Enamel Jewellery Making Process
What Metal to Use
For enamel-work, the best materials are sheet copper or sterling
silver, which should not be thicker than .8mm. Brass is unsuitable,
since its melting point is too close to that of the enamel powder.
The Enamel Powder
To enamel simply means to cover metal with colored glass flux. We
distinguish between several kinds of enamel. Opaque enamel completely
covers and conceals the metal base. Transparent enamel allows the metal
to show through. Opalescent enamel allows the metal to show through only
after a second firing but we do not deal with that type in this booklet.
Chip enamel or mosaic enamel is produced by sprinkling a coarse enamel
powder onto the metal base. The result is a somewhat raised surface.
Enamel colors cannot be mixed. They are bought ready to use. The red
tones tend to be the most expensive. Transparent enamel powder must be
"washed" before use. To do this, place the powder in a clean bowl, add
clear water to cover, and stir gently. Pour off the water with great
care, to avoid losing any of the powder, and repeat the process until
the water remains clear.
Clear plastic or glass tubes or jars are ideal for storing the dry
powder. Mark the containers with color and order number. For best color
identification, attach a small sample of the fired enamel to the
container.
Preparing the Metal
Copper sheeting must be tempered before you begin to work with it.
This makes the metal less brittle and more pliable. Place the sheet of
copper onto the surface of the preheated kiln and cover with the hood,
or hold it with your tongs over a large, open gas flame until it glows
red-hot. Then throw it immediately into a pan of cold water. This will
also remove the black scale that formed during the heating.
Dry the metal carefully, and you are ready to begin working on it.
Beginners tend to make the mistake of being unduly ambitious. They often
attempt extravagant modernistic shapes, which turn out to be rather
disappointing. You will note that all the pieces shown in this booklet
have a simple form, strictly geometric square, rectangular, round, or
oval or modified trapezoid or triangular shapes. You will discover a
wealth of variations of these basically simple forms.
Sketch the outline on a piece of graph paper, and transfer this
sketch to the metal, allowing for as little scrap as possible. Cut the
rough shape out with the straight shears, indicate the actual outline
with your awl, and cut the final shape with the curved shears. If the
metal is now bent out of shape, flatten it carefully with the mallet on
a hard, smooth surface. You may use an ordinary hammer, but in that
case, you must protect the surface of the copper with a thin piece of
cardboard, so that the strokes of the hammer do not show. File the rough
cut edges and sharp corners. Now you must temper the metal once more.
Then smooth the surface to be enameled with emery cloth, and rinse
thoroughly with water. From this point on, do not touch the surface with
your fingers, since any trace of dust or grease will keep the enamel
from adhering properly. Finally, you must "pickle" the metal. Place it
in a mixture of one cup wine vinegar and one tablespoon table salt.
After a few minutes, remove it with a wooden tongs, or an improvised
tongs of copper wire. Do not use tongs of any other metal under any
circumstance! Rinse the metal and dry it thoroughly. |
