enameling-msg - 4/14/10 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 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" 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 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 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 http://www.artglassworld.com/ 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: 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 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" To: 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 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 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 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: 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 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 To: "INTERNET: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 To: - Regia Anglorum - North America , "- SCA-ARTS at listsvr.pca.net" , - StellarArts 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 http://www.bibliofind.com/ 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. Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 00:08:30 -0400 From: rmhowe Subject: [SCA-AS] Actual Agate Mortars and Pestles for enamel painting To: - Dunstan , - EKMetalsmiths , - Metallum_Lochac , - SCA-ARTS When I took multiple cloissone courses my teacher was very specific about needing an agate mortar and pestle to grind the 80 grit glass used for enamelling to something much finer, more in the 320 grit range. This is done to prepare the glass powder for painting with glass enamels. Anyway it took me five years to find an agate mortar and pestle [prohably because it didn't occur to me to look on eBay where one company sells them in fairly large lots]. I kept looking at our local gemshows, up to six per year, and all I could find were softer ones. None of the suppliers I knew of carried them. When I bought one last night there were nineteen left in this particular lot and he had a second page up so I assume the dealer has more. Item title: Mortar and Pestle 3" Agate for Lab Shop Home Chalcedony Web address: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7414391856 On eBay the dealer is known as Opticaspace. He also has some small crucibles, some of which are in the 4000°F range and some which are cheaper in the lower ranges. They might be good for mixing specific small amounts of metal alloys. Although Rio Grande, I have been informed, sells an Ancient Bronze mixture. The Romans and Celts regularly enameled on bronze brooches. I am hoping it will work with manganese bronze. Have some, will have to try it. OpticaSpace / AA Portable Power Corp 2700 Rydin Road C Richmond, CA 94804 ebay at mtixtl.com Magnus Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 09:08:32 -0400 From: rmhowe Subject: [SCA-AS] Enameling with Goldstone [glass] To: - EKMetalsmiths , - Dunstan , - SCA-ARTS , - Metallum_Lochac Message-ID: <449FDC50.2040704 at bellsouth.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed I wondered what my teacher was doing with the goldstone I have always seen in brown. I got an email from her some time ago saying she was using that and ground Swarovski Crystals [Austrian leaded glass] to enamel with. I wrote to her about seeing the emerald green goldstone [for anyone who has never seen brown or green goldstone it is fairly translucent with many hundreds of tiny golden flakes per cubic inch. She is grinding it up and enameling it. Apparently goldstone is a type of glass. So I suppose you could use obsidian too. Said it is working real well in the agate mortar and pestle. She thinks that since it is glass it should be available in other colors too than just the green I've seen and the brownish gold she has presently. I reckon I am buying goldstone next. The people with it return on the 7th of July. I posted their address recently. It is the first green goldstone I have ever seen and it is beautiful. South East Gems & More custom designs, jewelry repair, cut stones, wire wrapping, facet rough, cabbing rough, tumbling rough, equipment and supplies. P.O. Box 14577 Augusta, GA 30919 www.segems.com Mark 706-490-4550; Patricia 706-490-4515 Green Goldstone My teacher also mentioned doing granulation in her last email. I'll have to find out if she means the tiny applied metal balls or something enamelish. I wrote back and asked. Haven't heard yet. The period reference for that is Birka V--Filigree and Granulation Work of the Viking Period : An Analysis of Materials from Bjorko by Wladyslaw Duczko (Illustrator) Library Binding, 118pp. ISBN: 9174021621 Publisher: Coronet Books Pub. Date: June 1985 Ordered from Amazon 9/10/00 $37.49 One on 7-8th C enameling and glass in the Style of the Vendel Culture: Arwidsson, Greta.: Vendelstile. Email und Glas im 7.-8. Jahrhundert. (Acta Musei Antiquitatum Septentrionalum Regiae Universitatis Upsaliensis II./ Valsgärdestudien. 1.) Uppsala & Stockholm (Almqvist & Wiksell), 1942. 136pp.+ 8 plates, 94 illus. hors texte. 19 text figs. Lrg. 4to. 31 x 24 cm. Cloth, Wrappers. You might try Ronnells.se for a copy. They respond in English if you email them. That is the biggest bookstore in all of Scandinavia. Magnus Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:39:20 -0400 From: rmhowe Subject: [SCA-AS] Re: [Metallum_Lochac] Goldstone and Sunstone To: Metallum_Lochac at yahoogroups.com.au, - EKMetalsmiths , - Dunstan , - SCA-ARTS Tyghra na Tintagel wrote: <<< Goldstone is, in fact, a simulant for the natural Sunstone. I picked up a beautiful piece of natural Sunstone being sold amongst other gemstones on a rug in the courtyard market held in front of the Tarragona Cathedral in Spain. Sunstone is the national stone of Spain so I thought it a little serendipitous to find such a lovely piece in a country that truly appreciates it. Goldstone looks nothing like Sunstone. If you get a 10 times loupe or preferably, slightly higher magnification on to it, the little sparkly flecks will reveal themselves to be little flakes of copper with perfect hexagonal outlines. That's about as interesting as it gets for most gemmologists :) Grinding it up for enamelling purposes sounds intriguing though, as does the green version! Must try it sometime. Tyghra >>> That is a most interesting bit of information. I shall have to look at it when I buy some green and brown goldstone in two weeks. The dealer is coming back to town. Lillian, my teacher, wants to know if there are any other colors than green and brown. She thinks there must be. Has anyone seen any other colors? I was amazed at the emerald green with the wonderful flecks. I only saw it the last five minutes of the show but the sellers promised they were returning in two weeks for the next one.. She can use it under a transparent layer of colored glass on top of a clear one for special effects. I suppose she can alter the color a bit that way. Here is how my teacher Lillian uses it in enameling: <<< The goldstone looks like glitter in the glass. I layer it in with clear and transparent to get the effect. If you grind it, you can control the density of the glitteryness. A little goes a long way. >>> She is using her new agate mortar and pestle to grind it with. They come in a very pretty box as well. Mine is very well made. We bought them from an ebay dealer. opticaspace <<< I can try the bottom heat on the tripod. The metal mesh eats alot of btus, but that might not be a problem if I use two torches. http://www.rocksmyth.com/ is the site with lots of Jean Stark stuff. Check out the dragonfly. >>> I think the second paragraph refers strictly to granulation. There are some amazing pieces on those pages. We were talking a bit via email about how she is trying to heat her pieces from above and below. Another email in which I was talking about granulation with her revealed the following: <<< http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive/200112/msg00263.htm This looks like good instructions to me, except I copper-plate my granules first to lower the melting temp. I am going to see about buying some pre-made granules, for uniformity. L >>> I'll have to check with her about how she copper plates granules. I have plating equipment but I suspect a pen is being used instead of a bath. How would you plate granules that are too small to attach to an electrode? Jean Stark teaches jewelry at Meredith College in Raleigh NC. She and her daughter are very well known for their work and their inventiveness. They invented a way to photo-resist on metal with a special little machine. It takes extremely bright flashbulbs to burn through a photo-resist. Then the item is cleaned and etched. I have taken those classes from someone else at the Raleigh Pullen Arts Center here. I know other ways to do the same thing without the exposure machine. It costs somewhere over a hundred. Being a natural scrounge I have an electric arc machine for doing single newspaper pages in the basement I bought at State Surplus. The guy I used to know twentyfive years ago used to expose his screens for screen printing beneath a strong halogen light for an hour or so. He silk screened shirts, signage and very large backdrops for special events. The light hung over a table inside his workshop. The Stark's classes are a bit too expensive for me to attend. Somewhere in the US $450 dollar range plus a lot more for materials. My teacher is one of Jean's students. Then Lillian teaches folks at the NCSU Crafts Center once she has mastered a technique. Her classes are a fifth of what Jean Stark's are and she is very talented herself. I take what I would have paid the Starks for some classes and buy equipment and reference books instead. That way I have something tangible to use and refer to. Lillian I can afford to take classes from. Hers are still hard to get into. Right now she is taking granulation classes from the Starks and experimenting on her own. I want the two of us to collaborate on the experimentation. I have some equipment that should be useful in the process I know Lillian doesn't have. Granulation is the placing of small balls of gold or silver on the surface of an object and fusing them together. Lillian wrote me she is actually copper plating the silver balls before she solders them. The ancient technique involves some sort of copper salt so this makes some sense. Silver can have copper leached out/off of it with acids like plum vinegar, which is how the Japanese brightened silver/copper alloys. Anyone knowing exactly which copper salt was involved please reply! She also told me a quarter ounce of the pre-made silver balls costs $150 so is looking for a way to make them herself in certain sizes which you have to control the silver amount very closely in. I have a curious old tool which apparently was made for shearing many small sizes of wire to exact lengths. Have no idea what it is called but when you put it in a vise and drop the wire down a similar sized hole it stops it where you set a bottom plate for any length and shears the wire by sliding the two holed plates against one another in a fashion that apparently is cam actuated. It was a lightly rusty antique when I bought it and cleaned it up. This thing should precisely cut wire into small bits to put on a charcoal block and heat into balls. Lillian does that and then drops it into water. I also have screens she doesn't and rolling mills, casting molds and other cutters. So I am hoping we can collaborate. I will let you folks know if I learn something special. Magnus Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:07:08 -0400 From: Lois Fitzpatrick Subject: [SCA-AS] Goldstone colors To: artssciences at lists.gallowglass.org There is also blue goldstone available. It is usually a navy-blue color with silver-appearing sparkles. I have a couple pf pieces of commercially-made jewelry with it. A number of years ago, I also purchased a few pieces as cabochons. Elena Norreys East Kingdom Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 21:38:50 -0400 From: rmhowe Subject: [SCA-AS] Re: [EKMetalsmiths] Pinzart 6"x6" Sheet Mica To: EKMetalsmiths at yahoogroups.com, - Metallum_Lochac , - SCA-ARTS >> Thank you for all the information, here is what my teacher, Lillian, said her experiences are: <<< Well, I don't know much about Plique a jour. I have tried it over mica, just pierce your silver and lay it on a mica sheet, filling the voids with enamel. Wires are OK, too, but it should be structural enough to hold together. The mica peels off after you are done. It leaves a funky finish, which I guess you could stone off and flash fire. Valerie Timofeev is a Russian who builds filigree cups and bowls and fills it with enamel. It is transparent, and amazing. I have no clue how it works, but I am guessing that it has to do with surface tension, rather than backing it. You can also enamel with silver filigree on copper foil and etch away the foil after. I you get any better answers, I'd be interested. >>> That was Lillian's sum total reply. I will pass your tips on to her. Everyone contributes, everyone learns. If enameling isn't everyone's cup of tea it at least has it's own skill set and keeps useful chatter going. ;) I hope we get some other replies. It would be very interesting seeing some awards pierced and transparent. Earrings made this way could be especially attractive with the light passing through them. Myself? I like pendants and badge making generally, domed and not domed. I made all the tiny leaves, stems and knot for a Laurel medallion several years ago from fine silver ribbon, put it in the kiln, and I guess someone must have bumped the table because they all shifted off center when they melted into the glass. There went two day's work. I had taken a long thin needle nosed set of pliers and ground the leaf shape onto them on the gradually tapering jaws. One side being rounded, the other being tapered to a point. By gripping the stem in the leaf itself first I could then wind it around the pliers and then bend the 'in air' stem away from the leaf and it had worked really well. For the knot I used my broken and ground needle eye stuck in a pin-vise invention. If the wire is annealed then your bends can be as small as one side of the needle eye and you can bend to your pattern flat on your paper pattern. At least with a -pierced sheet- this could not happen. As to the unfortunate black spots from popped firescale or the result of using blue glue to hold the ribbons on in difficult places that leaves holes in the enamel - I use a very sharp awl point to crack them out, refill, and remelt. I also think that the firescale often cracks off the stainless steel trivets that we use to support the pieces in the furnace. So cleaning them might help. The only exposed copper I have when I fire is on the edges since I fire both sides at once for the initial firing. Just picked up a Jelenko Dental Furnace off eBay today. I didn't expect to win by at least $40 but I guess many people forgot to bid on it. It only went about $11 above the $69 starting price. These things have a 3 x 3 x 3" firing chamber, so would seem adequate for enameling. There are lots of them on eBay under dental equipment or Jelenko. I figured someone would bid over $100, so bid just to see what would happen in the low $80's Very surprised when I won. I reckon I shall buy some mica now since I know how it is used thanks to you two. As to the ceramic sheet - could you not use some tile and possibly coat it with spray silicone or thin kiln wash or bead release as a parting release and then stone it off? Or coat it with lamp-black from a candle on the surface? This is what pewterers did before pouring metal into a bronze mold. They held their mold parts above the candle upside down to coat it. We used to coat rtv molds with vaseline sprayed in an airbrush after we had thinned it with Methyl Ethyl Ketonr or MEK, available at many paint stores. Seems like it might be possible to do the same with thinned bead release. At this I am just speculating. How useful it might be I don't know. Thank you, Magnus =========== Other possibilities: I've heard of titanium being used similarly, but the people I know who have tried it said it stuck. I think one needs to fire the titanium a few times first, to build up an oxide coating or some such. You can also buy a fairly expensive and fragile but quite useful thin ceramic sheet- maybe 2x2 inches- and a support for it. The enamel sticks a tiny bit to it, but not badly. It is expensive, small and really fragile, though. I've used this, and it works pretty well. (I haven't personally used the others.) Generally I fire "in air"- meaning that the enamel isn't supported by anything, really. The metal frame is on a tripod support. There are limitations on cell size and I think it tends to require more firings, but one can do domed shapes that way, which is why I prefer it. I would not trust glass as the bond between plique wires. If I do filigree, I solder it (eutectic or IT solder, then depletion gild). You can also pierce sheet by sawing (or, I suppose, etching) to make the cells. I think etching, then removing the backing metal mechanically, sounds like a horrible amount of work. And I'd be concerned about acids affecting the enamel. Still, I know it's a traditional approach, at least in theory! I do not tend to use copper in plique, since the firescale tends to pop off while the glass is still tacky, resulting in black specks in the enamel. I do have a piece of pierced copper with silver filigree that I built to experiment with, though. Just earrings, so not a big deal if it fails! Hope this helps! -Amanda Fisher http://www.afmetalsmith.com rmhowe wrote: <<< Okay, this has my curiosity up. I have never heard of enameling on mica before. The only too brief page mentions no back enameling. Questions: I presume it doesn't stick to the mica? Can you lay down wires and fire between them on it? I may need someone to reexplain the plique a jour technique to me. I understand it is like enameling in a set of small windows only I thought the depressions in the metal were first eaten out by an acid, and then once the enamels were fired in them, that probably the front is covered with enamel and the back removed by abrasion or etching to expose the cells. Here is your chance to educate me on something. I wouldn't ask if I knew. I have never done enameling on mica or pliique a jour. I have done plain enameling and silver cloissone [which can be also done with copper wire]. Would someone elucidate? Magnus http://pinzart.zoovy.com/c=MaLXZuJrPkiH74Uo4Qeh1tjjB/product/0973-MIC-2 >>> From: Bob Woods Date: July 4, 2009 12:31:52 AM CDT To: pewterersguild at yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [pewterersguild] coloring pewter   On Jul 3, 2009, at 11:36 AM, Stefan li Rous wrote:  > Just to clarify here. For this last medallion, the Goutte, are you  > firing it for the low-fire Pebec enamels, or real enamel? My  > assumption has been that true enamels require a temperature high  > enough to melt glass, which isn't something you can do in a home  > kitchen oven, and that it would melt the pewter you are enameling.  >  > Stefan Yup, the low-temp glass painting "enamel", around 300-325 Fahrenheit.  Well below the melting point of most pewters of around 600 F,  depending on alloy. Easily fired in kitchen or even toaster ovens.   I also occasionally do true enameling, mostly on silver, as used in  the cloissonne and champleve techniques. It uses colored powdered  glass as the medium. Temps there can vary from around 1100 F up to  around 1600 F, which is starting to get somewhat close to the melting  point of fine (100%) silver at 1750 or so. Definitely far into the  realm of kiln temps, which is why I've got a small enamel kiln.   Real enamel is far more labor intensive compared to the low-fire  "enamels" which only require painting, letting it dry for 24 hours and  baking it from 15-30 minutes, which is why I've been able to afford to  donate the medallions to the kingdom. My material costs for the  painted pewter medallions are on the order of roughly 35 - 50 cents  each, and I do them in batches of 20-60 at a time.   I seldom would sell a small enamel piece for less than $50 and some  could run up to $300 or so, depending on size and complexity. A  complicated design for the enamel, fabricating fancy mounts, large  size, or graver work on the silver base in combination with  transparent enamels to do textural or diapering-type backgrounds all  can be factors. Most enamels that I've done are custom designs, done  one at a time on commission.   It commonly takes 4 hours or more for even a simple piece, needing  anywhere from 5-15 (fairly quick) firings in the kiln to build the  enamel up, and hand-grinding down rough and high spots between  firings. Big and complex pieces can take up to 2 days of shop time.   The results with real enamel can be vibrant, permanent color with  subtle gradations, shading and depth and also is about as period as  you can get.   Conchobar From: "mandrisa at gmail.com" Date: January 8, 2010 7:54:10 PM CST To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Kiln? <<>> I've heard of people getting good deals at china conventions. Annette From: Ro Date: January 8, 2010 10:59:51 PM CST To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Kiln? Check out the PMC dealers. They are usually tabletop size and have the temp control for enameling. Shajar Edited by Mark S. Harris enameling-msg Page 17 of 17