Always wash your transparents- even for dry sifting. This gives them the clearest and truest color.

Label your test strips. If you want to work in both silver and copper- make certain to test the opalescents and transparents on silver also. They look very different! Also for copper, test over the metal as well as over a coat of white. Also very different looking!

Preparing your metal

• Cut your metal to desired shape.
• Clean metal under running water with soap, comet, and scotchbrite to remove all oils, dirt, and grease.
• The water should sheet off the piece, not bead up. If it is beading, clean more. A cheap toothbrush is great for getting into hard to reach places.
• Dry metal.
• Handle metal in paper towel or by edges so you don’t get skin oils on the metal.
• Always make sure that your work area and your tools are clean.
• Put on face mask! (and gloves if needed)

Enamel Safety, Kiln Safety and Instructions

Enamel Safety
     Vitreous enamels are ground glass particles. Chemicals are used in the creation of the glass to give them color, most enamels contain some heavy metals. These substances can build up over time in your system, increasing the risk of some health issues. To prevent any health issues, use common sense and follow the following:
• ALWAYS wear your face mask around the enamels. This includes when you are using the flex shaft with enamels.
     o Why? Without the mask, you can inhale the particles. This allows the chemicals to get into your blood stream.
• ALWAYS wash your hand thoroughly before and after enamelling. Also wash your hands if you are working on other projects while enamelling.
     o Why? Washing your hands before and after each enamelling session will prevent the particles from traveling to your work area. Washing after working on other projects prevents contamination of the enamels with filings or other dust.
• ALWAYS seal any cuts or punctures with liquid bandage or a Band-Aid, and wear latex gloves when handling the powder until the cut has healed.
     o Why? To prevent the particles from getting in your cut.
• NEVER eat or drink where you are enamelling.
     o Why? To keep the particles from entering your body. Make sure to keep all food and beverages on the center table, and wash your hands before and after consuming them. (This is a good practice for all areas of jewelry- you don’t really want polishing compound, filings or any of that other stuff in you either!)

Kiln Safety and Instructions:

• Turn kiln on to High.
• These kilns are not computer controlled- they will not stop at a specific temperature.
• DO NOT leave the kilns unattended.
• When the kiln gets to 1400, turn the knob to Low.
• Even on Low, keep an eye on the temperature of the kiln. Do NOT leave the kiln unattended.
• The kiln has exposed heating coils on the interior. Make sure that the firing fork does not touch the exposed coils. It will short out the kiln.
• When you are finished enamelling or you need to leave the enamel area, turn the kiln off.
• The sides and top of the kiln will be hot. Make sure that all flammable or meltable materials are removed from the top and away from the sides of the kiln prior to turning on.