Thompson Enamels

Greg Rawls · Post by **Greg Rawls** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 3:37 pm

I bought some Thompson Enamels. What do you mix this stuff with? I tried water and the enamel just sinks to the bottom. Maybe Klyr-Fire? Help!!!!!

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 5:16 pm

what mesh size? the 80 mesh is for sifting onto oil, glue, klyrfire....... the finer grinds, 320 if i remember, work more like paint but they are still pretty coarse compared to ferro or paridise pigments. i have used thompsons enamel medium as well as klyrfire with the powders. rosanna

Greg Rawls · Post by **Greg Rawls** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 5:50 pm

Roseanna: Thanks for the reply! It's the 80 mesh size. So I sift over klyr-Fire? Hmmmmm... Where do you get the stuff that goes on like paint?

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 7:27 pm

sifting is fun. try doing some scraffito drawings in the sifted enamel before the medium dries. ferro enamels go on like paint. search the archives for ferro wanda phone number. the 200$ (i think that is how much) test kit is awsome. i got some colors that go on with a lower temp from mr/mrs of dallas that i plan to test this week. rosanna

Rebecca M. · Post by **Rebecca M.** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 7:46 pm

Don posted this a month or so ago.
http://www.thompsonenamel.com/products/ ... 2.htm#mtle
I haven't tried them, but they look very interesting. Has anyone tried them yet?

Cathy Crain · Post by **Cathy Crain** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:06 am

Rosanna-
What is included in the Ferro Test Kit? I too am hunting for something that acts more like paint and that can also be airbrushed and used as "food safe".
I talked to Ferro and was told that I had to buy paint in 1.5 lb units per color...they didn't say a thing about a test kit.

thanks

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:10 am

Their test kit has 100 grams of each of 17 colors (I think) and 50 grams of 2 additional colors. It also comes with a mixing medium... all for $200 or so

Tony

Cathy Crain · Post by **Cathy Crain** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:16 am

Thanks Tony,
Can you buy it straight from Ferro, or do you have to go through a distributor?

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:18 am

No, you have to call them directly... they're not very organized either. I would suggest you call and ask for a free sample first, before you lay down the $200.

Tony

Cathy Crain · Post by **Cathy Crain** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:23 am

Thanks Tony,
I will call them Monday.
Hope you are staying nice and warm. I understand it is a 'little chilly' up there

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:27 am

it's just 0Â° now... a little warmer than last night.

come on hawaii......

Tony

Jackie Beckman · Post by **Jackie Beckman** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:29 am

Cathy Crain wrote:Thanks Tony,
I will call them Monday.
Hope you are staying nice and warm. I understand it is a 'little chilly' up there

It looked so unbelievably cold up there! Wow! I could almost feel it watching the game! I say "almost" but that's not exactly true. 76 and sunny here today - still 65 right now. Perfect.

Tony Smith · Post by **Tony Smith** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:32 am

Jackie Beckman wrote:
Cathy Crain wrote:Thanks Tony,
I will call them Monday.
Hope you are staying nice and warm. I understand it is a 'little chilly' up there
It looked so unbelievably cold up there! Wow! I could almost feel it watching the game! I say "almost" but that's not exactly true. 76 and sunny here today - still 65 right now. Perfect.

yeah, yeah, yeah.... rub it in.

Mr Freeze

Jackie Beckman · Post by **Jackie Beckman** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:37 am

Tony Smith wrote:
Jackie Beckman wrote:
Cathy Crain wrote:Thanks Tony,
I will call them Monday.
Hope you are staying nice and warm. I understand it is a 'little chilly' up there
It looked so unbelievably cold up there! Wow! I could almost feel it watching the game! I say "almost" but that's not exactly true. 76 and sunny here today - still 65 right now. Perfect.
yeah, yeah, yeah.... rub it in.

Mr Freeze

Don't envy our weather - in a few months I'll stop getting the mail because I'll burn myself touching the mailbox . . .

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 2:08 am

Tony Smith wrote:Their test kit has 100 grams of each of 17 colors (I think) and 50 grams of 2 additional colors. It also comes with a mixing medium... all for $200 or so

Tony

The Sunshine series has 19 colors and flux. It has some lead and cadmium, but if applied and fired right it should meet food release standards. The flux is lead and cadmium free and can always be used as an overglaze. The Samba series is lead free.

Get some water miscable medium. There are many choices. I like the very slow drying #1544. The recommended one is 80841 I don't believe that medium comes with the sample set. You have to buy it seperately.

Their minimum order of a color is 100 grams or 1/4 lb. However, there is a $100 minimum. 800-245-4951 ask for Wanda McDowell in customer service.

I am teaching this in Hillsboro Oregon in a couple of weeks. Look in the classifieds for more info. I don't know anything about enrollment numbers. These enamels can be used on float, as well as on 90 and 96 COE glasses. The color layer is so thin that it doesn't have the strength to break the substrate glass.

Thompson is applied thicker and is much less forgiving.

Greg

Sifting is the way to get the Thompson on. When I worked with it I didn't use any kind of binder. I just sifted it on and messed around with it. Back in the 80's they had a beautiful line of lead bearing colors. Today their colors are kind of dead to me.

An interesting binder to try is aloe vera gel. Schmear it on and sift over a template.

Cathy Crain · Post by **Cathy Crain** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 5:16 am

Bert,
Thanks a bunch for the specifics. Don't suppose you are teaching anywhere in the South or Texas in the next few months?

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 12:37 pm

Cathy Crain wrote:Bert,
Thanks a bunch for the specifics. Don't suppose you are teaching anywhere in the South or Texas in the next few months?

No plans for teaching south fight now. I am probably going to announce a week long class at my Studio in NH in March. I haven't picked which week yet.

If you are going to travel for a class, Portland is a really interesting glass town to visit. Bullseye and Uroboros factories, Lots of great glass being made.