enameling-msg - 9/10/02
Enameling techniques. Medieval and Renaissance enameling.
NOTE: See also the files: glasswork-msg, metals-msg, glues-msg, painting-msg, tiles-art, pottery-msg, fabric-paint-msg.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
From: kruella118 at aol.com (Kruella118)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Enameling question
Date: 26 Mar 1996 02:59:24 -0500
Regarding a question from Peter Rose (WISH at uriac.uri.edu) about Cellini on
enameling:
Please forgive me gentlemen, for jumping so late into your discussion, but
I believe I can help.
The reason Cellini is obscure in the beginning of his chapter on enameling
is because he's actually discussing engraving techniques. He is preparing
a plaque for basse-taille enameling, which is enameling on a low-relief
engraving. For some reason, Cellini does not discuss the enameling
technique he used to embellish three dimensional castings.
The word "pece greca" means "Greek pitch." Even Cellini didn't make
everything from scratch, he bought his pitch from suppliers from Greece.
The addition of brick dust (plaster of paris is better) makes the
composition less gooey, and the wax causes it to melt at a lower
temperature for easier working. Engravers typically have a preferred
formula for their pitch bases, which are intended to support and secure
the metal as it is worked. This technique has not changed at all through
history, and modern books on engraving may explain the technique clearly
enough to make your translation easier.
This pitch is indeed similar to the dopping cement used to attach a stone
to a dop stick. If you attempt to engrave a plaque without a pitch anchor,
the pressure on the metal will cause the plaque itself to cut into your
hands, or worse from Cellini's point of view, the graver will skip and
ruin the work. Cellini's pronouns are also confusing when he says to "heat
it." The pitch is heated, not the plate, when the plate is anchored. Both
the plate and the pitch are heated to remove the plate from the pitch when
the engraving is complete, and any remaining rediue on the back is removed
with alcohol (vodka works, isopropyl is better) so as not to interfere
with the enameling later.
The outline with the compass means scribing a border around the intended
enamel area. The glass will not extend all the way to the edge of the
plate. When setting the finished enamel into a larger piece later, this
metal border will protect the prongs or bezel wire from chipping the
glass.
Cellini says to engrave the plate to depths that differ by the "thickness
of a piece of paper." When the plate is enameled, the resulting
differences in the depth of the glass show a suprising range of color that
give richness to the enameled image. Basse-taille is my favorite technique
because of the beauty of even simple designs.
Cellini also later says not to touch up the engraving with punches or
chasing tools, as that will cause the enamel not to adhere properly. I
have found that this is not the case with modern enamels, which fire at a
higher temperature because of their lower lead content. But this was not a
discussion on the comparative composition of enamels -- I hope this helps
and I wish you joy with your translation.
THL Rowena MacLeod, Barony of Arn Hold, Atenveldt
reply to: wballard at nwrc.ars.pn.usbr.gov
because I'm borrowing this account
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:24:03 -0700
From: KyraKai <fiddlersgreen at geocities.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: FWD>enameling
> From: arenal at bc.sympatico.ca
> I am trying to get a mystical blue on Sterling silver and having
> nothing but failure. If I depletion gild, use transparent flux, I am
> still getting yellowing or graying of my Thompsons "winter" blue. To
> make matters even more confusing, I acheived the mystical blue on some
> testers, but when I work on a piece of jewellry, it doesnt work. At my
> wits end..... could you possibly help me?
>
> Lissa
Have you spoken to Thompson Enamel. I understand from my roommate that
they have a number that you can call. He also said that if you have any
solder exposed that it could cause discolouration when you fire your
piece.
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 21:42:51 +0000
From: "Ben Shaifer Jones" <imperial at earthlink.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: FWD>enameling
This has helped me in the past. Give it a try and see if it helps
you. If not, nothing lost, elsewise, you can finish your jewerly.
Try grinding your enamel to break off the outer layer that has taken
up moisture. After grinding this loose, rewash the enamel and
continually rinse into the water is clear. Dry the enamel fully (can
use mild heat) and try the project again. When firing, bring the
heat up slower than before to allow any resisidual moisture to vapor
off slower since small cavities within the enamel lend a cloudy or
off color look.
Hopes this helps,
Valdimir Uskovich
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:43:05 -0500
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: arenal at bc.sympatico.ca, sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Enamelling Question
> I am trying to get a mystical blue on Sterling silver and having
>nothing but failure. If I depletion gild, use transparent flux, I am
>still getting yellowing or graying of my Thompsons "winter" blue. To
>make matters even more confusing, I acheived the mystical blue on some
>testers, but when I work on a piece of jewellry, it doesnt work. At my
>wits end..... could you possibly help me?
Greetings!
If you have any bare metal unfluxed you will get discoloration. I've found
that if you aren't real careful in heating the flux it can develop cracks
and then the underlying metal oxidizes and contaminates the color.
Thompsons also sells a liquid enamel preparation that's opaque white. I
have had very good success fluxing, using the opaque enamel first, then
placing my color down over the white. You get a nice bright color on top
of the white as well.
Another idea to consider is calling Thompson's. They've been very helpful
when I've spoken to them in the past.
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 13:14:08 -0500
From: Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Enamelling Sources
As a follow-up to the question about enamelling, here are some helpful
sources.
Thompson Enamel can be contacted at:
Thompson Enamel 859-291-3800 650 Colfax Ave Bellvue, KY 41073
[area code updated: 9/02 - Stefan]
Thompson's has always been very helpful. Get their catalogue!
Meanwhile, here are some websites you should check out:
The International Guild of Glass Artists
http://www.bungi.com/glass/igga/
IGGA Article on Enamelling Safety
http://www.bungi.com/glass/igga/cgg7d.htm
The Enamellist's Society
http://www.craftweb.com/org/enamel/enamel.htm
Art Glass World
Art Glass World also maintains a WWW message board where you can place
questions that will be seen by other glass artists
http://www.artglassworld.com/wwwboard/
Hope this helps!
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 15:07:59 -0500
From: <marsha.greene at mpan.com>
To: sca-arts at UKANS.EDU
Subject: Re: Help! Glass enameling problems, need advice
I read the following about enameling on Bronze, and also believed it could
not be done. I have done a bit of enameling, mostly on Copper and silver,
wanted to try brass (I am told red-brass is recommended, has a higher
copper content, than yellow-brass), and eventually bronze.
Last night I was looking through an old out-of-print book on Enamels, I
think from the 60's, and there was a whole chapter on history (wow! highly
unusual). There was a discussion on metals used and it included Bronze!
and some pictures of enamels on bronze! The text essentially said that
the vitreous enamel was poured in a molten state into the champleve cells
of the bronze. I will bring the book to work, so I can site chapter and
verse, and see if I can find the museums where the pieces discussed are
held. Never say never! Hillary /Ansteorra
>--- Gregory Stapleton <gregsta at perigee.net> wrote:
>> I've cast some low-phosphor Bronze medallions and wish to enamel the
>> background. Every time I try to enamel them, the enamel that I'm using, a
>> medium-fire enamel, seems to draw up and glob. It doesn't settle
>> down and smooth out.
>>
>> Gawain Kilgore / Gregory Stapleton
>
>According to my Dad, who did industrial enameling until he retired, you
>can't enamel bronze with vitrious enamel. Something about needing an
>oxide bond between the metal and the glass, and the tin in the bronze
>alloy has too low a melting point, and vapor pressure too high, and you
>can't do it. Sorry. This is vicarious, and someone else may have
>different info. Good luck.
>
>-- Harriet
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 19:02:51 -0400
From: "Gregory Stapleton" <gregsta at perigee.net>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: RE: Help! Glass enameling problems, need advice
Thanks, Hillary! I look forward to your source information. I've come to
find out some more, myself, since my original post. I should be able to
enamel on bronze, I just need to use the correct enamel. Also, some modern
bronze has too much silica in it to be enameled. Evidently, the metal has
to oxidize for the glass to have something to grab onto and the silica helps
to prevent this oxidation. My bronze is definitely oxidizing, so I think
the silica content is nil or low enough not to matter, though I'm trying to
get the actual makeup of it. Also, I've come to learn that I was putting a
much too thick coat of enamel powder onto my bronze. I've had some better
success with much thinner coats, though I'm not there yet. I have at least
successfully enameled copper, so that's some progress. :)
Gawain Kilgore/Atlantia
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:20:45 -0700
From: Edwin Hewitt <brogoose at pe.net>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: cloisone' was enameling problems
Lorine S Horvath wrote:
> Wow!! Tarrach here. As one who reads a lot about early period (5-8th
> century, I would have thought that one could not enamal on anything BUT
> bronze.
I'm not sure what you are looking for but one mistake I have made was the
assumption that cloisone' on bronze and gold was enameled cloisone'.
As it turned out, the more common process was to inlay garnet into
the cells and then carefully hammer the metal walls to spread and set the
stones into place (essentially the same technique as tube setting, but
the cells would take the place of the tubes).
--
Edwin
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 16:41:40 -0500 (CDT)
From: Lorine S Horvath <lhorvath at plains.NoDak.edu>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: cloisone' was enameling problems
Well I am aware of the cloisonee work with garnet on gold (infact, just
yesterday, I gave a friend of mine who is into stone cutting a bunch of
chaep garnet to break along the crystalin plane for me so I can do this).
However, what I was refering to is the redish enamal work that is common
on irish and pictish bronze work of the 6-7th century. As you sound
interested in this subject, you may want to ILL Anglo Saxon Studies in
Archaeology and History #4 (1985). It has several very interesting papers
in it including "Dark Age Garnet Cutting" by Bimson, Further Evidence from
East Anglia for Enammelling on Early Anglo-Saxon Metalwork by Scull, and A
Study of the Cross-Hatch Gold Foils from Sutton Hoo by East among others!
Real good reading!
Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 14:33:09 -0400From: rmhowe <magnusm at ncsu.edu>To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.eduSubject: Re: cold enameling There is also a fairly new series of low fire enamels that fireharden around 200 degrees in the oven (I think). I tried yesterdayto find it on the web, but could not find a particular page listingit. I think Rio Grande may carry it. But you'd have to order theircatalog to find out. http://www.riogrande.com/That should be below the temperature you are having trouble withwith your other metal fuming out at any rate. Magnus
Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 14:19:41 -0500From: <marsha.greene at mpan.com>To: sca-arts at UKANS.EDUSubject: Re: cold enameling There is a difference in the 'enamels' and the metals they may be used on.One source book declares 'Enamels' as material fused to metals. I believeMel (cold enamels) is referring to the 'Polymer' enamels, and the kilnfired glass is called 'Vitreous'. I guess in the truest sense, both formsare enamels.The traditional historical enamel is 'Vitreous' enamels, based on silicaand ash materials (ie glass) with pigments added for color . Vitreousenamels usually are ground to a fine powder, mixed with a binder andpainted/wetpacked/sifted onto a surface, then fired at high temperature(1300-1500deg) in a kiln till the glass softens. I have also seenperiod examples of vitreous glass enamels in a solid form, set into bevelor cloisons like gem stones.With the advent of petroleum products, we now have available 'Polymer'enamels, made from a petroleum resin and pigments. The pigment is mixed(1:1) with a polymer hardner (like SuperGlue), and then sqeezed onto cellsor laid onto the metal (puddle and pull method). It can be hardened to dryover time, or you can accelarate the process in an oven at 250deg. (don'tuse your kitchen, toxic fumes, use toaster over outdoors).Many SCA artisans and vendors have been using the Polymer stuff to createinsignia medalions and decorative jewelry and cloak clasps. They are verypretty, and I bought a few from a Jeweler/armourer at GulfWars recently,who I believe is from Calontir. Mistress Athena of Ansteorra has beenusing the Polymer for years. The 'enamels' most oft used tend to betransparent jewel tones, though I know you can buy it in opaques. Theproblem with this material that I have seen is that over time, it may tendto dry up, become dull and crack off the base metal (brass seems the mostpopular used). Though this may be because some of the jewelry we tend towear in the SCA gets worn 'hard' and stored in many environments from coldcamp sites to hot cars, before it gets taken out and worn at an event, andthis may not being doing the resin any favors.For these artisans, the use of the Polymer material is probably easier,quicker, and faster turnaround than the use of the Vitreous material. Ihave not yet found examples of a historical use of a resin based 'enamel'(like the polymers), but Mistress Athena has stated that the ancientscollected tree resins and mixed pigments with it (ie. pitch from tree sap).I need to research some more to find some examples of such.Everytime I hear someone calling the Polymer resin based jewelry as'enamels' I twitch a little. To me, its not enamels, only the vitreousform is. The average person does not generally know the differencebetween the two types. I have some qualms with the use of the Polymerresins in historical reproductions for A&S entry, but not in use as SCAsubstitutions in awards and jewelry. The Polymer resin can be used onbrass, which vitreous does not tend to like. SCA'ers like brass, as itlooks like gold. You can buy the polymer stuff from Rio Grande, theyhave two brands. I recently bought some from my local jewelry supplier, toplay with, and to lay into the cells of some brass medalions I have etchedfor kingdom awards. The vitreous enamels are best found from Thompson'sEnamels, and there are Oriental and English companies that make it as well. Hillary /Ansteorra
Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 09:32:09 +0100
From: Scot Eddy <seddy at vvm.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: cold enamleing
I recently made a set of wedding crowns fro my wife and me and I used
Testor model paints (the gloss enamel variety) and we were happy with
the results. It's cheaper then the poly enamels and easier than the real
thing. Use a toothpick to avoid the brushstrokes on the surface.
Michael's carries Porcelin 150 which is the low-temp, oven bake (200
degree) stuff or you can find it in the Pearl catalog here is the web
address...
http://www.pearlnyc.com/pearl/ind.html
Jovian Skleros
Ansteorra
Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 02:57:01 -0400
From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Cold Enamal
I'm not sure we can be talking about exactly the same thing, I realise
polymer enamal is [not] exact for historical reproduction but I use it as it is
something I can do safely with the kids around, however having done both
for years, I can't really tell the difference one done except the polymer
feels a bit warmer, but a bit I couldn't in a blind test tell the
differance I'm pretty sure. not without a lab anyway !
Mel
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2002 15:03:09 -0500
From: rmhowe <MMagnusM at bellsouth.net>
To: - Regia Anglorum - North America <list-regia-us at netword.com>,
"- SCA-ARTS at listsvr.pca.net" <sca-arts at listsvr.pca.net>,
- StellarArts <StellarArts at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Interesting Book on Medieval Metalwork and Enamelling Techniques
Something I bought used this last week (not for sale by me btw):
Weathered, Newton: Mediaeval Craftsmanship and the Modern Amateur -
More Particularly with Reference to Metalworking and Enamelling;
with illustrations; Longmans, Green and Co., 39 Paternoster Row,
London, EC4. New York, Toronto, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras; 1923.
Printed in Great Britain.
Has a nicely tooled book cover and clasp in it along with a
number of other projects like boxes, a cross, jewelry, a lamp,
repoussee, etc.
Joining of metals, Enamelling: Cloison'e, Plaque work,
Grisaille, Enamelling in Relief, Plique a jour.
Manipulation of sheet metal. Theophilus and the Renaissance.
On Lustre. Etruscan Grain Work in Gold. Niello and some Trivialities:
Niello, Jewellery, Foil Impressions; Glass Gems, Casting in Metal,
Suggestions of Colour for Woodwork, Gesso, Casting in Clay.
His projects were: a Russian Morse (cross pendant); Silver
and enamel cross; Enamelled dish; enamelled cup; Brass and enamel
casket; Cloisonn'e Enamel; Silver Box; Brass and Enamel Box;
Painting in Grisaille; Casket; Candlestick with enamel panels;
Copper box - six sided; Copper box - enamelled; Two silver boxes;
silver box; Silver repouss'e; paper knife; Gothic spoon; Book
cover - leather and enamel; From an engraving by Etienne de Laune;
Neillo Cover; Brooches; Comb Ornament; Glass Cast and Mounted in
Silver and Enamel; Pewter Cast. These are illustrations of the
finished projects from the techniques he has discussed with are
not otherwise depicted in process.
It does a lot of comparisons of techniques from Theophilus
and Cennini to then (1923) available materials and techniques.
For discussion of techniques it is somewhat similar to the
better technically illustrated Metalwork and Enamelling by
Herbert Maryon (the guy who did a lot of the restoration work
for the major British finds of the earlier part of the last
century). 150 pages with a lot of examples and discussions of
making medieval replicas. No original antiquities depicted
though.
For those of you interested in working with the techniques of
75 years ago it may well be worth searching out. I've had time
to peruse it but not read it thoroughly. Some of the techniques
were rather unique I thought. The man did experiments simulating
the medieval techniques and records his experiences.
I generally begin looking for such things with
Master Magnus Malleus, OL © 2001 R.M. Howe
*No reposting my writings to newsgroups, especially rec.org.sca, or
the SCA-Universitas elist. I view this as violating copyright
restrictions. As long as it's to reenactor or SCA -closed- subscriber
based email lists or individuals I don't mind. It's meant to
help people without aggravating me.* Inclusion, in the
http://www.Florilegium.org/ as always is permitted.
<the end>