Ratio for combining two glass enamels

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Katrina Corry
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Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2022 8:06 am

Ratio for combining two glass enamels

Post by Katrina Corry »

Hi all I’m new at this. Would love advice about the ratio to combine two glass enamel powders to achieve a different colour. I want a deep dark red and am looking at Thompson’s ‘Victoria’ and ‘Flame Red’
I am however finding it hard to find somewhere to buy these two colours. I’m in Australia.
Barry Kaiser
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Re: Ratio for combining two glass enamels

Post by Barry Kaiser »

The only way to find out is to experiment.
Very small quantities work fine, so just run some tests.
Buttercup
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Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Ratio for combining two glass enamels

Post by Buttercup »

Hi Katrina,

Welcome. You did say you are new to all this so don't be insulted if I comment that there are a lot of art supplies companies in Australia that advertise 'Glass Paint' but they are actually selling paints that are not to be fired in a kiln. They simply put a skin of colour on the glass; they don't fire into the surface and become one with the glass.

Since you're asking here I imagine you're looking for traditional glass paints for painting and firing in a kiln so they become part of the glass. That's clumsy but it will do to differentiate.

Here are some Australian suppliers:

https://www.glassfusing.com.au ( I think they're in the southern Highlands, or Canberra area.)

https://hartleywilliams.com.au/( Brendale, Brisbane north)

Blue Dog glass. I can't find their website. They may have it off-line for updating but their email is:
info@bluedogglass.com.au They are in the Dandenong Ranges, East of Melbourne.

Good luck and enjoy!
Don Burt
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Re: Ratio for combining two glass enamels

Post by Don Burt »

I'm suspicious that you might not be happy with Thompson Enamels. For example, the 'Victoria Red'. When I looked at their bewilderingly organized website just now it looks like that color is intended for use on copper. Do you see a version for glass somewhere? I haven't used Thompson Enamels for many years. But when I did, they weren't satisfactorily compatible with Bullseye glass, except in very thin applications. I'd recommend you find a glass enamel made for firing onto whatever glass you have. By the way, what glass do you have? Float glass? Bullseye? Other?

https://thompsonenamel.com/product/1890-victoria-red-c/
Buttercup
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Location: S.E. Queensland Australia

Re: Ratio for combining two glass enamels

Post by Buttercup »

It seems the information I gave Katrina is not up to date, probably why she asked here. My apologies.

H-W only has one or two bottles of Glassline paint on their website and nothing in the Stainers or Enamels category. They used to have a fair range. They're closed Saturdays so I can't phone them to see if this is a temporary supply problem but the site doesn't say that.

Blue Dog Glass was to be back on line on 10.11.'22 but so far a Google search doesn't find them. No doubt it will in a day or so.I used a link in an email and got to the site but there were no glass paints. Maybe it's not fully updated yet so it seems that glassfusing.com.au is your best chance right now.

https://www.glassfusing.com.au/index.ph ... Path=42_55 has information about the 20:20 line of glass paints.The site doesn't say if they are opaque or transparent. Glassfusing says it's the best red they've seen. Apparently they are made in Oz and can be mixed.

As for the Thompson 400 series. What appears to be one of every colour they make came with a kiln I bought several years ago, and as Don noted, their images on Thompson's website are disappointing. I don't paint on window glass, anyway, and it seems they are not compatible with art glass so haven't bothered to do any samples to see if multiple layers would improve the washed-out look.

Has anyone else had any luck sourcing locally-stocked enamels and stainers in Oz?
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