Champlevé Enameling

Objectives:

I can understand the basics of enameling

I can learn to clean metal and glass

I can create an etched design with the intention of adding color

Champlevé

What is Champlevé?

Champlevé (shahmp-luh-vay), meaning “raised plane” in French, is the process by which a design is cut, gouged or etched out of metal to create low areas for the enamel.

Watch! So cool!

What is enamel?

Enamel is an opaque or semitransparent glassy substance applied to metallic or other hard surfaces for ornament or as a protective coating.

Examples:

Assignment:

Create a metal piece that incorporates color into larger sections that are etched into the metal.

Process

1. Saw out your metal piece

2. Apply resist to metal

You have two options here:

1. Use the nail polish, coat the whole metal, and scrape your design into the nailpolish.

2. Paint the black asphaltum etching resist on the areas where no etching should occur.

3. Etch

Place piece in nitric acid bath. You want the etch to be deeper for this process so this may take longer than normal. Keep an eye on your resist to make sure the the acid is not undercutting and the resit appears to be holding up.

Make sure to clean your metal well after etching.

Enameling

Wash enamel

Fire base coats

1. Apply Scalex to the front of the piece, let dry

2. Paint a light coat of Klyr-Fyre on the back and sift a light coat of enamel

3. Fire at 1400 degrees to orange peel stage, cool

4. Repeat 2 more times ?

5. Clean with tooth brush to remove ALL Scalex, pickle 10 minutes or so

6. Use brass brush to make piece shiny on the front again

7. On the front, do two very light siftings of medium fusing flux, spraying between siftings with the Klyr-Fyre solution.

Wet pack enamel

1. Mix clean enamel with a little water and a drop of Klyr-Fire

2. Using a tiny brush, paint a thin layer of enamel into the recessed areas of your metal piece

3. Fire and repeat until enamel is slightly higher than your metal

4. Fire to maturity

Finishing

1. Use Alundum stones under running water. Use 150 grit then 220 grit in all directions until exposed copper areas are almost clean clean.

2. If you see low spots, scrub the piece with a glass brush, soak the piece in a solution of detergent, ammonia and water for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly before reapplying and adding more enamel.

3. Continue stoning until piece is smooth and dull.

4. Use wet and dry emery papers to remove the scratches. Use 220, 320, 400 and 600 grits. Wash

5. Polish

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