On Wednesday August 8, 2018, Lady Alys Treeby brought out
her torch firing vitreous enameling studio and held a cloisonné enameling class
in camp at Pennsic.
Tools: metal shears (to cut out your medallion shape), punch
(to make a hole to hang it) wire cutters, paper and pencil (to trace the piece
and draw a design), cup or pallet to mix enamels on, small scoops or spoons to
put the enamel onto the piece
Materials: 16-20 gauge copper sheet, 20 gauge round copper
wire, Thompson enamels, Klyr-fire, thin copper wire to make a hanger or jump
ring.
Cloisonné is a technique used for decorating metalwork
objects in which gemstones or enamel is enclosed in compartments (cloisons in French). The compartments are made by soldering or
affixing wires or thin bezel strips placed on their edge. These remain visible in the finished piece,
separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often
different colors. The compartments are
then filled with an enamel powder made into paste and then fired, usually in a
kiln.
We did not place wires around the outer edge as is
traditionally done because the edge will hold the enamel on and it is easier to
not do that in a beginning class. We
also used the round wire instead of bezel wire for ease in doing our first
piece(s).
Lady Alys Treebly provided us with prepared blanks. She cut and cleaned the blanks then added
clear enamel to both sides of the medallion before giving them to us. The top coat (of enamel) when reheated with
the wires on top will act as a “glue” to keep the wires still while we add the
enamel. The enamel layer on the “back”
of the piece, referred to as counter enamel, helps to distribute the stress
that is created during the enameling process and will help lessen warping,
which may occur as the metal and enamel expand and contract.
First I decided on what to make. I decided to do a Maunche and a Silver
Crescent. These are awards in the East
Kingdom for arts & sciences and service, respectively. First
I traced the size of the blanks provided by Lady Alys Treebly.
Pic of my drawings and wire
The group of us working in camp
The wires
We used easy to bend 20 gauge round copper wire. It is difficult to make a nice sharp point
which is why most enamelists use thin strips of bezel cloisonné wire.
After the first torch fire, the tin coat of clear enamel and
copper react with the heat to turn the piece a reddish color. This can be used or removed later. We used two opaque enamels (Butter Yellow and
Purple) for the Maunche. You mix a few
drops of Klyr-fire into the powder/crushed enamel to form a thick paste which
is then scooped into the cells.
Adding enamel to the cells
The medallions being fired
Cooling slowly after being torch fired.
Cooled down and ready for more enamel to be added.
NOTES: After the piece cools from being fired, you can place
the piece in a mild acid solution called Pickle. The Pickle removes the oxidized, black flaky
bits, from the piece. You can then
neutralize it in a solution of Baking Powder and water or just rinse it in
water. This is done so that when the
coper oxidizes, you do not end up with black dots in your enamel caused by the
flaky material breaking off.
To finish the piece, it should be stoned or ground until the
wires are free of the enamel and the enamel itself is level with the
wires. Stoning is similar to filing in
that the work is ground down to the desired level and then the rest of the
process is one of removing scratches left the previously used tool (i.e. going
down in grit sizes until you get the polish you want). It is best to do stoning under running water
to keep the grit and particles moving away from your piece. You should also flush the piece and use a
glass brush to clean it every time you change grit. If you refire the piece and haven’t cleaned
it, the bits of debris will fire in forming tiny grey dots.
Once finished stoning and sanding you can wipe a fine film
of oil over the piece, then remove the excess with a tissue. This brings up the gloss, but leaves the piece
with a matte finish. Or you can refire
the piece for a glossy finish.
Other sources:
National Enamelist Society has links to other enamel sites,
online groups, galleries, etc. http://enamelistsociety.org
Youtube & Vimeo videos on enameling
Jan Harrell on Cool Tools
Ricky Frank on Rio Grande
The first finished piece
My 2 Cloisonne' and my forge enamel pieces
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