Enameling Principles and Practice

ENAMELING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE by Kenneth F. Bates. Contents include: FOREWORD page 13 INTRODUCTION 17 I A BRIEF HISTORY OF ENAMELING Greek enamels Celtic enamels Byzantine enamels German enamels French enamels Enameled portraits English enamels Russian enamels Chinese and Japanese enamels English revival in 1864 Viennese school Enameling in America page 21 II HOW ENAMELS ARE COMPOUNDED AND ENAMEL ING TOOLS AND MATERIALS Types of enamels Silica Oxide of lead Borax Potash and soda Oxides of metal Materials Kilns Tools Gum tragacanth page 39 III MAKING THE FIRST PIECE OF ENAMEL Shaping the copper Trimming Cleaning Acid bath - Alkalizing Washing the enamel Applying the counter enamel Firing the enamel Tracing the design Spatula method - Dusting method Deep bowls - Warping Blowtorch firing page 49 IV TESTING THE COLORS, THE USE OF METAL FOILS AND THE INDIVIDUAL PALETTE. Opaque tests Metal foils Transparent tests on copper Transparent tests on pure silver Enameling on sterling silver - Test for melting point Palette page 74 5 CONTENTS V CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN ENAMELS. Black - White - Gray Flux - Bine Green Brown Red Purple Chartreuse - Yellow Ivory page 83 VI MAKING LIMOGES ENAMELS Preparing the plaque Counter enamel the plaque Designing the plaque Transferring the design First coat of enamel Paillons for plaque Grisaille enameling Detail painting Metallic lusters page 92 VII MAKING CLOISONNE ENAMELS BY THE OLDER TECHNIQUE AND A MODERN VERSION. Forming panels Cleaning the gold Wire for cloisonne Soldering cloisonne wires Applying the enamel Firing cloisonne Stoning process Shorter cloisonne method page 109 VIII MAKING CHAMPLEV6, PLIQUE-A-JOUR, BASSE TAILLE AND OTHER TYPES OF ENAMELS Design for champleve - Plating Preparing the copper Etching with acid Enamels for champleve Buffing and polishing Plique-a-jour process Phque-a-jour on copper plate Plique-a-jour on mica Plique-a-jour by capillary attraction Applying the enamel Basse-taille process Grisaille proc ess En resille process page 125 IX DESIGN FOR ENAMELING AND THE UNDERSTAND ING AND FEELING FOR THE MEDIUM OF ENAM ELING, Scale Vibration Edges Stress Subject matter page 141 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS X EXPERIMENTS, SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW USES OF ENAMEL AND EARNING A LIVING BY ENAMEL ING EXPERIMENT 1 - Enameled jewels EXPERIMENT 2-Gas flame colorations EXPERIMENT 3-Enameling over fire glaze EXPERIMENT 4-Over glaze shading EXPERIMENT 5-The thin enameled line EXPERIMENT 6-The embossed line EXPERIMENT 7-Sgraffito technique EXPERIMENT 8-Enamelmg on brass EXPERIMENT 9-Textures with glass page 1 60 APPENDIX Materials for Enameling and Where to Buy Them Con temporary American Enamehsts Tables of Information Useful to the Enamelist Where to Find Information on How to Color Copper page 189 GLOSSARY page 199 BIBLIOGRAPHY page 203 INDEX page 204 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Gold and ebony box with cloisonne enamel KENNETH F...