Fluxes for transparent and medium firing enameling. Below you will find enamel fluxes manufactures recommend for metal we like to use in enameling. Firing time varies on the size of your jewel. I work small and like to start around a min and go up in seconds. Just a quick peak in the kiln at eye level you can see if the enamel has fused. Fused means it appears smooth on the surface.

Ok so what is flux? it could be thought of as primer when you are painting a wall, or gesso on and oil canvas. It is a base coat of enamel that allows following layers of enamels with a wide range of physical properties to be use in this technique and not burn. So here we are talking about fluxes for enameling on copper and silver and gold

Copper

Fire at 1450 and up to 1550 degrees

Thompson’s Unleaded 2030 Flux. Check out Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Copper

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparent Enamel for Copper

Ninomiya’s   Leaded L11  Flux

Bovano’s   Leaded #1 Flux

• note when firing flux on copper, fire higher than then your layers of colored enamel after the flux. Copper oxidises quickly. To achieve the brilliant gold/copper color of the metal try 1600 degrees. Then back down to 1450-1500 as recommended by the manufactures for following enamels.

Fine Silver

I make enamel and cloisonne jewelry. And Fine Silver is my choice of metals. The weight of the jewel as well as the strength is a factor and in choosing the gauge of the fine silver. For pendants I prefer 20 gauge and for earrings 22 gauge.

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2020 medium firing or 2040 for a hard firing fluxes. In my work I like a hard firing flux on my bases.

Ninomiya’s Leaded  N1 Flux

N3 = Leaded pre – washed flux

G 110    Leaded hard flux

Bovano’s     Leaded  #3 this is a hard flux with a blue base, this is my favorite flux on fine silver.

 

Sterling Silver

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2040 flux.

Ninomiya Leaded N1 or N3 Flux

Bovano’s #3   Leaded Flux, both of these are hard enamels and I think it is helpful in keeping the surface contamination down of the sterling silver away from the layers of enamels.

• The surface of sterling sliver needs to be depleted  to achieve a fine silver layer on this metal. Enamels will react to sterling silver that does not have this fine layer of pure silver. Even though you are applying a flux.

Gold

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Bovano Leaded #2 Flux

• I use Bovano #3 as my gold flux, and enamel on 18k yellow gold after it has been depleted to create a fine layer of pure gold before applying the flux.

Stainless Steel

Fire at 1250 Degrees – 4-8 min.

Low to Medium expansion Enamels     Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Stainless Steel

Finishing Fluxes

Ninomiya’s Leaded N4

Bovano’s  Leaded 619

Brass  Today is Gilded Metal

Today many are asking about enameling on brass. It needs to be gilded metal , which means it has 5% zinc and no more to be successful, with 95% bronze. You can obtain this from Thompson’s Enamel and use their unleaded enamels used for copper as long as you apply no more than three firings.