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| Inside Outside #1 Vitreous Enamel and Encaustic on Copper Pendant (Photo credit: Christine Gierer) |
2 For some detailed sorts of work, thinner layers of glass built up between more frequent firings can give you a greater measure of control.
3 It is better in most instances to underfire (you can put it back in the kiln) than to overfire—in which detail is lost, and colors, especially sensitive reds/pinks/purples, can be significantly altered. However: overfiring is a useful technique to explore. Luminous beauty can be achieved there (see tip #1).
4 Little benchtop contact kilns are perfect for small pieces. They use less energy, firing is quick, and timing very controllable.
5 I cover the opening in the top of my benchtop kiln with a shield I’ve made from many layers of folded aluminum foil. I prop it in place and move it with 7" tweezers for access. This keeps the heat in, which helps when firing on a trivet and is healthier for your eyes.
6 An aloe vera plant near the studio is great for burns! Taped in place, it will cool a 2nd degree burn enough to keep working (but we recommend not burning yourself as an even better alternative!).
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| RAW4 hand (Photo credit: VickieHallmark) |
9 Texture the surface of your fine silver before enameling with transparents. When the piece is finished, it will look more alive as light plays across its surface.
10 As you slowly fill your cloisonné cells layer by layer, if you change your mind about an area, or don’t like how some color is coming out, lay down silver or gold foil to cover that area and you can begin to fill again with a new color.
11 Transparents in very small cells tend to look dark, and the colors dull. remedy this by using an opaque, or by using foil under your transparent color to brighten it.
12 To apply granules of gold or silver to the surface of your enamel piece, finish all other enameling steps, and stone and sand your piece to a fine finish, about 1200 grit. Using a diamond ball bur, grind a small depression in the exact spot that you want each granule to sit. Then place the granules with Klyr-Fyre. This way, the granules won’t move around as the glass softens in the kiln.
13 Use stainless steel firing racks to eliminate oxide flaking off the rack, which can contaminate your enamel.
14 When working with silver (fine or sterling), be sure to put a layer of clear enamel under the warm colors like reds, pinks, and oranges and opalescent white. Without the clear, these colors have chemical reactions to the silver and will change to what you are not expecting.
15 When wet-packing with opaque colors, put in a few drops of Klyr-Fire to help keep them in place.
16 When wet-packing transparent colors, be sure to keep your layers thin—this will help achieve the best clarity of color.
17 Sometimes when firing transparent enamels on copper the color has a tomato-red cast to it. This is because the oxide in the copper has not been taken into the solution of the enamel. In some cases you might want this, but to get the clearest color try this: put down a base coat of clear transparent and fire it high enough and long enough so that the tomato color is gone.
18 Hairspray in a pump bottle makes a great adhesive. Being alcohol based, it dries quicker than Klyr-Fire and you can pour a little into a soufflé cup and mix it up just like water to apply enamel with a brush.
19 For enamelists like me who are pretty much shake-and- bake, fire a first coat with grade-sifted 80 mesh grains (held onto the metal with hairspray, of course), then fill in a second coat with 100 mesh for a smooth coat and good coverage. The larger grains give more intense color and the smaller ones fill in around them on the second coat.
20 Oh, and never, ever multi-task while firing!
21 Learn more about enamels from the Enamelist Society, a great resource for information suitable for enamelists from complete beginners to experienced professionals.
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