[TheForge] RE: [Sandbox] In need of a little advice.

[Chuck Robinson]

Hey Mike,
These are Clay Spencer's directions for enameling the flower element on his 
table.
Chuck

Make a decorative element for the center. Make a flower or other decoration. 
It must be thin and have a hole in the center for a 1/4" bolt. The bolt head 
must be low or it will be higher than the tenon heads. If necessary, bend 
the cross bars down slightly in the center.

Clean the decoration very clean with sandpaper, sandblast or power wire 
brush.

Coat top side with Kerry-Fire using a small brush.
This is a liquid which help hold the enamel powder on sloping surfaces.


Sift on a heavy coat of medium clear fusing flux, number 2030. Using the 
2030 helps get a much smoother surface with the colored enamels. Rub 
fingernail along the twist to sift the powder.

Let dry or warm slowly with a torch from 6" or more away.
Patience is required here and a very low heat.

After all liquid is dry, start heating slowly with a low heat. A propane 
torch with a good burner usually will have enough heat to get the metal to a 
red heat, 1500°F.

Heat until the flux melts and makes a smooth surface.

Heat one section at a time then move to next section. A soft flame is better 
than a very hot one.

Apply a coat of colored enamel (Flame Orange) with the sifter. Hold a clean 
sheet of paper under the sifting to catch any powder falling off.
If the surface is rounded, let cool, paint on another coat of Klry-Fire, 
then sift the color on. All liquid must be dry before serious heating is 
started or you will get holes or bubbles in the surface.

If the surface is flat, you can sift another coat (or different colored 
enamel high lights) on hot and heat until it melts and flows smooth. If the 
coating is thin, you can sift some more enamel on while piece is hot and 
heat until it melts.

The center is a carriage bolt with the cadmium plate ground off with a belt 
grinder. It was coated with Klry-Fire and 2030, dried and melted.
Then it was coated with Klry-Fire and Cobalt Blue, dried and melted.

Do not apply the flame to the top and keep all dirt and dust off the enamel. 
Bubbles usually mean there was liquid that didn't dry. The enamel is very 
brittle and will crack or flake off if hit, bent or dropped. Some enamels or 
some colors do not work well with steel and torch. Use opaque, unleaded 
medium expansion enamels.

All enamels and supplies are available from Thompson Enamels, P O Box 310, 
Newport, KY 41072, phone 606-291-3800, FAX 606-291-1849. A  workbook and a 
sample of some of  their colors is available. Tell them Clay sent you.

Cleaning and Finish

Clean ironwork with wire brush. A small wire brush or flap sanding wheel may 
be used in a drill or die grinder to clean inside the scrolls. If there are 
any shiny spots from wire brushing or sanding and a clear finish is to be 
used then heat those spots with a torch to achieve a more even color.

The enamel surface does not require a protective finish but a clear finish 
does not hurt. The underside and edges are bare steel and will rust unless a 
protective finish is applied. Krylon acrylic clear or satin are my favorites 
for inside work. A coat will dry in a few minutes and several coats may be 
applied in one hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2003  by Clay Spencer. Permission is granted for publication in 
newsletters by non-profit blacksmith groups. If reprinted in installments, 
this copyright notice must be shown with all segments
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: <sandbox at artmetal.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 2:12 PM
Subject: [TheForge] RE: [Sandbox] In need of a little advice.


>
>> Also has anyone ever tried a ceramic glaze on a piece of steel?
>
>
> You need to talk to the jewelry people instead of the ceramic people.
> The jewelry guys should know about enameling.  In principle, the same
> thing as ceramic glaze, only the formulation, whether by historic
> trial and error or modern materials science, has dealt with both the
> matter of heterogeneous bonding and with the relative coefficients of
> expansion between metals and the glass-type coatings.
>
> Even better than the academic jewelry folks (who are mostly interested
> in non-ferrous bases anyhow) would be someone who works at an enamel
> kitchenware factory (now, regrettably, a dying product.)
>
> You can also coat metals with enamel using some kind of plasma arc
> spray equipment but I don't know any of the details.
>
>
> - Mike
>
> -- 
> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>                                                           /V\
> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
>
> -- 
>
>
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