[Jewelry making - Article 00140] - Re: [Orchid] Polishing Enamel work

[Pam East]

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    I've finished both with cerium oxide and by flash firing, and have
    had good results with either. I tend to use flash firing more because
    I find it easier and I lack some of the equipment that would make
    polishing with cerium oxide more effective. 

    I've found the trick to successful flash firing is firing hot
    enough. I pop my kiln up to 1550, which is much higher than I would
    use for the regular firings, but only fire for 45 seconds to a minute
    or so. The idea is you want to quickly gloss the surface without the
    fusing penetrating deeper into the enamel. This way you maintain your
    shape and avoid the problem of the enamel sinking in the center and
    rising at the edges, but still get a high gloss shine. 

    It's vitally important to throughly clean the enamel before flash
    firing. Any stray grit left over from the stoning and sanding steps
    can cloud and discolor your enamel if it gets fired on. You can clean
    the enamel with a glass brush and ammonia, or you can put it in an
    ultrasonic cleaner with ammonia and water. Either method should
    remove any remaining grit. 

Enjoy!
Pam East
www.pinzart.com
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