Preventing dots when enamelling

Jewelry Discussion
1

can any one help me in enamelling. i am facing problem like there is
lots of dots are coming in enamel part

Regards
Binod

2

If you are using a kiln that you burned out waxes in, it is probably
stuff falling from the top. That is my guess.

Gerald A. Livings
Livingston Jewelers

3

Hi Binod

What kind of metal you use? and what kind of enamel-transparent,
opaque?

Rudolf

4

Hello,

There are a number of possibilities:

  1. Dust in the kiln falling onto the enamels while firing.

The solution, of course, is to clean the kiln thoroughly.

  1. Are the dots really only dots, or are they bubbles? Bubbles
    usually result from firing wet or moist enamels. The solution is to
    make certain that wet-packed enamels are completely dry before
    firing.

  2. Specks of dust or even metal filings in the enamels.

The solution is to inspect the enamel powders before using them,
remove contaminants, if possible, and/or discard any enamels that
are contaminated.

  1. Are the metal stilts or tripods or trivets (firing supports)
    shedding metal or rust fragments or old enamel fragments during
    firing? The solution is simple. Clean the firing supports by sanding
    or grinding before firing. If they are too deteriorated or cannot be
    cleaned completely, discard them and use new firing supports.

  2. Enamel colors that have become contaminated with other colors.

The solution is to inspect the enamel powders, using a magnifier
(like an Optivisor). Use a pair of tweezers to remove and discard
the offending grains of enamel, or simply discard those colors that
appear to have other colors mixed in with them.

Hope this is useful,
Linda Kaye-Moses

5

hello,

i am using 18kt yellow gold, both enamel i am using.

attaching some image for the same.

2592×1936 1.09 MB

Regards
Binod

6

Looks like way too much binder…use just distilled water.
Depletion guild the gold…looks like your useing too thick a
layer of enamel…Just a thought.

7

There are two possibilities. One is that your enamel is
contaminated. The other could be caused by whatever the 18K gold is
alloyed with. When I enamel on l8K, I prepare it by first applying a
coat of clear flux to the l8K gold. Then I fire on a layer of 24K
gold foil, which I roll out myself to a thickness of heavy duty
aluminum foil. That way I am enameling on pure gold without any
alloys.

Alma

8

Hello

It looks like you didn’t prepared the gold properly. You need first
make depletion gilding- Depletion gilding - Wikipedia

to bring pure gold to the surface of the object.

My advice now- grind all the enamel with diamond burr in bucket with
water to save the gold. Do not use Denamel you will destroy the gold
base.

Heat and pickle the gold in sulfuric acid until there are no black
residue from copper- (5-10x)-depletion gilding.

Some advice about preparing enamels.