glass paints

ellen abbott · Post by **ellen abbott** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 11:19 am

Can anyone recommend a type of glass paint that fires at less than the softening point for Bullseye?

E

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 11:48 am

Do you mean softening point (1250 for Bullseye transparents, 1270 for opals), or do you mean the point at which the glass starts to deform in the heat?

If you really mean softening point, than we can probably come up with some paints that mature at below 1250 (especially opaque paints). For example, Paradise Paints will adhere at 1150, but you'll get a matt finish.

If you mean when the glass deforms, that's harder, at least if you want a paint that will be permanent, rather than just brushed or sprayed on a (usually sandblasted) surface.

ellen abbott · Post by **ellen abbott** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:01 pm

It's a cast piece (one of my cup forms) that I mis-judged on the amount of bronze color and the whole thing came out very brown. Too brown. What I want to do is use paints to give it more color without deforming the cast piece, and I would like the paints to be permanent so I figured they would have to be fired on.

e

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:05 pm

ellen abbott wrote:It's a cast piece (one of my cup forms) that I mis-judged on the amount of bronze color and the whole thing came out very brown. Too brown. What I want to do is use paints to give it more color without deforming the cast piece, and I would like the paints to be permanent so I figured they would have to be fired on.

e

Low fire enamels.

C'est pas moi sac, but aren't there enamels that fire as low as 950?

Brock

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:17 pm

Brock wrote: C'est pas moi sac, but aren't there enamels that fire as low as 950?

Don't know of any, though they could be out there. Maybe in France (or is that Quebec?).

Thompson doesn't have any, FuseMaster doesn't have any, Paradise Paints don't do it, neither does the stuff from Ferro.

Traditional stained glass colors mature too high (Reusche is 1250 to 1400, but Elskus says they work at 1100 to 1250, Drakenfield is 1050 to 1080, but Elskus says a few work at a lower temp). Silver stain might work, since it matures at 950 to 1050, but I'm not sure if that limited color range will work for Ellen (or if she wants to tackle that learning curve).

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:49 pm

There's the entire Pebeo line that fire at 300Â°, but I don't have any experience with them. I believe they are available at Michael's or AC Moore.

I suggest an experiment first.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz029/08/products.asp?param=0

and

http://www.dickblick.com/zz029/50/produ ... ig_id=3689

Tony

ellen abbott · Post by **ellen abbott** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:59 pm

Thanks Tony (and Brad and Brock). I'll check them out.

e

Brad Walker · Post by **Brad Walker** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 1:02 pm

Paints like the Pebeo ones are heated (usually in a kitchen oven) to 325F. They go on brilliant and look great at first, but after a few years they dull and often crack off.

Most "glass painting" books are done with paints like these in mind. The significant exception is Albinus Elskus's The Art of Painting on Glass, which is the classic text for traditional stained glass painting.

Rebecca M. · Post by **Rebecca M.** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 3:32 pm

I haven't tried these yet, but it has a pretty low firing point for glass paints.
http://www.mrandmrsofdallas.com/Product ... Paints.htm

Some of the ices if you can find them can be fired pretty low, but will be raised in a granular texture. Also would need to be horizontal, so they might not help. I don't know where you'd get them anyway. Thompson supposedly has a line of low-fire ices, but?????

And I've heard, but again haven't tried Reushe products "D" and "MB" can mature at 1100 with a 15 min. hold.

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 4:50 pm

Hi
I have been trying Vidtriate's products for a while now and find them very good. They have a range of low fusing paints for glassware at 500 to 600C ( 932 to 1112F) see http://www.vidriarte.com/colores-fritas/pint-baja.htm Haven't tried these yet but if they are like their products for float then they will be good.
Regards
Ian

jerry flanary · Post by **jerry flanary** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 8:07 pm

I mis-judged on the amount of bronze color and the whole thing came out very brown. Too brown. What I want to do is use paints to give it more color without deforming the cast
Was it a bronze powder? Does it now have a layer of bronze on the outside? If so, why not Patena?

ellen abbott · Post by **ellen abbott** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 9:00 pm

It was frit size 1 BE lt. bronze glass (don't have the # in my head). I should have cut it with clear (50/50), which I forgot to do and I should have used less. Only wanted the cup itself to be brown (it has branch forms on the outside like a bird's nest) and the foot to be clear. Well, not clear since the clear #1 frit becomes very cloudy. Mis-judged the quantity of bronze so it over-powered the clear for the foot and it all came out brown. My intention is to paint green leaves on the foot to give it some contrast. All that aside, what do you mean by 'Patena' (as in a brand name or patina)?

E

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 9:38 pm

ellen abbott wrote:Can anyone recommend a type of glass paint that fires at less than the softening point for Bullseye?

E

Ellen

You have many choices. There are lots of enamels that are designed to be fired in around 1050ÂºF. The idea is that they can be applied to glassware and not slump it. Colors come in transparent and opaque as well as precious metals and lustres. I would probably suggest working with colors from Reusche. Fusemaster might have a good line of low fires, I forget exactly. There are some other sources. The good transparent colors from Germany are more difficult to get here in the US.

If you choose to use the really low fire organic colors, I suggest working with Ferro Organic Bottle Coatings. They fire in at 400ÂºF for 1/2 hour and come in brilliant transparent colors.

The difference between the 2 lines of colors is that the 1050ÂºF colors will scratch with a knife. The 400ÂºF colors can be razor bladed off with lots of effort. Both lines of color will hold up to repeated dishwashing.

Tom White · Post by **Tom White** » Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:07 pm

Ellen, I think that Jerry was suggesting that if the piece had actual bronze metal on the surface you could use one of the many available solutions to patina the metal surface to the green or blue color of weathered bronze. Since you have no metal on your cup this suggestion would not work for you.
The glass colors from Mr & Mrs of Dallas are used for painting on thin milkglass lamp shades so they do mature at low temps to avoid distorting such thin glass shapes. They are available in very small quantities, suitable for individual painters.

Best wishes,
Tom in Texas

WarmGlass.com

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