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Thread: Enamel chipping off on corners

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    7

    Default Enamel chipping off on corners

    Hello everyone,

    I have been having trouble with enamel chipping off on the corner of my pieces:

    It's on 2mm and 3mm steel with a groundcoat and then 2-3 layers of white enamel and then a decal transfer.
    steel tiles are sandblasted before application and it has happened both when I did or did not counterenamel. Some of them have also not chipped off until days or even weeks after the last firing.

    anyone have any idea what could be causing the issues?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    429

    Default

    I am no expert but I will give it a go...

    Have you tried making these with a slightly rounded corner instead of the sharp 90 degrees? I think I remember reading years ago that enamel does not like sharp corners, they create a stress point.
    Poor old Les

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    7

    Default

    Hi Les,

    Thank you for the tip.
    I will have to give that a try - sounds like a reasonable conclusion!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    3,392

    Default

    Have you tried any of the specific to enamelling forums? I’m not sure there are many experts in enamelling on here at the moment

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    1,844

    Default

    What type of steel are you using, needs to be low carbon, unless you have very sophisticated equipment.
    Do you do you own sandblasting, need to protect from rust as soon as it has been blasted, unless you are going to use straight away
    Just before using you need to clean with something like Acetone. on steel remove the aris and clean the edge as well, tiny tiny specs of rust can be present on the edge and contaminate the surface.
    Success in enameling any metal is cleanliness.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by CJ57 View Post
    Have you tried any of the specific to enamelling forums? I’m not sure there are many experts in enamelling on here at the moment
    I have not, I will have to do some googleing to find them

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by china View Post
    What type of steel are you using, needs to be low carbon, unless you have very sophisticated equipment.
    Do you do you own sandblasting, need to protect from rust as soon as it has been blasted, unless you are going to use straight away
    Just before using you need to clean with something like Acetone. on steel remove the aris and clean the edge as well, tiny tiny specs of rust can be present on the edge and contaminate the surface.
    Success in enameling any metal is cleanliness.
    I've tried different steels - actually have had the most sucess with stainless 304. I have been told stainless is tricky, but I feel like I have had the least issues with it. I do my own sandblasting and usually do use it straight away. I am pretty certain that I have gotten the metal cleanliness and surface preparation to a decent level, as I have had issues with that in the past and this feels different and really just confined to the corners.

    Never heard of using acetone - might give that a go. What does removing the aris mean?

    Thank you!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    1,844

    Default

    Aris is where two planes meet forming a sharp edge, in other words knock the sharp corner off.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by china View Post
    Aris is where two planes meet forming a sharp edge, in other words knock the sharp corner off.
    Thank you!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Oxfordshire
    Posts
    231

    Default

    Its not clear from the photos what can be seen under the chips. Is it bare metal or is it white enamel?

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