Enamelling for beginners

Various examples of enamel jewellery

Beginners guide to enamelling Enamelling You have information on tools, workspace, kilns and enamels, this page deals with the initial stages of enamelling and how to get going. Below is a very basic guide to enamelling copper and it is worth researching methods others use. Handling acids can be dangerous, nitric acid if splashed on your clothes will leave a hole and discolour your skin. Any area should be washed quickly in cold water and baking soda. Kilns are very hot, use a wood handled implement to place and take out items from it. Use a heavy leather glove when opening and closing your kiln to start with, until you are familiar with what you are doing. I still use one on certain occasions when I have something delicate or tricky which I know will take a little longer to place or take out.

	Cut or fretsaw a square or any shape in copper , file edges till smooth. Alternatively buy copper blanks available from enamel suppliers. Heat your copper either in your kiln or with your gas until it glows red, dip in cold water. Clean your copper in diluted nitric acid, 3 parts water to 1 part nitric acid (pickle). Always add acid to water and stir with a glass rod to prevent heat stress within the liquid. Use plastic tweezers to remove items from the pickle. Wash off in water and baking soda to nuetralise the acid. Try not to touch the copper except on the edges as it will not be clean anymore, due to natural grease on your fingers.

	Counter-enamelling is preparing the back of the metal with enamels, do this first. Put kyle fire or an organic gum on one side. If it does not cover the metal completely then it is not clean enough and you need to do it again. Sift your enamels all over your piece making sure there are no gaps and it is not too thinly coated. Place it very gently on your kiln furniture and fire. Different enamels should be fired at their recommended temperature for about 1.5 mins. The temperature inside your kiln is very important as most enamels need a range of 780 - 810 degrees.

	Your metal will now need cleaning again to get rid of the firescale. Choose a flux or white enamel to coat the metal side in the same way as before. When placing you piece on the kiln furniture make sure the counter enamel is not touching, only the edges should touch. Fire

Notes Everyone develops their own way of working as there are so many variables ie: kilns with and without pyrometers and enamels from different companies. Gather as much info as possible here are some hints and tips. If your enamel is too thick for the metal it could crack and break off. If your enamel is too thin it will burn back and leave holes or pits. Make sure the sifted enamel is the same thickness all over. You could add a touch more at the edges. Opaque enamels generally fire to a lower temperature than transparent ones. Flux is usually used under transparent enamels so that the metal can be seen. Test firing all your enamels is essential and making samples to put next to your powder enamel bottles is a good idea. For freestyle enamelling there is no counter enamel but your enamels can only be as thick as your metal. Some enamels do not like acids and go dull. Organic (as in vegetable not synthetic) gums are, gum tragacanth and gum arabic. Wall paper paste used to be organic, there are probably still some available When using gums make sure they are dry before placing your piece in the kiln. Place on top of your kiln until dry. Use tongs or tweezers to move your metal around once cleaned. If you dont counter enamel your metal could curve and not be flat.