Can't stand the heat!

[The Dragon]

Sorry about the title, I'm in a strange mood today!

OK all the enamellling books I've read have recommended making little sample discs of the enamels in my collection. Fine with this, it's makes sense. I don't really want to fire each disc individually, but want to do several at once.

Here's the bit I need help with. Is there any type of pen that will withstand the firing process so I can mark each individual disc up with the colour etc or do I have to resort to scribing the details on before I fire the discs.

At the moment I have six cream/white enamels that look very similar in the pot and I'm dippy enough to mix them up or forget/doubt what I've done.

Any suggestions are most welcome

[caroleallen]

On an already enamelled piece if you write the colour using a wettish marker pen and then immediately sieve a darker enamel over the top the enamel will stick where you've marked it (tap the piece to allow the dry enamel to fall off) and you can fire it in the normal way. I use a pen designed for card embossing which stays wet quite a long time. It's quite a useful technique for adding detail to enamelled pieces.

[Mila Jewellery]

On an already enamelled piece if you write the colour using a wettish marker pen and then immediately sieve a darker enamel over the top the enamel will stick where you've marked it (tap the piece to allow the dry enamel to fall off) and you can fire it in the normal way. I use a pen designed for card embossing which stays wet quite a long time. It's quite a useful technique for adding detail to enamelled pieces.

Could I use that in the same way as that gum stuff then? (sorry for the slight thread hijack )

[caroleallen]

Could I use that in the same way as that gum stuff then? (sorry for the slight thread hijack )

Yes you can use anything that makes the surface wet. A pen is easier though.

[MuranoSilver]

I scrape the colour into the back with a sharp point
or (in the case of silver clay) prior to firing
Then I fire the colour onto that pre-marked disk.

nicx

[Lindyloo]

Wow, that is all so technical. When we did it at college, I just drew a copy of my metal piece onto a piece of paper with the colours written down on my picture. Then when the piece was fired, I just stuck sticky labels on the metal next to the enamel to identify the colours.

[caroleallen]

Yes Linda, that does sound a lot easier! I must admit that all I did was write on the enamel with a permanent marker! I was really just sharing a trick that I'd learned.