Peter, Vinyl Nail Polish can be bought on ebay.
Barbara
Patina is a term normally used to indicate a colour change due to
oxidation or chemical reaction. So, to patinate silver you would use
livers of sulphur to cause a reaction that leaves a thin film of
silver sulphide on your metal. In a more general sense it would
indicate a surface finish or colouration. So, if used when
describing a glaze it would mean lustre or surface finish.
A glaze is a thin layer of glass on a ceramic body. the glass is not
the same as domestic glass but a vitrified or non-crystalline layer.
It is formed by reaction between the powdered glost and the ceramic
body. Change the composition of either and you get a different
finish (or disaster if the mismatch is bad). you can add all sorts of
things to the glost (glaze mix) to colour it including things found
around the house. The simplest is salt which will react to produce a
sodium silicate but will wreck an electric kiln so only use a gas or
oil furnace.
Mineral stains are usually a hydrate of a metal that has leached
from the rock and the colour indicates the leached metal, ie green
for copper etc. Metal oxides and carbonates are added to glass and
glazes to colour them (see postings on chromophores of minerals to
see what colours you get with what metal).
Finally, elements will NEVER change in any circumstance short of a
nuclear reaction. What you get is a change of how these atoms
(elements) are put together. This is the chemical change. Some
chemical reactions are reversible, some not (or practically so).
Enamelling by torch is merely melting a glass powder to produce a
thin layer of glass that is designed to stick to metal. This is also
done in a kiln but the flame enamelling allows the artist to play
with different oxidation states of the glaze to produce different
colours from the same material. Same goes in ceramic glazes and
glasses.
Nick Royall
Peter, Vinyl Nail Polish can be bought on ebay."
WAIT A MINUTE, HERE! I’ve been out of the loop for quite a
while…what is this thread about?! How in the world does “nail
polish”, vinyl or otherwise, or any resin end up in the same sentence
(on a professional site, yet) with the word enamel?? Enamel, for
jewelry purposes is a fired glass, period! Use these plastics in your
work if that’s what you want to do, but don’t call it “enamel”. It is
an enamel “look” or enamel substitute, but it is not enamel and
cannot ethically be called that anymore than cz’s can be represented
as diamonds.
Okay, I probably just made a fool of myself because a thread
wandered away from it’s title. Even so, I just had to make sure.
Apologies, if appropriate.
Marianne Hunter
Hi,
You don’t have to wait for spring, as you can torch fire enamel on
metal. Copper is easiest.
I don’t know anyone using true enamel as a pottery glaze, but I am
very enthusiastic about experimentation!! It seems to me that it
should work. I don’t know what the results would be due to the huge
difference in firing time/temps. Much can be learned n accomplished
by just trying something new! I also wonder how it would look mixed
into clay/porcelain? I hope you do jump in and try this.
Are you aware that there are a different formulations of vitreous
enamel: leaded, unleaded, for aluminum. Each may react differently
in combination with the material substrate and your firing
processes.
Would you please send images n info on your results to me and/or the
enamelists society?
I’ve been wanting to bring in cross media workshops to our
conferences.( anyone know a glass artist interested?)
Good luck! Marianne
You can google on Revlon nail enamel. I have enamel paints here.
There is tooth enamel.
As far as I can tell from reading Hamer and also Hopper, there is
not much difference between the fired glass underbody and the fired
glass surface enamel in ceramics, but then I am new to the craft.
So I’m thinking enamel could be any strong, protective coating.
You can google on Revlon nail enamel. I have enamel paints here. There is tooth enamel.
Both of these products are named for their resemblance to actual
enamel. I don’t know the derivation of the use of the word “enamel”
for teeth, but as Polish and polish do not represent the same
concept, neither does enamel in jewelry mean the same thing as
enamel in dentistry. As an enamelist over 6 decades and a member of
the Board of the Enamelists Society, this is one thing I am very
clear on.
Enamel, for jewelry purposes is a fired glass, period!
I have no trouble in accepting formal definitions so that is helpful
- thank you.
I have my kiln in the yard under a shelter which is under a foot of
snow right now but I want to do some more enamel tests this spring. I
just got started last year.
After watching “Jem” making diamonds by torch on BBC I think I will
also go to the local welding shop and get their advice on high T
torching. Given that one can enamel onto stoneware pottery I see no
reason why enameling onto carved stones with a torch would not work.
In my beginner’s exercises I was surprised at how different the
colour was between the “mud” in which we dipped our pieces for
glazing and the final colour. Would you call this glazing the same as
enameling as long as it contains silica?
Somebody asked how I “melted” my kiln shelves with the glazing
tests. Actually, they just warped. I coated some stones in
silica-based glaze and fired up the old backyard volcano. What I did
not account for was the 9% S content and they might also be carrying
small amounts of kerogen (low grade coal). So I started a fire inside
the kiln on top of the usual T. But hey - I did get pretty
yellow-green and purplish glazes on top of the stones which puffed up
like little balloons and actually float on water. At least the
volcano did not explode - that would have upset the neighbours. Live
and learn.
I don't know anyone using true enamel as a pottery glaze, but I am very enthusiastic about experimentation!!
Enamels have many factors in common with ceramic glazes-- and a
number of differences.
One of the main differences is melting point. For any type of
ceramics above raku or very low fire terra cotta, the maturing point
of glazes is far above what enamels can tolerate.
Another major difference is that glazes are “raw”, a mixture of
kaolin or other clay, fluxes, metalic oxides, opacifiers, and so
forth. Enamels are ground, specially formulated glass. The closest
material in the ceramic world is frit.
Each glaze, and each enamel, is carefully formulated to match its
intended foundation (copper, silver, porcelain, terra cotta, raku,
etc) in coefficient of expansion as well as maturing temperature. If
a glaze shrinks more or less than its clay on cooling, it will
“craze” (shrink less, leaving cracks) or “shiver” (shrink more,
causing bits to pop off).
So while it may be possible to figure out a solution, it is not like
using paint on, say, glass instead of wood. I have seen raku glazes
used on silver, and the results looked to me like the surface of the
moon, except less attractive. Be prepared to invest considerable time
to get good results.
The good news about glazes is, once you understand them, every
characteristic can be changed by adjusting the recipe. But it may be
like adjusting a recipe for bread to produce a souffle’. I have spent
many months creating recipes to suit my ceramic work, and did not
always succeed in solving the problems, back when I was a
professional at it.
Using enamels on ceramics seems far more challenging, since you can
only choose from enamels that already exist-- adjusting the clay body
is much more difficult.
Noel
I was the original poster for the topic, and I would say that the
topic has pulled away in a direction I did not want it to.
Maybe I should be more specific in what I want to do, even though I
got some useful already.
What I want to do: Add a layer of colored glass to sections of my
next generation of fine silver crosses I intend to give away for
presents (or even hopefully sell), using the torch method.
The total advice given me so far amounts to the following: Any
section of silver thicker than 16 gauge does not require enamelling
on the other side.
I’d rather not have to sift my enamel powder if I can’t possibly get
away with it. Are there pens or solutions I can apply “casually” to
the silver and then apply the torch to, rather than have to take a
year of studies in enamelling?
Andrew Jonathan Fine
I must agree. IT has bothered me that folks are calling these resins
and cold processes “enamel”. They need to call a spade a spade.
I have bought the book (eBook for Kindle) “Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry” by Barbra Lewis. I have not put the technique into use yet.
But it seems to be an easy process. Once I complete a few projects
that I have lined up, I plan to purchase some enamels and try it out.
I found the book on Amazon.
Joanne in Graham WA with lots of snow.
The immersion process of torch-firing is very similar to lampworking
in that you use a mandrel onto which you place a bead or pendant.
The torch is stationary, as in lampworking, and you spin the bead or
dangle the pendant in the flame to heat it. When the metal glows
orange, you dredge it through enamel while the object is still on
the mandrel. Repeat this process two more times. It can take as
little as 40 seconds to enamel a bead. While the bead or pendant is
on the mandrel you can decorate it with enamel threads, millefiori,
lump enamel. You can even decorate it with decals later after the
bead has cooled. You can torch-fire medium fusing clear to the
surface to protect the ceramic decal.
I created a ning group (http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1mt) that has
over 2100 members. The focus of the group is to provide moral and
technical support to those interested in torch firing. I invite you
to join me there and at least check it out. You can find several
videos at my Youtube channel that shows the process:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1bg
My book, “Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting with Fire” was just named the Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon. That was
a real shocker. 
Barbara
Barbara Lewis
http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com
I was the original poster for the topic, and I would say that the topic has pulled away in a direction I did not want it to.
This is the nature of lists and should be accepted with a bit of
zen.
I'd rather not have to sift my enamel powder if I can't possibly get away with it. Are there pens or solutions I can apply "casually" to the silver and then apply the torch to, rather than have to take a year of studies in enamelling?
You don’t have to take a year’s study in enamels. You may have to
sift, that’s pretty much how it’s done, unless you want to wet pack
it.
Heavens, just buy an ounce of enamels, get in there and get your
hands dirty. They used to sell trinket kilns and enameling kits for
kids. So easy a child could do it and all that.
Elaine
CreativeTextureTools.com
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the summary. I’m not positive one could say that you’ll
never have to counter enamel anything 16ga or over. Most likely you
won’t.
You can accomplish your goal with torch fired enamel without years
of training. Not even weeks. Sifting is super easy…anyone can do it
and it’s a great production method.
Are you going to have recessed areas in pieces that you will then
fill with enamel? Or, are you going to have a thin layer of enamel
on only part of the surface? The former will be more stable no matter
what you use to color the pieces as the silver surround would protect
the edges. That being said, there are several ways to apply the
enamel. Sifting: You can use klyr fire or enameling oil to paint onto
the silver. Then sift a layer that is thick enough that you can’t see
any metal throug= h the grains. A nice even layer. If you’re doing
several pieces in the same color, put them all on a clean piece of
paper; then paint on the medium following with the sifted enamel over
all pieces. Might help to let this dry briefly. You can pick up the
pieces using tweezers or spatula underneath and transfer to the
screen or (?) where you’ll torch fire. You can reuse the clean(!!!)
enamel if you put it away carefully. If it’s contaminated, use it as
counter enamel later.
Wet-packing; you can mix enamel with water or oil medium and paint
or place with small tools. An even layer is really important to
prevent cracking.
You can use small, pointed brushes, an exacto knife or a needle or
some other tool you have around to push the enamel into or away from
areas as needed.
Also, did you see the post from Barbara Lewis on dipping pieces into
liquid enamels?
Marianne Hunter
http://www.hunter-studios.com
I’ve successfully used enamel in paint form. Little tubes as I
recall. I fired in a kiln, so I can’t vouch for the color holding
true if it’s torch fired.
It’s been quite a while since I worked with it, so the product may
have changed or even disappeared. The kit was Japanese. I found it
at Enamelwork Supply in Seattle. The company owner, Coral Schaffer,
will be able to help you.
Hot and Cold Methods
Enamel is just a word - like paint. Words have denotations and
connotations and there is usually some variation allowed in both.
That is why we often say, What exactly did you mean by that?
Look up the word “paint” as verb. If you are going to paint stones
in the sense of “colour” them, you can use many methods.
If you want to “preserve” stones, again there are variations in what
that means and also in methods.
Nobody disputes the ceramic definition of enameling. But I remember
common usage of the wording “enamel paints” from 50 years ago and I
doubt the paint industry is going to change its labelling any time
soon.
There is a Latin expression - “carpe rutila” meaning “Seize the
spade”. The Premier of BC got a lot of publicity when he off-handedly
replied to the unemployment problem in BC with Give them a
shovel/spade which might translate as carpe rutila. Did he mean that
literally? It had connotations of “Let them eat cake”.
In addition to denotations and connotations we have (correct) usage
of metaphors. What did the Romans mean by that expression? Maybe it
had meanings long since lost in history including metaphorical usage.
IMO though, hot methods (as we saw with Jem on BBC) using
silica-based material are a most exciting application of these
methods at present. That is “at present”. Who knows what surprises
cold methods could have in store for us or even hot methods with
other-than-silica-based minerals and elements?
These vitreous enamels which come in little tubes are called Versa
Colors. I got mine from Thompson enamel years ago. They may still
carry them. They are in an oil base. The colors held up well for
firing.
Alma.
Andrew, If you want the entire cross to be the same color of enamel,
you can place a mandrel through the hole in the cross, heat the
cross in the torch, and dip the entire thing in enamel. The enamel
will cover the back and front at the same time. Barbara
Barbara Lewis
http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com
paint or squeeze-on
I'd rather not have to sift my enamel powder if I can't possibly get away with it. Are there pens or solutions I can apply "casually" to the silver and then apply the torch to, rather than have to take a year of studies in enamelling? "
Andrew:
The Thompson Enamel Company (thompsonenamel.com) has dozens of
“Enamel Supplement” products for applying color in addition to their
standard powdered enamels. They have great tech support and are happy
to advise you over the phone which supplements will work with which
bases (glass, silver, etc).
Their products include Liquid Form Brushable Enamels and Acrylic
Enamels in ready-to-use format made to apply with a paintbrush.
Their Enamels for Silk Screening and related vehicles and binders
are supposed to work great for applying with a quill pen.
They also make Enamel Marking Pens in a limited selection of colors,
although one may have to apply the pens over a surface which has
already been enameled with a basecoat of clear - a call to their Tech
Support should be helpful.
If you need a transparent enamel, you can also buy any of the
Thompson (or other brand) transparent enamels for Silver in their
finest grind (325 mesh) and add to any of Thompson’s many available
vehicles (mediums) to make your own paint-on enamels.
There was mention a few days ago about potentially applying enamels
with a syringe. In the glass fusing world we use several different
mediums to mix with powdered glass or enamels (80 mesh) for the
purposes of squeezing through a fairly small (#4) round cake
decorating tip or a small hole in the top of a squeeze bottle
(similar to dispensing catsup, but smaller).
I imagine if you start with 325 mesh enamel and a binder you can work
it through a smaller opening (pinhole size) to apply in a squeeze-on
manner. One of the binders I use is called Liquid Stringer Medium,
available from Fusion Headquarters Inc. – Glass Fusing Supplies & Tools | Flexi Glass for Glasswork.
It’s thick enough to hold the enamel in suspension. It may need to be
thinned somewhat with water for the proper consistency to squeeze
out. The resulting designs are fairly brittle when dried (before
firing) so there’s not much opportunity to clean up mistakes before
firing. But it does fire off cleanly at temps above 1300F.
If you need a tougher squeeze-on medium, another product I use is
Verrey Glass Sculpting Medium from http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/1n0
After mixing the medium and enamel you’ll have to thin it with water
to the right consistency to squeeze from a bottle. It contains
glycerin or some other gel-like substance that lubricates for a
smoothly-flowing product, and it’s tough enough after drying to
allow for cleaning up the edges of the design with a toothpick, etc.
But it does not always burn off cleanly when mixed with light-colored
glasses. Worth a bit of testing for use with enamels and silver, I
would think.
Fusion Headquarters also has a brand new medium I haven’t tried
called FlexiGlass. It’s a liquid bonding agent that is flexible when
dry and is advertised to burn off cleanly during firing. The system
involves a liquid medium to mix with your powder, and sheets of
specially designed transfer plastic sheet that A) Does not cause the
FG Medium to bead up when applied wet, B) will withstand temperatures
up to 350deg for drying the FG Medium and C) will not stick to the FG
Medium after it is dry. Squeeze or paint your design onto the
transfer sheet, dry it, peel it off, stick onto your base product and
fire. Of course, they sell a special FG powdered glass to use with
the FlexiGlass medium, but it’s not the right coefficient of
expansion to work with a metal base such as silver. However I
wouldn’t let that stop me from testing the Flexi-Glass Medium with
Thompson or other enamels designed for use on silver.
Hope this is more of what you were looking for.
Elizabeth
My book, "Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire" was just named the Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon. That was a real shocker. :-)
Congratulations on your book and list. I just sent in my
subscription form and look forward to learning more about
torch-firing. I’m wondering if I can use it as a low-cost way to test
out some enamels before going to greater expense with the kiln.