enamel suggestions

This forum is for questions from newcomers to kiln-forming.

Moderator: Tony Smith

peter cummings
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:05 am
Location: sale,s.e.vic,australia
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by peter cummings »

You know the expression "win some, lose some"? I get a half win, enough to want me to get it right, but a lot of times it's hell. Too hard I'm going to forget it. So I try at times. Gum arabic gummed everything up, airbrush wouldn't flush but there was a bottle of metho nearby and voila, it worked. Maybe I didn't dilute enough. So I use silk screen medium that came with the enamels. 50/50 with water flowed but color wasn't strong enough. When I put enough on for a color it ran. So about 2 medium to 1 water, and jacked pressure from 22 to 30 psi. OK but still spots, or long spots. I've used recycled float, and last 2 came out with a line down the centre, almost de vit. Is 800 c too high for float? Will try a polish but I have some spectrum 6mm clear so maybe that's a go. Getting more is impossible, city is locked down and 3 hour away. Promised work for a possible show in 6 weeks. Frames and all else worked out and I love the idea. BUT
johnmich
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:54 pm
Location: Renton, Washington USA
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by johnmich »

We used a sugary soda pop (Mountain Dew or Coke—not diet, you need the sugar). Open the bottle and let it sit until all of the carbonation is gone. Then mix with glass powder or enamels and spray with your airbrush. It burned out clean and worked great. I suppose you could also just may your own sugar syrup with water and sugar. Maybe 2:1 sugar:water heated to dissolve the sugar.
peter cummings
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:05 am
Location: sale,s.e.vic,australia
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by peter cummings »

That sounds a good tip I'll try thanks.. I had a full reboot. Dragged out the pyrometer I bought for when I try a small kiln with basic controls. Got a new battery and my good kiln was running 20 degrees C under, so did a reset. Online bought some mouth atomisers potters recommended, but they splattered too much. Ended up buying another airbrush with an extra larger needle. 0.5mm works much better than 0.3mm I had. Used some 4mm sys.96 clear I had and it looks fine, still a bit warm to handle. Enough 4mm bullseye clear for a couple next then back to float 6mm for deeper cutting. Dug out the tinscope I've never used and practiced. Plan is to sandblast tin off and enamel that side, so that clean side ends upwards and hopefully no devit on that side I look through.Engravers do things backwards I guess. A few weeks to the planned exhibition although it will be cancelled anyway.
peter cummings
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:05 am
Location: sale,s.e.vic,australia
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by peter cummings »

Next time I burn off the binder in the fiber. I'm busting to send a finished photo. First I have to finish.
Kevin Midgley
Posts: 773
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:36 am
Location: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by Kevin Midgley »

use aluminum oxide sandblasting grit only. The carbide etched glass will not fire as clean.
peter cummings
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:05 am
Location: sale,s.e.vic,australia
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by peter cummings »

I blasted the tin off float, then enameled over that, which worked better than airbrushing on smooth glass.(didn't run) Yet to fire Kevin so I hope it's OK since I use SiC for blasting. Airbrushed in small loads, because some, especially browns settled down in the cup quickly and clog it up. At least now I've 2 thin ones ready to engrave.
Kevin Midgley
Posts: 773
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:36 am
Location: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by Kevin Midgley »

Brock Craig was adamant that you never use silicon carbide with fused glass.
peter cummings
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:05 am
Location: sale,s.e.vic,australia
Contact:

Re: enamel suggestions

Post by peter cummings »

Kevin I use silicon because I do decorative blasting so much, and it is better for that. I've blasted quite a few for a satin finish which worked fine. I think the spectrum I blasted devit off and firepolished is not perfect, so I hope blasting is OK enameled over. My problem is using it as an engraving base, to carve through the colour. I don't want the tin on top, devit, and maybe no tin mixing with the enamel,colour changes and it comes off a bit. First firing, enamel up looks fine. Thanks for input folks.
Post Reply