Smiley face enamels

[afmetalsmith]

Here are pictures of the current state of the pieces I am working on for the Smiley Face show.

Cloisonne smiley The finished cloisonne smiley face, not in setting.

Plique Smiley: process My Plique-a-jour smiley face, during the enameling process.

Comments

[medvssa.livejournal.com]

Hmh, yes I understand why making this rim would make the enamel more resistant to pressure, but yeah solder leftovers are a pain in the ass. That setting I told you once is nice because you really don't put much pressure on the enamel, but I guess making it is also a pain in the ass. I have also read in an enamelling community that some people leave a couple of millimeters on the border of the base not enamelled, so that the setting almost touches the enamel, so that the pressure doesn't affect it. I am not sure how good this would look though.

Hmh, cyanocacrylate is super-glue right? Interesting. I wonder if a non toxic glue would work. I use tragacanth (?) for cloissoné and it holds well until it burns, perhaps it would work too? that would be cool. Does the solder affect the color of the enamel?
I want to try the PMC plique technique with PMC paper, sounds great, can you imagine, a fine silver plique?!

Yes you understood right. You can work in adding a little more enamel than the rest before the final firing, but this depends on the way you clean the wires, if you stone it, then you would have to do it afterwards. I used to clean it with hydrofluoric (when the piece is still warm and with a wooden stick dipped in pure acid, you have to work under a "bell" and with extractor, because of the fumes) wich is nice since it doesn't spoil the metal and if the metal is textured or so, the only way I see to clean it without damage.
In any case, this is how I do the domes, in the final fire (polish fire you call it?) you add a little dome of enamel carefully not to stain the wires. It doesn't have to get to the very edges. Fire upside down, or the dome will go a bit downwards. For this you probably have to take the piece to the oven when it is not completely dry (I don't know if you dry before, I don't, I evaporate in the oven: in and out) or else it can fall. Maybe one layer in not enough for a nice dome, so it may be necessary to repeat.