[TheForge] pot

[Bruce .]

150 years ago there was -- Allaire's Howell Works (now Historic
Allaire Village) did this sort of enameling (on cast iron) routinely.

The thing is, enameling is melting glass onto metal.  There are any
number of tricks to it, and, like I said, it probably isn't worth
worrying about, but it certainly is possible.  IIRC, that blue with
white specs was an artifact of the process, not the intention.
Fortunately, it's quite good-looking, so was accepted by the
customers.  I have no idea what caused those white speckles.  (I
suspect fly-ash from the fire.)

I have enameled on copper.  Steel requires more attention because it's
more prone to oxidize, but the process is the same.  It's a little
like soldering or brazing -- get the metal clean, apply flux (NOT
necessarily the flux you use for brazing), apply glass frit, heat to
red.

There are lots of books on "copper enameling" out there.  Interested
persons should read up on it.

On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 11:13 AM, Ries Niemi <ries at riesniemi.com> wrote:
> Bruce, re-enameling may be theoretically possible- but where I live, its usually practically impossible, with, basically, no shops who do it.
>
> And I have never heard of any shop that can reproduce the old "cowboy coffee pot" enamel- the black or dark blue with white specks.
>
> Is there really a shop you can send out to in New Jersey that can re-enamel "cowboy coffee pot"?
> If so, what is their name?
>
> ries
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2012, at 8:05 AM, Bruce . wrote:
>
>> Before using ANY solder or brazing alloy on an item to be used for
>> food, check its metallic components.  Solder, of course, can contain
>> lead and other toxic metals.  Brazing alloys usually contain copper,
>> and may contain cadmium and other nasties.
>>
>> Now, the original posting said the metal was thin?  But that it only
>> needed to hold water? Hot or cold?  If this enamel pot is just going
>> to be used ornamentally -- say, for containing a flower pot -- then
>> why not forgo the metal repair per se and just patch using polymers --
>> rubber (e.g., RTV silicone, or Shoe Goo) for example, or even Bondo or
>> JB Weld?
>>
>> BTW, what was enameled in the first place can always be re-enameled.
>> It's probably not worth the effort, but certainly possible.
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 12:39 AM, Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net> wrote:
>>> If the crack is good and tight, I would furnace braze it... if you can
>>> fit it in your forge.  Get it hot, flux the crap out of it, lay in
>>> either chipped brazing rod along the crack or even copper.  Bring to
>>> heat until the filler flows.  I would make a pick from a wire coat
>>> hanger - cut about 8" or however many you may need to get at the joint
>>> while in the forge.  Forge/file a sharp point on the end.  When the
>>> solder is flowing you use the pick to draw the solder along the joint to
>>> ensure the entire crack has wet.
>>>
>>> I have a griddle and a very large cast iron frying pan that need this
>>> treatment.  Soon.
>>>
>>> On 8/7/2012 6:46 PM, Kim George wrote:
>>>> My wife would like me to repair an enameled pot. I think it's too thin
>>>> to weld. I'd have to silver solider or use a high temp. epoxy. anyone
>>>> have any suggestions(other than buy a new pot)
>>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Bruce
>> NJ
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-- 
Bruce
NJ