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    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire
    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire
    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire
    Ebook400 pages1 hour

    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire

    By Barbara Lewis

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    About this ebook

    Take the next steps in painting with fire!

    This follow-up to the award-winning Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry combines the beauty (and ease!) of torch-firing enamel with creative jewelry and metalsmithing techniques. Following a thorough review of the basics of torch-firing and all-new information on building and layering color, you'll make:

       • stunning necklaces, like the Bandaged Heart, featuring a copper and mesh heart, soldered and adorned with liquid enamel
       • fun and funky earrings, like the harlequin decaled I'm Distressed earrings
       • and cool bracelets, like the Up-Cycled Daisy, which features transparent brass enameling, recycled components, and much, much more!
    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry includes:

       • 50+ techniques for enameling, metalsmithing, beading and wireworking
       • 17 step-by-step projects, including necklaces, earrings and bracelets
       • 15+ new color "recipes," plus advice for layering enamels, and a contributor gallery highlighting the possibilities for working with specific color concepts
    Let Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry ignite your passion for jewelry!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Publishing Group
    Release dateAug 27, 2014
    ISBN9781440311819
    Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: The Next Steps in Painting with Fire
    Author

    Barbara Lewis

    Barbara Lewis is a retired psychoanalyst and an Episcopal priest. Always curious about the nature, causes and meaning of people and life, she majored in Philosophy at Mt. Holyoke College and studied Philosophy at Columbia University. She found a psychoanalyst who helped her with the underlying psychological questions and conflicts of her life. Barbara became an analyst herself, earning an M.S.W. from Columbia, and a certification from the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. She had a full-time practice of psychoanalysis in New York City for twenty years, focusing on the myriad issues and workings of psychology in human life. Barbara and her family moved to Pennsylvania, where they lived for ten years. She had a part-time psychoanalytic practice there, and pursued a growing focus on what she saw as the underpinnings of physical/psychological life: the nature and role of the spiritual life. She trained at the Episcopal Cathedral in Philadelphia and became an Episcopal deacon, then studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and graduated with an M.Div. from the General (Episcopal) Seminary in New York City. In 1999, she was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood just prior to moving with her family to Houston, TX. She served as a parish priest there for over fifteen years before retiring. Barbara still asks questions about human life: what it is, how and why it was created, what purpose(s) it has. She continues to marvel at the challenges, the joys, and the enigmas of human beings. To learn more and contact Barbara, visit www.FairyTaleWisdom.com.

    Read more from Barbara Lewis

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      Book preview

      Mastering Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry - Barbara Lewis

      Tools & Materials Used in This Book

      You don’t have to acquire all of these tools and materials at once. Begin with the tools and materials discussed in the Getting Started section and add a few of the tools and materials required for one or two of the projects. As you progress through the book, add more tools to continue building your tool kit.

      BASIC TORCH-FIRED ENAMELING KIT

      angle bracket

      Bead Pulling Station

      bread pan

      c-clamp or easy release clamp

      fuel (MAP gas, butane or propane)

      heat-resistant surface

      hose clamp

      mandrels

      Oil-Dri, vermiculite or kitty litter

      torch (Hot Head)

      water jar

      work table

      ENAMELS

      variety of enamels (80 mesh, 6/20, liquid and liquid dry form, overglazes and supplements) as per project material lists

      METALS USED IN THIS BOOK

      copper screen, 80 mesh

      copper sheet, 24-gauge

      copper wire

      rebar wire, 16-gauge

      sterling silver wire, 16-and 24-gauge

      BEADS USED IN THIS BOOK

      bead caps

      brass: angel wings, discs, flowers

      copper: beads, discs, gears

      heisi beads

      pearls

      pierced temple filigree beads

      polymer clay beads

      ADDITIONAL JEWELRY SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

      bead-reamer

      bead stoppers

      bead-stringing wire, 19-strand

      beading tweezers

      C-Lon cording

      clamshells

      copper eyelets

      crimp beads

      Eugenia Chan three-hole punch

      leather cording

      rubber earring stop

      stainless-steel cable choker

      variety of clasps (ball-and-hitch, hook-and-eye, magnetic, ball-and-chain, etc.)

      variety of head pins

      variety of jump rings

      variety of metal chains

      TOOLS

      bench blocks: rubber and steel

      bench pin

      Crafted Findings Riveting Tool

      dapping block and punches

      drill: Dremel, flexible shaft, household

      files: diamond, metal, needle

      hammers: chasing, ball-peen, riveting, brass mallet

      hole punch

      jeweler’s saw and blade

      metal shears

      nail set

      pliers: chain-nose, cross-locking, flat-jawed welding, flat-nose, round-nose

      scissors

      tube wringer

      vise

      wire cutters

      X-ACTO knife

      SOLDERING TOOLS & MATERIALS

      butane torch

      fire brick

      flux (paste or liquid, hard and soft)

      frit tray

      liquid dish soap (such as Dawn)

      scrubbing pad

      sheet solder

      solder (easy, lead-free stained glass, hard)

      solder brush, liner brush or inexpensive natural bristle brush

      tweezers or soldering pick

      OTHER

      adhesive-backed vinyl

      baking soda

      buttonhole cutter

      camera

      ceramic decals

      cotton-filled cording

      Crock-Pot

      darkening agent (such as Black Max)

      die-cut machine

      duct tape

      eyedropper

      G bass-guitar string

      liver of sulfur (LOS)

      markers

      mineral spirits

      molding compound

      patina solution (such as Novacan)

      paper plate

      pickle solution

      pickle pot (Crock-Pot)

      plexiglass

      purse strap

      quick-set glue

      ruler

      paper

      sanding pads

      scrap leather

      sewing machine

      small containers

      T-pins

      upholstery-weight thread

      variety of small paintbrushes

      wax paper

      Introduction

      So you’ve started enameling but want to take your work to the next level. You want to learn some easy techniques that will brand your work and make it identifiably yours. This book will not only spark creative ideas but will provide you with the tools and resources needed to execute your designs. Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire may have been your jumping off point, but now you’re thirsting for more.

      First, we’ll start with an overview of the immersion process of torch-fired enameling. Even though this may be a refresher for you, this groundbreaking enameling technique deserves a second look. Your time in the studio will be more about fun and less about cleaning metal. For lampworkers, this technique will be familiar territory because we’ll be using a mandrel—a stainless steel rod—onto which a bead or pendant is placed. In just an afternoon and even with no enameling experience, you’ll have created lots of beads and pendants that will become your canvases for further surface decoration.

      By surface decoration I mean commercial or homemade decals, custom-tinted liquid enamels, firescale decoration, stencils, controlled overfiring, 6/20 enamel and more. Are you interested in narrative jewelry that allows your work to speak volumes? Decals can help you do that, in the literal sense.

      As a Thompson Enamel distributor, I’m surrounded by a hundred different enamel colors, which puts me in a unique position to offer practical advice about how enamels look and behave. Did you know that Pumpkin and Buttercup need more layers, whereas Black will give good coverage with only one layer? Did you know that Quill White is sensitive to carbon trapping? If you like Khaki, this may be a good choice. I will also share favorite color blends developed in the Painting with Fire Studio. As we go through the projects in the book, I’ll share these trade secrets with you.

      We’ll fabricate our jewelry using simple and time-saving tools that give professional results.

      Because jewelry design, like other things in our culture, responds to economic realities, we’ll explore the option of replacing more costly metals with less costly ribbons, leather, cording and fiber strands. These materials will also allow us to weave more color into our work.

      So buckle your seatbelt and let’s get started!

      INNOCENCE

      Innocence is a variation on the Forest Nymph project. For a downloadable PDF, visit createmixedmedia.com/mastering-torch-fire.

      Getting Started

      It’s been three years since Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire was released and greeted by an enthusiastic worldwide community of jewelry artists looking for a new, easy and fun way to personalize jewelry through the use of color. That book, which introduced the Immersion Process of torch-fired enameling, generated more good things than I could have envisioned, including being named Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon. In addition, the United States Patent and Trademark Office considered the technique so unique that our application for Utility Patent #8,470,399 was granted for the Bead Pulling Station and the enameling process associated with it. The Immersion Process relies heavily on the functions of the Bead Pulling Station for safety and speed.

      But let’s say you’re coming to the party late and you’ve never heard the word enamel applied to anything other than spray paint or the outer layer of your teeth! If this is you, you’re in for a wake-up call and a whole bunch of fun! As it relates to jewelry, lustrous copper vessels or exquisite Faberge eggs, enamel is defined as glass on metal. If we put the word vitreous before the word enamel, we have clarified that we’re talking about glass. This is a very important distinction. Because of the popularity of the art of enameling, and especially torch-fired enameling, more and more products labeled as enamel are being introduced to the marketplace.

      Historically, enameling required a kiln to fuse powdered glass to metal, as well as a good deal of education about the process. But then some savvy folks started using inexpensive torches as the heat part of the enameling process. Even so, the fussy steps of the enameling process remained, whether firing in a kiln or torch firing using a tripod. Scrubbing the metal to a pristine condition was still required so oils (from hands) or environmental grime did not present a barrier to enamel adhesion.

      Adhesives were required to get the enamel to stick to the metal. Counter enameling, where enamel is applied to the back of the piece being enameled to prevent warping, is yet another step. Even when the artist could indulge in the expense of a kiln, these enameling steps had many of us shying away from trying it. The good news is that NONE of these steps is a part of the Immersion Process of enameling.

      The success of this technique is due to a single factor: We heat the metal first. This single step sets the Immersion Process apart from kiln firing and every other type of torch-firing method. No tedious cleaning of the metal in necessary because the flame cleans the metal. And the metal is hot, so there’s no need for an adhesive because enamel sticks to the hot metal. There is also no need for a separate counter-enameling step. When we dredge the metal through the enamel, we cover the front and the back at the same time.

      In addition to the time-saving features of the Immersion Process, there are also some added safety features. Fewer glass particles become airborne because we don’t sift the enamel onto the metal. Our torch is also firmly attached to our work surface, allowing both hands to be free. It also means we are well aware of the direction of the torch flame. In a workshop situation this advantage can be huge!

      Have I mentioned speed? Using the Immersion Process and the Bead Pulling Station, we can fire an iron bead with three layers of enamel in less than a minute! Yes, you heard me right, I said iron. My first book introduced inexpensive iron filigree beads to the enameling community. Can you think of a better way to add value to your jewelry without an equivalent cost? While this book has been in the creation stage, we’ve seen sterling silver skyrocket to $40 a troy ounce before leveling out at $23. In 2000, it was less than $5 a troy ounce!

      Through diligent work, the team at Painting with Fire has identified a type of brass that accepts enamel. Juicy transparent enamels that pool in the recesses of ever-popular brass stampings help to accentuate the design.

      The Immersion Process of enameling involves placing a bead, pendant or charm on a stainless steel rod (mandrel), which does not conduct heat. We hold the bead in the oxygenated sweet spot of the flame until it glows orange. Then the bead is dredged through a container of enamel. Repeat this process one or two more times, and you’re ready to pull the bead off the mandrel using the Bead Pulling Station. The hot bead falls into a bread pan cushioned with ceramic fiber, vermiculite, kitty litter or Oil-Dri.

      But before we go any further into the firing process, let’s talk about safety.

      Safety

      Working with fire and powdered glass has some inherent dangers. Let’s see how we can protect ourselves and still have a good time.

      VENTILATION

      Good ventilation is a must! You need an exchange of air … Out with the old, in with the new! But it needn’t be high tech. A room with cross ventilation provided by a wall of windows opposite two open doors was perhaps my best former teaching location outside my own studio. The flameworking studio at the Painting with Fire Studio is a long, narrow room. The room is perfect from the standpoint that all students sit with their torches facing the wall.

      However,

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