I have one important question to ask. Is it possible to bronze
electroplate on a bisqued ceramic tile. I assume it will require a
zinc surface to plate to… if thats possible.
We are a small art tile manufacturer and would like to do a new line
of electroplated Bronze tile.
Thank you for your help.
Richard Surving
I have one important question to ask. Is it possible to bronze electroplate on a bisqued ceramic tile. I assume it will require a zinc surface to plate to... if thats possible.
This doesn’t sound too feasible to me. Bisque tile is very
absorbant, and it would soak up the electrolyte, which is full of
copper sulphate and acid. I don’t know how you’d ever get it out. One
can electroform onto an applied layer of conductive lacquer, but this
would work much better with a fully-vitrified tile. It’s more usual
to use copper than bronze for electroforming, but really, the best
way to get the effect of metal on a tile is by using a lustre; they
come in various colors like gold, silver and copper, although I don’t
recall seeing one in bronze - here’s one source:
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/OverGlazes/Hanovia.htm.
Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com
You could use a variant of the cold-casting technique which is
employed to make low cost, low weight bronze effect castings.
Sculptors mix epoxy with about 30% (you will need to check this)
finely powdered bronze and then use this as the gel coat on the
inside of the casting before laying up a standard fibreglass
structure. Apparently, it can be polished, sanded and patinated with
chemicals as long as you do not get it hot.
If you used a bronze powder from a sculpture supply company and a
thin, clear epoxy like Araldite 2020 (speak with the glue supplier
though as they may have a better idea of what would work here) you
would end up with a bronze paint that you could apply to the surface
of your tiles. Would require a bit of experimenting to get the right
type of resin (viscosity, ability to glue metal to ceramics) and
right proportion of metal to make the effect work, but I imagine it
would be way easier then getting a good plaiting cover. For more info
on what I am suggesting, do a search for “cold casting” with a few
other key words in google and you will find a mine of information
available. Cold Enamellers (same idea, just use a pigment instead of
the powdered metal) out there may also be able to help with glue
choices.
Regards
Chris Penner
www.collarsandcuffs.co.uk
Sculptors mix epoxy with about 30% (you will need to check this) finely powdered bronze
This jogged my memory-- there are products for producing a metal
finish on any material, even allowing patinas to be used, made by
Sculpt Nouveau, http://www.sculptnouveau.com/. I’ve seen the
products demonstrated, and they’re really very cool, though I
haven’t had occasion to use them. I’ve seen very cool things done
with their metal dyes, as well, especially on copper.
–Noel
Dear Richard,
Since the answer to your original inquiry seems to be “no,” and
other people have been offering alternatives, I kept remembering that
there is one ceramic oxide “stain” that results in a wonderful,
bronze-like, very metallic looking surface–I think it was used
originally by the late Lucie Rie. The surface looks quite different
from lusters, which usually look like glazes (probably because they
are usually used over glazes).
So I searched around and found it–manganese dioxide–but it turns
out to be very, very dangerous. Sigh.
http://ceramic-materials.com/cermat/education/139.html
Lisa Orlando
Richard,
Have you tried Sculpt Noveau products? Ron Young has created metal
coatings that can be applied to non metal surfaces like ceramics,
glass, etc. The coatings are ground metals in an acrylic binder.
They can be applied to create form or not, and they take patinas
marvelously. He also has a line of patinas, solvent dyes, lacquers
and waxes for all kinds of metal finishes.
The company is in Escondito California
There are different metal coatings or many metals, ranging from A,
the original, which once dry can not be altered, to metal coatings
that may be polished with a polishing wheel and that take an array of
patinas. It’s all on the web page, including color charts of all of
the wonderful colors one can get with the patinas. Silani
(I’m just beginning to try them out, but I went to a large metal
warehouse in Sun Valley that has large panels of his products on
display and it was impressive. He also teaches classes and has made
videos about creating the surfaces, and sends good instruction books
and samples with orders, as well as some free samples of other
products, like his spray finish.)
I’m not an employee, or related in any way…I’m just amazed
with the coatings and all of the surface treatments he has produced
and wondering how I’m going to make more use of the possibilities
with tiles.