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I'm doing an Art Deco-like geometric stained glass window. I designed the borders with black geometric banding ornament, for which I would ordinarily use 1260ºF black glass paint. I was thinking instead about using a paint or something that would be more metallic in reflected light. The glass will be yellow and medium/dark blue antique. Is there a Hanovia or mica product out there that I can use that will be opaque, but have some metallic feel to it and ( this is probably the defeating constraint) fire at under 1300ºF so that the glass doesn't distort much? I have an airbrush for even application. The window will be 24" square, so the border is probably too much area for precious metals in the little bottles, and I don't know how to apply them anyway.

If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them. Thanks.

I haven't quite mastered it yet, but I did get one good result with Hanovia mother of pearl. I think it would create the effect you said you are looking for - see through, but with a metallic-ish finish.

I would recommend some test firings before you put it all over your work, though.

Here's what I did: I put a medium to light coating on the surface of my glass. I used a q-tip in a circular motion. Then, I fired on a regular schedule up to 1200 degrees, where I held for 5 minutes.

I was trying to get this all figured out before, and someone mentioned that they apply their lusters when they do their slumping.

Sorry, that's probably not technical enough, but I hope it helps! Good luck!

Which glass color will receive the metalic luster? You might try firing your design in black glass enamel to make an opaque layer and then fire the luster on top of that. Test the enamel (I use Satelite enamels) at the max temp you want to use without distorting the glass. It should mature suitably at 1300 F (my little brain doesn't retain all those numbers so I will double check my firing logs and get back to you). The Hanovia lusters might do interesting things on top of the enamels.

Lusters are expensive but they do cover more surface than you might expect.

Good luck.

The hanovia metallics fire at slumping temperatures and are available in gold, copper and platinum. They are solid metal color. If you want to use micas, you can do it but you'll have to apply it to something that will hold it in place as they won't adhere to glass at much less than fusing temperatures. Try spreading a layer of Pearlex mica over a painted pattern using your paints and see if it'll stick... you might be surprised. Since it won't stick to the glass at the low temps, you'll be able to control where the mica goes.

Tony

db wrote:I'm doing an Art Deco-like geometric stained glass window. I designed the borders with black geometric banding ornament, for which I would ordinarily use 1260ºF black glass paint. I was thinking instead about using a paint or something that would be more metallic in reflected light. The glass will be yellow and medium/dark blue antique. Is there a Hanovia or mica product out there that I can use that will be opaque, but have some metallic feel to it and ( this is probably the defeating constraint) fire at under 1300ºF so that the glass doesn't distort much? I have an airbrush for even application. The window will be 24" square, so the border is probably too much area for precious metals in the little bottles, and I don't know how to apply them anyway.

If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them. Thanks.

DB

If you are spraying, I would mix in pearlex mica powders right in with the stencil black and spray away. You can also hand paint the black with water and gun arabic (or any water mixable medium), then overspray with the mica mixed with squeegee oil and pure turpentine. I have done this with interesting result. The idea is that the opposite medium won't mix with whatever is painted beneath it. You could do it either way.

I did this on a bowl blank and was able to slump the blank with the paint side down. The mica acted as a protecting layer and the enamels didn't mark up from the slump. I was working with 1480º sunshine enamel with the mica in the oil overspray.

I haven't tried mixing the mica in to my enamel and 1544 water mixable medium and hand painting. I'm not sure that it would disperse evenly, but it might.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try mixing powders wih my paint like suggested. Most of the piece is going to be made w/Lamberts flashes in double layers. I think it will be pretty cool if the client goes for it.

I've mixed micas and firt and powders together and the frit won't flow out. Micas act as a seperator and mixed in with your paints probably won't give you a smooth surface or they may not stick at all.

I'd go for putting the paints on first and then an overspray with micas.

Ron

there's always the b.e. steel blue that looks metalic after firing.