I agree with Karla—keep your enamels out of the pickle. Many, if
not most enamels are not acid resistant and the surface will become
dull, and as Karla pointed out sometimes totally ruined. I am glad
Karla has posted this warning, and it is one that should be well
heeded. After spending hours of work on a piece it is devastating
to have the piece marred even the slightest. - Alma
You may also wish to watch certain chemicals used to patina copper.
I have found that they contain acids which lead to the same problems
as pickle. This was of course found through unpleasant experience. I
have now read of but not yet tried the trick of using finger nail
polish to cover the enamel before submitting to the patina.
Belinda
Regarding pickle – It’s been some years since I had to stop
enameling, due to the loss of the facility where iI was taking
classes. But I hope to be getting into it again one of these days.
This talk of not using an acid pickle, or not putting your work in
acid, sounds puzzling to me, as we used a (dilute nitric) acid bath
after enameling on copper, to get rid of fire scale on the side that
had not yet been enameled. Is this no longer done? (Or something that
should no longer be done?) If so, how do you now get rid of the fire
scale ? (We were mostly doing larger pieces, such as bowls of various
sizes.) Or do I misunderstand, and you are talking about a different
kind of (or reason for) pickle(ing)? And, if so, what?
thanks in advance for enlightening me!
margaret