Thursday, September 11, 2014

Hit the ground running

We are already halfway through our third week of school!!!  My students have really been working hard and getting a lot accomplished.  Soon I will post some samples of their work.

Today I gave another demo on an enameling technique I learned over the summer called wet packing, or wet inlay.  They were all very excited to see another way to manipulate the enamels.  They ask great questions, and overall seem to catch on the first time something is explained.  It's great!!  (I think I am getting spoiled)

Good questions they have asked to me today (and answers I found):

1) Why is there a little pit in the color here if I put the coat on evenly?
     - used too much holding agent
     - the enamel was on too think
     - a gas released from the metal underneath during the firing

2) Why is there black on here that was not before?
     - fire scale is popping off the trivets or firing racks during firing (clean with pickling or file)
     - If red/orange, many of them react with copper and turn black (put down a thin base coat first)

Something I have been wondering and noticing... Should the surface of the piece always be completely covered the first time it is fired?  For example, of I am using stencils, should I put a thin layer of flux or white on first as my 'primer' and then proceed with the colors on top?? OOOR, should I do part of the stencil, fire it, do the other part and then fire it again?

Students have been doing it both ways.  It seems if they have a base coat, it ends up pretty thick at the end of things.  If they don't though, fire scale flies up off of their piece and lands in the colors.  Also, a black edge os formed and they sometimes do not like that.

I suppose, without asking someone with more expertise than me, I should have them put a thin coat of something on first.  More research will be done.....  


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